The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns

The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns

The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns
List Price: $129.99
Our Price: $103.99
You Save: $26.00 (20%)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy Used: from $34.94 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details


(Click here)
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada

DVD details

Actor: David McCullough, Garrison Keillor, Jason Robards, Morgan Freeman, Sam Waterston
Brand: Paramount
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 680 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-09-28
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Pbs Paramount

DVD Reviews of The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns

DVD Review: Another Ken Burns Jewel
Summary: 5 Stars

I was renamored by this series when was presented on TV years ago and was thrilled at viewing it again--now with my own dvds. Burns presentation with still pictures and music makes you feel almost like you were there. The voices of many actors and historians fill out many of the stories Civil War and make it more understandable.A must for a history buff.

DVD Review: Fantastic work
Summary: 5 Stars

This is a fantastic work. Excellent in every way. Ken Burns does a wonderful job putting it all together.

DVD Review: Civil War DVD set by Ken Burns
Summary: 5 Stars

Excellant, best DVD set that I've seen so far re. the Civil War. Would highly recommend it to history buffs like myself. 5 Stars...Plus.

DVD Review: Almost too good to say anything worthwhile about it
Summary: 5 Stars

I wonder if I can say anything that hasn't already been said about this marvelous piece of work? How much do we owe to a documentary about a critical time in American history that's actually enjoyable to watch... and hear?

To see even on installment of this series is to get hooked. Period. I remember when it first aired and I watched the first segment. I made the mental note to myself... "Do NOT miss any of the rest of these!"

And thus was I baptized into my love of this glorious piece of work.

Upon a considered third viewing, this time being of my own copy, I was struck by the fact that Burns took great pains to get out just exactly why each side felt it was in the right. That was a pretty evenhanded approach in my book and it allows more of the truth of the matter to come out.

A side note on the song selected as the theme, "Ashokan Farewell." It strikes a beautiful note of sadness and longing which you can relate to being homesick, the loss of a loved one, being separated from one you love. There is a Special Feature dedicated to the writing and use of this song and it made me like it a lot more than I did in the first place. When you hear it, you'll know what I mean.

If you're thinking about purchasing this item but the price seems a little daunting, let me reassure you that it is worth whatever is being asked for it. Maybe you could go to your library and check it out a little first. I think if you watch just the first installment, you'll find yourself wanting to expose yourself to more of Mr. Burns' technique as far as a study of the Civil War is concerned and do so deeply enough that you will want to own this DVD set.

In school, we didn't spend enough time on this subject to truly understand most of it. The scope is simply too large to be dealt with adequately in a limited timeframe. Here no such error in length occurs. You're steeped in the atmosphere of our nation almost 150 years ago, and because of Burns' careful guidance, you'll come to see an important part of how we, as a nation, came to be where we are today.

In my view, it is impossible to recommend this one strongly enough.

DVD Review: the civil war by ken burns
Summary: 5 Stars

This is a must for any history buff not to mention someone needing the last word about the most definning moment in our nations history. This documentory is full of true stories about great battles, suprising heroism as well as small personnal stories that make this important conflict real. I cannot recommend this enough for teachers who wish to use this to enhance their classes or anyone who would like to see our nation nearly destroy itself for an idea.

Description of The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns

Hailed as a film masterpiece and landmark in historical storytelling, Ken Burns's epic documentary brings to life America's most destructive-- and defining--conflict. With digitally enhanced images and new stereo sound, here is the saga of celebrated generals and ordinary soldiers, a heroic and transcendent president and a country that had to divide itself in two in order to become one.
The most successful public-television miniseries in American history, the 11-hour Civil War didn't just captivate a nation, reteaching to us our history in narrative terms; it actually also invented a new film language taken from its creator. When people describe documentaries using the "Ken Burns approach," its style is understood: voice-over narrators reading letters and documents dramatically and stating the writer's name at their conclusion, fresh live footage of places juxtaposed with still images (photographs, paintings, maps, prints), anecdotal interviews, and romantic musical scores taken from the era he depicts. The Civil War uses all of these devices to evoke atmosphere and resurrect an event that many knew only from stale history books. While Burns is a historian, a researcher, and a documentarian, he's above all a gifted storyteller, and it's his narrative powers that give this chronicle its beauty, overwhelming emotion, and devastating horror. Using the words of old letters, eloquently read by a variety of celebrities, the stories of historians like Shelby Foote and rare, stained photos, Burns allows us not only to relearn and finally understand our history, but also to feel and experience it. --Dave McCoy

