History Channel Series Packs 400 Years Into 12 Hours
Nicole E. Rogers - Wisconsin State Journal
Apr 26, 2010
A miniseries titled "America: The Story of Us" gives itself 12 hours to tell the history of an entire country.
Ambitious? Yes, but surprisingly satisfying, too.
In 12 parts over six nights, the History Channel hits on the big events of the past with dramatic re-enactments, expressive narration by Liev Schreiber, sweeping camera work, CGI special effects and a decidedly contemporary musical score.
The result is an experience both familiar and new. Sure, we know the story of how the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, but somehow, seeing it played out in primetime sparks renewed interest.
The first hour, "Rebels," spins through 165 years of history, starting in 1610 with the arrival of John Rolfe, the Englishman who would revitalize the devastated Jamestown Colony, plant tobacco and marry Pocahontas. By the end of the hour, we can cross skirmishes and peace with Native Americans, the Pilgrims settling, the first Thanksgiving, the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the first meeting of the Continental Congress, Paul Revere's midnight ride to warn the Lexington militia of the coming British troops, and the first casualties of the Revolutionary War off of the must-see list of American history.
Adding contemporary emphasis to the original shot heard 'round the world -- that first firing of a British weapon to start the American Revolution -- is the "Matrix"-style camera effect. You know the one, where the bullet seems to pause in mid-air and the perspective rotates on its axis -- only you've never seen it quite like this, where the bullet is a musket ball that looks about the size of a watermelon hanging in the air, the symbol of an oppressive and heavy-handed government. Its target, however, has none of the mind-body control of Neo and instead of bending and twisting to avoid the bullet, Prince Estabrook is the first to fall in this fight for freedom.
Subsequent episodes focus on westward expansion, the Industrial Revolution, slavery, the Civil War, World War I, the stock market crash, the Great Depression, World War II and much, much more. The last two hours deal with the past 65 years, assessing what has endured, technologically and sociologically.
With the perspective that 400 years can afford, "America" is sprinkled with bits of insight on how this history shaped life as we know it. The looms of the cotton mills of the mid-1800s, for example, are called the precursors of the digital age, compared to binary code and the first computer chips.
A few nits to pick, though: Interspersed with the narrative are comments from varied American luminaries, including Donald Trump, Henry Louis Gates, Tom Brokaw, Colin Powell, Aaron Sorkin, Sheryl Crow and Michael Strahan. Their comments are intended to lend a personal perspective to historical events, and some hit that mark. But others come across as forced and interruptive.
And, as might be expected with a project that packs 400 years into a 12-hour miniseries, some things are dealt with a bit simplistically. But then, there's a reason Mom didn't let us do homework in front of the TV.
The producers of "America: The Story of Us" are offering a copy of the series on DVD to every school and college in the country. And as an element in teaching American history, it's great: lively, dramatic and chock-full of information.
But even for the casual student, the one who maybe hasn't seen the inside of a classroom in a few decades, "America" serves as a decent and relatively thorough refresher course, a romp through the highs and lows of that which makes us who we are.
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