DAVID CRUMM SAYS: As a longtime Shaker history buff, I had the privilege of previewing this documentary in 1984 just after Ken Burns and his wife Amy completed it for PBS. A big group of Shaker aficionados gathered in central Kentucky that spring to take a peek at what this young couple had assembled. And, we were greatly impressed!

That was before Ken Burns' name became a household phrase and later came to signify a whole genre of documentary film making. "The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God" is a modest early work by the Burns, just under 1 hour in length.

Nevertheless, this documentary remains the best overview of this utopian movement available on DVD.

---

Product Description

Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 09/30/2005 Director: Ken Burns

---

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #55570 in DVD
• Brand: Paramount
• Released on: 2004-09-28
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 58 minutes

---

Customer Reviews

Skimpy overview of the Shakers
The Shakers were an American religious sect that nurtured an explosion of creativity in theology, social experimentation, architecture, music, design, and invention. Never larger than a few thousand men and women, this group accomplished an amazing amount and their legacy is out of all proportion to their numbers. Ken Burns does a very superficial job here. Next to nothing is said about their radical theology: Mother Ann was seen as the second coming of Christ in female form. Ken Burns, who did such a good job with the Civil War, never mentions that the Shakers' numbers grew radically after the upheavals of the Civil War left many people seeking extreme religious lifestyles. While there are examples of Shaker music, no one discusses the unique style of their hymns. The vast Shaker thological literature that survives seems to have little interest to him. It is as if Burns spent a weekend doing research and figured that he had learned enough. He didn't.

A Great Overview
Although this is not an extensive project, it is a wonderful introduction to the world of the Shakers and gives the curious a place to start. If you would like to get inspiration for additional research on this fascinating subject, this is an ideal DVD and beautifully produced. Don't hesitate seeing it!

Brilliant storytelling
This film is an early example of Ken Burns' brilliance for storytelling. He does an exceptional job here telling the story of the Shakers and why they are important to American history. I highly recommend the film.