The War: Another Ken Burns Masterpiece.

The War: Another Ken Burns Masterpiece.

By

James P. Zaworski

World War II was the greatest conflagration in human history thus far. Fought in thousands of places with countless millions of people killed, this terrible world war brought out the worst, and the best, in humanity.

Documentary film producer extraordinaire, Ken Burns, has brought us yet another masterpiece of history. Ken Burns got his real recognized start in documentary film making with The Civil War in 1989. That series secured his place in documentary film, particularly in history documentary films. In his own inimitable storytelling way, Ken brings us a perspective of World War II from the point of view of the citizens of four American towns: Lavern, Minnesota, Mobile, Alabama, Sacramento, California, and Waterbury, Connecticut.


What I Like About The War.

1. The Human Story.

Ken Burns and his cohorts tell us the story from a very human point of view. Emotional, heart rending and heart gripping, the images, film footage, music, the narration, testimony from historians, and especially the interviews of people who had lived through it, make watching this film such a moving experience. Perhaps inspired by the late Stephen Ambrose, who recorded the first hand testimony of so many veterans of World War II before time and old age silenced them, Ken Burns adopted this technique to wonderful, and fully relevant and poignant, effect. Burns brings the story home, literally.

2. Narration and Casting.

The narrator of The War is Keith David. This actor has a wonderful voice, and he is so incredibly effective that I can scarcely think of a better narrator for the job.
Besides the narration, there is a whole cast of stars who read letters, newspaper headlines, and quotes from the time period. Tom Hanks, Josh Lucas, Bobby Cannavale, Samuel L. Jackson, Eli Wallach, Adam Arkin, Kevin Conway, Rebecca Holtz, Carolyn McCormic, and Robert Wahlberg all add to the magic of this documentary film.

3. Cinematography and Film Editing.

Ken Burns is a master of taking period photographs, and filming them, zooming in and concentrating on an individual item or face in a photograph. The film makers do such a good job of changing from period black and white photos, narration, period black and white and color movies, to modern film footage of places that are highlighted in the film, all the while integrating appropriate music, interviews, testimony, and using the cast at the same time. It is like a wonderful juggling act, and this mish mash of presentation flows together seamlessly!

4. Music.

The music in this film is poignant, touching, and moving. It is also beautiful, and used for effect in almost every scene. Besides period music such as Glenn Miller and Louis Armstrong, there is original music composed and performed by the great Wynton Marsalis. Additional music in the form of American Anthem music and lyrics by Gene Scheer and performed by Noah Jones also works well.

5. Historical perspective.

This is where things get a bit tricky, but how you tell a historical story is very much about perspective. It is best to take into account many different perspectives, and I think that the filmmakers have done a smashing job in this regard. The historical relationship between Japan and the United States of America, is examined in wonderful detail. It is full of cultural relativism, without making harsh a judgment either way. The filmmakers do a wonderful job of showing the viewer that makes the viewer think, and decide and ponder for himself. The story of the Japanese Americans, citizens of the United States, and how the American government interred them in concentration camps, is especially moving. The segregated army, and the unfair treatment of African Americans, is particularly moving as well. A country that claims so much right and justice, and freedom and liberty as its norms and values, and founding principles so flagrantly violated, is as perplexing as it is unfortunate. The atrocities committed by the Japanese army in China, Korea, and the Philippines is also very moving and perplexing. The Holocaust and its effect on the Jewish people, as well as the Poles, Czechs, Gypsies, and others victimized by Hitler, are examined in detail. The comment is made so many times in the first episode that this was not simply a “just war”, but it was a “necessary war”.

How the United States of America responded to Pearl Harbor, and why it reacted this way, is at the heart of the film. Isolationist in nature, Americans got the global push that they needed when they were attacked. The country moved, and the film rightly states that without involvement by the United States of America in World War II, that the world would be quite a different place today altogether.

Each of the Axis powers is examined, Germany, Italy and Japan. Germany attacks Poland, then Holland, Belgium, Norway, and France. Hitler becomes the master of Europe. All that stood in his way was England, standing alone in the Battle of Britain.
Well, not alone. America stood with the British, if not militarily, but with the Lend Lease Act. President Franklin Roosevelt stood by his friend, Winston Churchill. When Hitler could not defeat England, he turned on his one time ally, Russia and Stalin.

Japan is examined, and how the Japanese rose to power from a feudalistic state to a world power in one hundred years, is examined. Japan’s attack on China, and terrible carnage of Nanjing are shown.


Roosevelt demanded that Japan withdraw from China, and when they refused, Roosevelt froze the assets of Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo decided to attack the USA on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor. The United States declared war on Japan, and then Germany declared war on the USA. A fateful day in history.


The first episode is a wonderful introduction to World War II.

6. Archival footage.

The archival footage is essential and indispensable in this film. Roosevelt’s speech the day after Pearl Harbor, “a day that lived in infamy” is used to wonderful effect. The footage of combat and action is fitting and moving, as well as instructive.

7. Maps.

The use of computer animated maps for both the Pacific and European theaters of war, is also excellent.

8. Special Features.

Featurette “the Making of The War”, is great, as well as the commentary by Ken Burns and co producer Lynn Novaick are also great. There is also exclusive deleted scenes, additional interviews, biographies, a photo gallery, and further educational resources on the DVD’s. Links also to the PBS website for The War is also very nice.

All in all, Ken Burns “The War” is an outstanding historical documentary film. While a film of this magnitude cannot tell everyone’s story, it succeeds magnificently in its attempt to tell the story of World War II from the American perspective from four towns in the United States of America. It’s a bit pricey, the seven dvd set will set you back upwards of $85, but it is worth it.

The seven DVD’s titles that encompass the 15 hours of The War follow.

1. A Necessary War.
2. When Things Get Tough
3. A Deadly Calling
4. Pride of Our Nation
5. FUBAR
6. The Ghost Front
7. A World Without War