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The War! a Ken Burns Film
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 10:02 am
by Knucklehead
I know it's PBS, but this 15 hour documentary on WWII is incredible. I'm only 4 or 5 hours in on the TIVO, but it is very well done. He had access to info and film that was never seen before. Anyone else see it? It's out on DVD already, but it ain't cheap.
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 10:05 am
by ToTheLeft
How not cheap is not cheap?
Cause that sounds like something I could watch.
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 10:15 am
by RagingTireFire
http://www.shoppbs.org/product/index.js ... Id=2784345
$130 for just the DVD's. You're right, Knuckle (
again? That's twice in a month! You're on a roll!). What I've seen of this series is just incredible.
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 10:23 am
by El Scorcho
$130? Yikes.
Oh well. That's what Netflix is for.

Posted: October 11th, 2007, 10:35 am
by Fumblerooskies
What I have seen of it is outstanding.
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 10:51 am
by scuzdriver
very well done!
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 10:59 am
by Knucklehead
Amazon has it for $80! with free shipping.
It is very moving to watch. He doesn't hold anything back. It can be very disturbing.
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 11:31 am
by PAmedic
been watching it on PBS while doing overnights. Esp good if you have hi-def
not pleasant "good", but... you know- good.
I'm truly afraid coming generations will never know the sacrifice of my grandfather and his generation.
very sad.
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 11:35 am
by Knucklehead
I agree! All of my kids will watch this as they become old enough to stomach the graphic content. My dad (82) was in 4 years of WWII and he tells them all his stories. I think we as parents must make sure our kids know. Soon, the WWII vets will all be gone. The section on the Holocaust and the Batan death march had me in tears and with a pain in the pit of my stomach. He is such a great story teller.
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 11:37 am
by Sly Fox
I had seen the promotions but had not caught it quite yet. Now I will make a concerted effort to watch. Thanks for the heads up.
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 12:19 pm
by jmdickens
if you don't believe in spending high dollar for it....it can be downloaded
I have not downloaded.........yet, we'll see after paying for my effing car
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 12:25 pm
by Hold My Own
I have it...copies can be purchased for $25
You think I'm kidding!
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 1:19 pm
by RagingTireFire
jmdickens wrote:if you don't believe in spending high dollar for it....it can be downloaded
I have not downloaded.........yet, we'll see after paying for my effing car
I wouldn't steal a car. I wouldn't steal a handbag. I wouldn't steal a television. I wouldn't steal a DVD. But, yes, I would download a pirated movie. Because downloading a movie is not stealing a car.
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 1:27 pm
by Baldspot
I've watched 4 - 5 hours on TV. It does a great job telling the story from the GI's viewpoint which I really liked, I'll have to get a copy.
There was the typical PBS spin which I thought was silly such as stating the soldiers on Bataan were lied to by their superiors indicating help was on the way. I thought it insinuated McArthur didn't care about his troops when he fled to Australia. It also made the point to say we had broken the Japanese code before Pearl Harbor, but at least they didn't insinuate that Roosevelt knew of the attack before it happened which has been floated by some liberals. Mentioning American and German "concentration" camps in the same sentence seemed to indicate we treated Japanese Americans similar to the way Germans treated Jews.
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 1:43 pm
by RagingTireFire
Baldspot wrote:
There was the typical PBS spin which I thought was silly such as stating the soldiers on Bataan were lied to by their superiors indicating help was on the way. I thought it insinuated McArthur didn't care about his troops when he fled to Australia. It also made the point to say we had broken the Japanese code before Pearl Harbor, but at least they didn't insinuate that Roosevelt knew of the attack before it happened which has been floated by some liberals. Mentioning American and German "concentration" camps in the same sentence seemed to indicate we treated Japanese Americans similar to the way Germans treated Jews.
Two quick points of fact: The American soldiers at Bataan were told that the US was coming back for them. That was the whole point of Macarthur's "I shall return" speech. However, at the time, the US was in full retreat mode and there was no way that they could come back for them and there was no plan in place to do so. I think, in those terms, I would call that a well-intended lie but a lie nonetheless.
Second, "concentration camp" is the correct term for both where the Germans placed the Jews and where the Americans placed the Japanese. Obviously, that term has taken on a whole new connotation in light of what the Germans did to the Jews.
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 7:44 pm
by Baldspot
I'm sure the beginning of the war was a very fluid situation with good people doing their best with information that was changing by the moment. For PBS to look back 60 years and say emphatically the US Gov't lied to its people and imply they treated the Japanese/Americans just like the Germans treated the Jews is probably a little over the top. According to the movie, the soldiers were told help was on the way from Pearl Harbor, not from McArthur, who at the time was also located on the other side of the islands. They indicated the person making the statement did not realize the size of the Japanese fleet surrounding the Philippeans and the extent of damage done at Pearl Harbor which had been hit a few hours before.
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 7:48 pm
by Hold My Own
RagingTireFire wrote:jmdickens wrote:if you don't believe in spending high dollar for it....it can be downloaded
I have not downloaded.........yet, we'll see after paying for my effing car
I wouldn't steal a car. I wouldn't steal a handbag. I wouldn't steal a television. I wouldn't steal a DVD. But, yes, I would download a pirated movie. Because downloading a movie is not stealing a car.
Ohh thats great...I think that everytime that stupid thing comes on before a movie
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 7:56 pm
by kel varson
Baldspot wrote:I've watched 4 - 5 hours on TV. It does a great job telling the story from the GI's viewpoint which I really liked, I'll have to get a copy.
There was the typical PBS spin which I thought was silly such as stating the soldiers on Bataan were lied to by their superiors indicating help was on the way. I thought it insinuated McArthur didn't care about his troops when he fled to Australia. It also made the point to say we had broken the Japanese code before Pearl Harbor, but at least they didn't insinuate that Roosevelt knew of the attack before it happened which has been floated by some liberals. Mentioning American and German "concentration" camps in the same sentence seemed to indicate we treated Japanese Americans similar to the way Germans treated Jews.
Some Libertarians believe that about Roosevelt as well. Suggested reading for Stephen Putney's class a few years back was "Day of Deceit." The book insinuated as much. Oh, and Mr. Putney believed it as well. For those who don't know, Putney used to teach at LU.
Posted: October 11th, 2007, 11:50 pm
by mrmacphisto
RagingTireFire wrote:http://www.shoppbs.org/product/index.js ... Id=2784345
$130 for just the DVD's. You're right, Knuckle (again? That's twice in a month! You're on a roll!). What I've seen of this series is just incredible.
Never buy DVDs from PBS. It's always a rip off. They try to justify their prices by pretending they're in danger of cancellation, but we all know that's a crock.
Plus, there are more pressing emergencies in the world than the prospect of no Public Television.
Posted: October 12th, 2007, 10:27 am
by RagingTireFire
mrmacphisto wrote:
Plus, there are more pressing emergencies in the world than the prospect of no Public Television.
But where else in the world would you get to see random Chinese opera? Or Styx playing in Baden-Baden in 1997? Or Red "The Canadian Tim Allen" Green? These are priceless cultural artifacts here.
Posted: October 12th, 2007, 10:32 am
by El Scorcho
I'll admit, Austin City Limits and Sesame Street would be missed at our house.
We'd get over it.