The Statue of Liberty (1985)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
This 61-minute documentary from Ken Burns gives us the history of The Statue of Liberty from the time Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi thought it up through its production, the controversy as well as what liberty meant to people back then and today. This entry in Ken Burns' "America" series is certainly very entertaining to not only history buffs but I think fans of documentaries will also enjoy it. As usual, Burns does a very good job at giving us a very detailed look at the subject but he does so without letting the material grow boring or make it to where the viewer simply doesn't care about what's being discussed. As with most of the director's work, this here features narration to tell the actual story but it's also used to let us hear the words from the people who were involved with the building of the statue as well as others. Some of the most interesting moments cover the creation of the statue and its troubled arrival to America where many people weren't ready for it. Many didn't want a gift from the immoral French while others didn't think we should have to pay for a gift (for a place to put it). Also covered is the meaning of the word liberty and why so many different people would look at it differently as well as what America really stands for.
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
This 61-minute documentary from Ken Burns gives us the history of The Statue of Liberty from the time Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi thought it up through its production, the controversy as well as what liberty meant to people back then and today. This entry in Ken Burns' "America" series is certainly very entertaining to not only history buffs but I think fans of documentaries will also enjoy it. As usual, Burns does a very good job at giving us a very detailed look at the subject but he does so without letting the material grow boring or make it to where the viewer simply doesn't care about what's being discussed. As with most of the director's work, this here features narration to tell the actual story but it's also used to let us hear the words from the people who were involved with the building of the statue as well as others. Some of the most interesting moments cover the creation of the statue and its troubled arrival to America where many people weren't ready for it. Many didn't want a gift from the immoral French while others didn't think we should have to pay for a gift (for a place to put it). Also covered is the meaning of the word liberty and why so many different people would look at it differently as well as what America really stands for.