Product Description

Studio: A&e Home Video Release Date: 02/24/2004 Run time: 50 minutes Rating: Nr

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #40754 in DVD
• Brand: A&E
• Released on: 2004-02-24
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 60 minutes

Amazon.com
Ken Burns's fourth short film gives us a clear taste for the style that he made famous with The Civil War and Baseball. The first half of this hour-long program examines the design and construction of the Statue of Liberty using drawings, photographs, and readings (Jeremy Irons gives voice to French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, who designed the statue). As narrator David McCullough states, no one at the dedication ceremony mentioned immigration, but the statue became a towering symbol of America's open-door policy. The second half examines the meaning of the statue and of liberty itself. Comments by author James Baldwin, director Milos Forman, and politicians Barbara Jordan and Mario Cuomo reverberate, as does Paul Simon's song "American Tune," which bookends the picture. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews

Statue of Liberty - Past to Present
The thing I liked most about this A&E production on the Statue of Liberty was its focus on not only the monument itself, but also the historical and social forces that have evolved around it. The film provides some interesting, little-known facts about the statue, from its shaky financial origins to its unstable architectural idiosynchrasies. Despite these weaknesses, the Statue of Liberty served as the inspiration for America's great waves of European immigrants. The film documents their late 19th/early 20th century struggle to become citizens of the United States. Its focus on the Statue's sister-monument, Ellis Island, is also quite elucidating and poignant. I would recommend the film to anyone interested in turn-of-the-century American History and/or Modern Architecture. This volumn in the Modern Marvels series is truly inspiring.

Wake up, America!
After seeing this video, I thought deeply about what the Statue of Liberty means to people who are coming to this country for the first time. If what is presented in the video is true, why was it such a controversial statue? It is not just a symbol of liberty or freedom or two countries coming together, nor does it have any political significance. It is about people and their search for solace and shelter in an uncaring world. The passage at the bottom of the statue, the time that it was built and erected, and its location, these seem to have more significance.

Well, enough of my ramblings. This video is a must-see for Americans and for historians of all ages. It really stirs the soul. That's what it did to me. My parents are immigrants and a lot of what was said rang true for me. Thanks for reading this.

Excellent film by Ken Burns, DVD a little disappointing
I am a big fan of the films by Ken Burns, and this one is very good. It is very short compared to other multi-episode films like the Civil War, but is still inspiring, enjoyable, and educational.

The quality of the DVD is good, but the amount of content is rather low considering the price. The extras include two short features on Ken Burns, making this entire DVD about 1.5 hours of viewing. Should be priced at 9.99 or 12.99, or maybe combined with another Burns film, such as Brooklyn Bridge.