On the DVD
The DVD features on The Civil War provide a wealth of insight, creative philosophy, historical perspective, and educational enjoyment. Twelve years after its premiere broadcast, the film was given a digital facelift, sharpening image clarity, correcting color, and enriching its soundtrack with a remastered 5.1-channel mix, as demonstrated in the "Civil War Reconstruction" featurette. In interviews from 2002, producer-director Ken Burns, historian Shelby Foote, journalist George Will, author Stanley Crouch, and composer-musicians Jay Ungar and Molly Mason reflect upon The Civil War's enduring significance. And Burns's eloquent commentary--selectively included on each disc and totaling five hours--illuminates the historical importance and creative impulse behind crucial chapters of the film. Fifty-seven onscreen biography cards detail important North, South, and civilian figures, and two 1990 featurettes-"Making History" and "A Conversation with Ken Burns"--provide a more personal perspective on the creation of this extraordinary film. Useful for both personal and academic study, these features stand as a fitting supplement to one of the greatest documentaries ever produced. --Jeff Shannon

General DVDs

DVD Video
Bestsellers in General DVDs
Man on Wire ImageMan on Wire
Release date: 2008-12-09; DVD
Best price: $13.37
Price in other shops: $26.98
Blue Planet: Seas of Life (Special Edition) ImageBlue Planet: Seas of Life (Special Edition)
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2007-10-02; DVD
Best price: $17.59
Price in other shops: $59.98
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed ImageExpelled: No Intelligence Allowed
Release date: 2008-10-21; DVD
Best price: $8.44
Price in other shops: $26.99
Planet Earth & The Blue Planet Seas of Life (Special Collector's Edition) ImagePlanet Earth & The Blue Planet Seas of Life (Special Collector's Edition)
Planet; Release date: 2007-10-02; DVD
Best price: $52.97
Price in other shops: $119.98
The Beales of Grey Gardens - Criterion Collection ImageThe Beales of Grey Gardens - Criterion Collection
Image Entertainment; Release date: 2006-12-05; DVD
Best price: $13.60
Price in other shops: $19.95
A Haunting in Connecticut ImageA Haunting in Connecticut
Release date: 2008-09-30; DVD
Best price: $3.53
Price in other shops: $6.99
Grey Gardens - Criterion Collection ImageGrey Gardens - Criterion Collection
Image Entertainment; Release date: 2001-08-14; DVD
Best price: $25.20
Price in other shops: $39.95
Religulous ImageReligulous
Lions Gate; Release date: 2009-02-17; DVD
Best price: $10.20
Price in other shops: $29.95
The BBC Natural History Collection featuring Planet Earth (Planet Earth/ The Blue Planet: Seas of Life Special Edition/ Life of Mammals/ Life of Birds) ImageThe BBC Natural History Collection featuring Planet Earth (Planet Earth/ The Blue Planet: Seas of Life Special Edition/ Life of Mammals/ Life of Birds)
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2008-04-01; DVD
Best price: $85.99
Price in other shops: $199.92
Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series ImagePlanet Earth - The Complete BBC Series
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2007-04-24; DVD
Best price: $19.49
Price in other shops: $79.98
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
Thomas Jefferson - A Film by Ken Burns ImageThomas Jefferson - A Film by Ken Burns
Paramount; Release date: 2004-09-28; DVD
Best price: $15.36
Price in other shops: $24.99
The History Channel Presents The Revolution ImageThe History Channel Presents The Revolution
A&E; Release date: 2006-12-19; DVD
Best price: $23.95
Price in other shops: $49.95
The First World War - The Complete Series ImageThe First World War - The Complete Series
Image Entertainment; Release date: 2005-08-30; DVD
Best price: $24.36
Price in other shops: $39.99
The Civil War - Traditional American Songs And Instrumental Music Featured In The Film By Ken Burns: Original Soundtrack Recording ImageThe Civil War - Traditional American Songs And Instrumental Music Featured In The Film By Ken Burns: Original Soundtrack Recording
Release date: 1990-12-29; Music CD
Best price: $9.76
Price in other shops: $18.98
The World at War (30th Anniversary Edition) ImageThe World at War (30th Anniversary Edition)
A&E; Release date: 2004-08-24; DVD
Best price: $52.39
Price in other shops: $99.95
Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery ImageLewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery
Paramount; Release date: 2004-09-28; DVD
Best price: $15.25
Price in other shops: $24.99
Ken Burns Presents: The West ImageKen Burns Presents: The West
Paramount; Release date: 2004-09-28; DVD
Best price: $37.41
Price in other shops: $129.99
Baseball - A Film By Ken Burns ImageBaseball - A Film By Ken Burns
Team Marketing; Release date: 2004-09-28; DVD
Best price: $91.09
Price in other shops: $179.99
Gettysburg (Widescreen Edition) ImageGettysburg (Widescreen Edition)
BERENGER/DANIELS/SHEEN; Release date: 2004-02-03; DVD
Best price: $5.97
Price in other shops: $14.98
The War - A Film By Ken Burns and Lynn Novick ImageThe War - A Film By Ken Burns and Lynn Novick
Paramount; Release date: 2007-10-02; DVD
Best price: $31.46
Price in other shops: $129.99
Compare prices and read customer reviews for more than one million DVD titles.
Oscar 2005 Winners