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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Alan WalkerMar 7, 2017 2:10 PM (in response to Thomas Richardson)
2 people found this helpfulThe ones that immerse you, like Tower (about the 1966 shooting at the University of Texas), Freedom Riders, Freedom Summer, and Last Days in Vietnam. The people who actually lived it (and lived through it) tell the stories better than anyone else could.
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Thomas RichardsonMar 30, 2017 9:10 AM (in response to Alan Walker)
If you like American Experience and Independent Lens documentaries, a multi-episode show about US entry into WWI airs on April 10th, the trailer looks wonderful!
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Larry Shockley Mar 7, 2017 3:51 PM (in response to Thomas Richardson)1 person found this helpfulWW II: "The World At War" has yet to be equaled: The World at War (TV Mini-Series 1973–1974) - IMDb
Rock N Roll: The ten part PBS Series "Rock N Roll" is easily the best documentary on the subject matter but was never officially released to the masses on VHS or DVD. A limited amount of copies were made available to educators and libraries..I was lucky enough to come across copies of it at a library book sale.
Attempts to revive the series to be shown again on PBS have failed. That being said, you CAN find some if not ALL of the episodes on YouTube: Rock and Roll - WGBH Openvault
More on what is officially available: http://current.org/2013/02/interviews-from-wbgh-and-bbc-doc-series-rock-roll-available-in-streaming-form/
Music Festival: "Message To Love: The Isle of Wight Festival 1970" is the best rock festival documentary not named Woodstock. Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival (1997) - IMDb
ROME: my favorite documentary about Rome was hosted by Peter Coyote, is six hours long and can be bought for less than $10 from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rome-Power-Glory-Peter-Coyote/dp/B002YOJEGG
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Thomas RichardsonMay 11, 2017 10:50 AM (in response to Larry Shockley)
1 person found this helpfulYou know, I actually remembering watching the Rome series in middle school. We only saw one episode, but I distinctly remember Peter Coyote's voice in later documentaries.
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Judith Haran Mar 7, 2017 6:10 PM (in response to Thomas Richardson)I agree, The World At War, which I think was a BBC production, is my favorite. It takes a very long time to watch. In fact, I have not finished watching it yet. I also liked that one about the propaganda film made by Germans in the Warsaw ghetto, entitled A Film Unfinished, made by Yael Hersonski. (And in the "we-hope-it-is-not-a-documentary" category, there's The Man in the High Castle, of course. I am totally addicted to this one.)
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Thomas RichardsonMar 8, 2017 10:13 AM (in response to Judith Haran)
I will have to look into The World at War, it sounds intriguing!
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Larry Shockley Mar 8, 2017 10:30 AM (in response to Thomas Richardson)Narrated by Sir Lawrence Olivier, the story of the production itself is almost as fascinating as the subject matter it covers...
"More than 30 years after its initial broadcast, THE WORLD AT WAR remains the definitive visual history of World War II. Narrated by Academy Award winner Laurence Olivier and digitally re-mastered for DVD, this is epic history at its absolute best.
Unsurpassed in depth and scope, its 26 hour-long programs feature an extraordinary collection of newsreel, propaganda, and home-movie footage drawn from the archives of 18 nations, including color close-ups of Adolf Hitler taken by his mistress, that present an unvarnished perspective of the war's pivotal events. Penetrating interviews with eyewitness participants--from Hitler's secretary to Alger Hiss to ordinary citizens who stood outside the battle lines--add spine-tingling, first-hand accounts to an already unforgettable viewing experience.
Informative and unbiased, THE WORLD AT WAR is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an International Emmy Award, The National Television Critic's Award for Best Documentary, and knighthood for its creator, Sir Jeremy Isaacs."
https://www.amazon.com/World-at-War-Laurence-Olivier/dp/B0002F6AH0
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Judith Haran Mar 9, 2017 11:31 AM (in response to Thomas Richardson)Make sure you get the updated version - they redid the images for better quality. It's out on DVD. I got my version on Amazon for about $50.
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Christian BelenaMar 22, 2017 11:29 AM (in response to Judith Haran)
I am now watching "World War II in Colour HD" on YouTube - 13 part series by the BBC. Excellent production.
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Thomas RichardsonMar 22, 2017 11:49 AM (in response to Christian Belena)
I recently finished another BBC documentary series on Netflix called Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial which was partially informative / docu-drama. Only covering 5 episodes and three Nazis (Goering, Speer, and Hess) they combined, archival footage, interviews with historians and first-hand accounts of the trials, and dramatization. Putting aside that each Nazi has a British accent, the writers and directors covered nearly every facet of the trial pertaining to one of the three Nazis they highlighted.
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
William Frobe Jan 12, 2018 3:51 PM (in response to Christian Belena)I just finished that series about a month ago. Excellent!
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Christopher BurroughsMar 9, 2017 9:12 AM (in response to Thomas Richardson)
This is another Ken Burns work, but I am a huge fan of Baseball. This is a remarkable series, presenting some rarely seen photographs and footage of the game that used to be America's Pastime (and still is in my book). Since I didn't come into existence until 1975, this series allows me to see and hear about the greats of the past that I never got a chance to see play, and hear some of their personal stories. As a baseball nut, this work is at the top of my list.
