Product Description

The dramatic biography of an American genius whose life spanned most of the 18th century, this three-part series follows Benjamin Franklin from his humble beginnings growing up in Boston, through his determined drive for prosperity and accomplishment as a self-made businessman, publisher and civic citizen in Philadelphia, to international superstardom as a scientist and revolutionary, a founding father and America's first diplomat.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30158 in DVD
• Brand: Paramount
• Released on: 2006-01-24
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 210 minutes

Customer Reviews

Near perfect account of an American Icon
This clever and entertaining look at the life and times of Benjamin Franklin would be a great addition to the library of any Franklin buff or history buff for that matter.

It is well written, and entertainingly presented with a mix of narration and live action. Richard Easton does a fantastic job portraying Franklin and the cast does well acting out actual correspondences and written first hand accounts from the time.

The film is broken down into three segments showing the life of Franklin. Let the Experiment Be Made, The Making of a Revolutionary, and The Chessmaster.

Let the experiment be made shows the early life of Franklin, how a genius was made and his contributions to science.

The Making of a Revolutionary shows how a man who once considered himself a loyalist became a fierce proponent of independence.

The Chessmaster detailed his years in France gaining support for the war, the treaty of France, and the building of the American Experiment in democracy.

Ultimately this film does a great job portraying Franklin as a man. Sometimes flawed, as we all are, but a man who contributed so many things to making America what we know today.
It does it with wit, humor, and narration that moves quick and keeps you interested.

Richard Easton steals the show
I fell on this by accident, and loved it. I was in a real history mode about 2 years ago, and grabbed this. I really can't remember why, but I have to admit out of all the documentaries from the channels that sell life insurance this is my favorite.

Its informative, accurate, and if watched on your laptop/desktop - you may want to investigate the background materials online that are discussed (or acted).

The acting is good. Richard Easton is a true professional, and the rest of cast does an above average job as well - for a documentary. The commentary from experts is equally as pleasing, and quite balanced. It stays on point and leads from beginning to end like a good book.

Well worth a buy for the facts, acting, and return value. I give this 4 stars as it is not anamorphic, but letterboxed widescreen (not enhanced for 16x9 TV's).

Great man, great film
This film is about another founding father of the United States, Benjamin Franklin. It categorizes three parts to decipt him and I think this arrangement is pretty adequate.

The first part, Let the Experiment Be Made, is about his enthusiasm on the science and the impacts to the world. The most famous story may be the kite and the lightning. In addition, this part also talks about his early life. Some of his scientific works are scattered in the other parts of this film.

The second part, The Making of a Revolutionary, is about how he becomes a Patriot rather than sticking to a Loyalist. It is somewhat ironic since he regards himself as an Englishman rather than an American most of his life. At last, this turns out to be his darkest time since he and his son, who helped him in the kite and lightning experiment, are separated for different political beliefs.

The third part, The Chess Master, is mostly about his endeavors in France during the Revolution War. After winning the independence, he is also a key man for the peace treaty with England and France and the U.S. Constitution. It is not straightforward as we might think to reach the peace treaty with the European powers because they had their own agendas. The U.S. Constitution is also not seemed to work at that time since no one is satisfied with it due to so many compromises and fears. Overall, these make him the only one sign in the three most important documents in the early U.S. history, the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Paris and the U.S. Constitution.

The time is well spent after I have finished it. The narration and comments from experts are smooth and on focus. It's very pleasing to watch during the whole running time. I recommend this DVD to anyone interested in Benjamin Franklin, who deserves his fame.