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Thomas RichardsonMar 9, 2017 2:39 PM (in response to Christopher Burroughs)
Burns added additional innings (episodes) later after its original run on PBS and they're just as compelling. I read an article recently about his documentary work and an interviewee stated that more Americans get their history knowledge from his films than most others. That I can believe since when you mention his name, most can instantly recognize his style and narrative.
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Christian BelenaMar 9, 2017 10:58 AM (in response to Thomas Richardson)
For me it's all about World War II. "The True Glory: The Story of Your Victory By the Guys Who Won It" (1945) was a British-American collaboration from the Ministry of Information and Office of War Information, respectively. It won Best Documentary at the 1946 Academy Awards. While that tops my list, there are many more to cite including those by American Experience.
World at War (1973) is tied for second for the reasons listed by Larry, above.
Now - if you wanna talk about propaganda cartoons....
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Judith Haran Mar 9, 2017 11:32 AM (in response to Christian Belena)Did anyone ever make a documentary about either the US or the British wartime newsreels, the ones that were seen in movie theaters throughout the war? Are those available anywhere?
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Rebecca CollierMar 9, 2017 11:43 AM (in response to Judith Haran)
3 people found this helpfulJudith-- The Motion Picture, Sound and Video Branch of the National Archives in College Park, MD, has custody of Universal Pictures Newsreels (see https://catalog.archives.gov/id/100520). For more information, please contact them at mopix@nara.gov. --Becky Collier
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Christian BelenaMar 9, 2017 12:08 PM (in response to Judith Haran)
1 person found this helpfulDitto what Rebecca posted in reply. However, you might also be writing about MovieTone News. Those are split between the British owner (www.movietone.com) and Fox (http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/movietone-news/index.html)
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Judith Haran Mar 9, 2017 12:43 PM (in response to Christian Belena)Actually I was just wondering if anyone had made a DOCUMENTARY using this source material. We can all watch individual newsreels (American, British, even German ones, many with English subtitles) on Youtube - some enterprising person should take this source material and turn it into a documentary. They could call it Alternative Facts Throughout History, or something reflecting the idea of "alternative facts" that we are currently hearing about. Maybe if Ken Burns is reading this, he'll come up with an inspiration!
Anyway, here is a useful link to some of these newsreels: HyperWar: WWII in the Newsreels
(Be aware that at least on a Mac, if you click on a title, it will download onto your computer as an "avi"file, which appears to require some special software to view, software that I do not have. Perhaps they work better on a PC.)
Here is a link to a typical Deutsche Wochenschau weekly newsreel, with subtitles in English:
German Combat Footage From The Eastern Front 1941 | Deutsche Wochenschau English Subtitles - YouTube
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Rachael SalyerMar 9, 2017 1:16 PM (in response to Judith Haran)
2 people found this helpfulWhile not a documentary, the Australian film "Newsfront" (from 1978, directed by Phillip Noyce) is a dramatization of the newsreel industry in post-World War II Australia, and it includes clips from actual newsreels, I believe.
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Alex ChampionMar 29, 2017 9:41 AM (in response to Rachael Salyer)
1 person found this helpfulI tend to loathe dramatizations in documentaries--I suspect it's the budget or casting experience of documentarians but I may never know--but I rewatch and become utterly absorbed by historical dramas that are based on solid documentation.
Hiroshima (1995) is a three hour movie set between FDR's death and the surrender of Japan. It focuses on Truman but includes bits for his wife, his cabinet (esp. Jim Byrnes), the atomic scientists, the crew of the Enola Gay/Bock's Car, and the Japanese brass. It makes clever use of intertitles to fill in bits of information (or lack thereof) that are helpful but cannot be expressed well in motion pictures.
There's also Conspiracy (2001). No doubt much of the conflict and dialogue is completely original but the Wannsee Conference has some excellent documentation to work from.
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Thomas RichardsonMar 30, 2017 12:27 PM (in response to Alex Champion)
Most dramatizations are mainly done for effect I think. To many directors, it's a way to fill what they might see as dead space in a narrative. Sometimes the dramatizations work, but others it's exasperating to not cringe at the wooden acting. The more historically authentic, the better I believe as well.
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Alex ChampionMar 29, 2017 2:33 PM (in response to Rachael Salyer)
1 person found this helpfulOoooh--I forgot Chicago 10, which is about the Chicago 7 (plus Bobby Seale plus their two lawyers). It combines actual footage with animated court scenes based on records and informed by surviving witnesses. It's pretty innovative.
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Julie Johnson Nov 28, 2018 2:24 PM (in response to Judith Haran)I am writing my dissertation on this topic. Focusing on Hearst Metrotone and the making of the American newsreel.
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Thomas RichardsonMar 9, 2017 4:27 PM (in response to Christian Belena)
My WWII history class in St. Andrews spent an entire day watching all of Disney's short films about Hitler and the war. It's interesting to consider what censorship approves and rejects depending on the country's attitude towards the enemy and wartime experiences.
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Christian BelenaMar 10, 2017 6:32 AM (in response to Thomas Richardson)
Of my vast collection of WW2 films, my favorite animated shorts are Warner Brothers'. My senior thesis was on Hollywood's role in the War Effort. The censorship was a result of the Office of War Information and what they thought American's should or should not know. A good book for a better understanding on the collusion between DC and Hollywood is "Hollywood Goes to War: How Politics, Profits, and Propaganda Shaped World War II" https://tinyurl.com/j7vv797
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Rachael SalyerMar 31, 2017 1:34 PM (in response to Christian Belena)
2 people found this helpfulI just saw this article about a 3-part Netflix documentary that might interest those of you who've been following this thread. It sounds like a meta-documentary because it looks at the lives of five Hollywood directors who put their movie-making careers on hold to make documentaries during WWII. It's based on a book by Mark Harris, directed by Laurent Bouzereau, and narrated by Meryl Streep.
Here's the link to the article I saw:
'Five Came Back' explores power of World War II docs - CNN.com
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Thomas RichardsonMar 31, 2017 1:58 PM (in response to Rachael Salyer)
I actually just received a Netflix update and it suggested that for me. It sounds intriguing!
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Christian BelenaMar 31, 2017 2:44 PM (in response to Rachael Salyer)
If you're a fan of "Band of Brothers" you should check out this: Searching for Augusta: The Forgotten Angel of Bastogne. In the BoB episode on Bastogne "Anna" is portrayed briefly. This is the story of the real "Anna" - Augusta Chiwy. http://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/80148413/s
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Larry Shockley Mar 21, 2017 2:10 PM (in response to Thomas Richardson)More Info on the upcoming Ken Burns creation:
Vietnam Redux, Again: Ken Burns & Lynn Novick’s Epic PBS Series - Under the Radar
"For Vietnam, they have come up with a whopper that was 10 years in the making. Beginning in September, PBS will roll out a 10-part, 18-hour documentary The Vietnam War that the blurbs say will be a “gripping cinematic journey that promises to be a major cultural event.”"
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Thomas RichardsonMar 22, 2017 11:12 AM (in response to Larry Shockley)
It was an ambitious undertaking without a doubt. He is also due to release a biographical documentary about Ernest Hemingway in 2019, which is also exciting.
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Michael ChorneskyMar 22, 2017 11:27 AM (in response to Thomas Richardson)
1 person found this helpfulKen Burns's "The Civil War" both intrigues me as a pedagogical piece and irks me because it uses inaccurate information at times for dramatic effect. Much of it also advances (through Shelby Foote and the veterans reunion sections specifically) a pretty retrograde sense of the war's causes and consequences. In its defense, the documentary was made in the 1980s and does prominently feature slavery as a cause of the war along with an in-depth discussion of the institution and the implications of emancipation, so those are its saving graces. Part III "Forever Free" in particular is fantastic.
Errol Morris's "The Fog of War" is an excellent interview piece, using former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara to examine the role of the United States in the world in the 20th century, with World War II and Vietnam spotlighted in particular. Their back and forth on the carpet bombing of Japan is fascinating.
Ezra Edelman's Oscar-winning "OJ: Made in America" was also a fantastic watch, even if both it and Burns's Civil War are about eight hours in length. I found https://www.wired.com/2017/01/oj-made-in-america-oral-histo to be a fascinating read on what went into making that.
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Thomas RichardsonMar 22, 2017 12:03 PM (in response to Michael Chornesky)
I watched the Fog of War in my US and Vietnam class in college and wrote an analysis piece afterwards focused on McNamara's microhistorical impact. It's another great film.
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Rozelle Trizuto Mar 23, 2017 1:21 PM (in response to Thomas Richardson)Re: Ken Burns' docus:
One poster here commented on some inaccuracies in Burns' "Civil War" docu. I have noticed this many times in many docs by Burns over the years, hence I look at his stuff with a squinty eye now. A proper, balance, truth-telling airing-out of the Vietnam war is way overdue and so I hope to Geebus Ken sticks to the historian's basic rules. First, tell no lies. Next, don't color the truth please. We can decide on our own how properly told history is digested, eh?
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Rachael SalyerMar 28, 2017 10:30 AM (in response to Thomas Richardson)
I saw this article yesterday and thought it might be of interest:
See film scenes side by side with the videos or photos they're recreating (VIDEO).
From the article: "In "Recreating History," Vugar Efendi solves that problem by presenting films scenes side by side with the videos or photos they're recreating. Here you can fully appreciate how similar the clothing, the setting, the actors' movements, and the shots really are."
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Thomas RichardsonMar 28, 2017 10:57 AM (in response to Rachael Salyer)
It's captivating to see the lengths that some directors will go to recreate historical authenticity. The Jackie White House tour was almost frame by frame. I wonder how many other historical dramas rely on archival footage for production.
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Re: Historical Documentaries!
Larry Shockley Mar 30, 2017 6:00 AM (in response to Thomas Richardson)Looks like Ken is doing one on ALI as well:
Muhammad Ali to be subject of new Ken Burns documentary - LA Times