Ken Burns' The War

There has been so much film devoted to real, and made up, stories about World War II and the men and women that fought in the war that you’d believe that there was nothing new to talk about. But like so many other subjects Ken Burns brings new life and new stories into focus about the greatest generation of Americans and the Allies that fought by their sides. Even though this mini-series is 7-parts long it moves along very quickly and before you know it your drawn in by the emotions of the soldiers and their families and you just can’t stop watching.
Through the use of historical footage, photos and new interviews the larger story of World War II is brought home to small town USA and how it touched each and every person whether they went to the frontlines or stayed at the home front. With three and a half years of footage shot on the fields of battle, and on the home front, we’re given glimpses into lives that most of us only fantasize and dream about. From the happiness and sadness at home for the boys that have gone off to battle, to the horror of killing and dying that happened in those battles the audience is shown all of the war’s brutal honesty. There are some parts that are harsh and grotesque but that’s the truth about war it’s not clean and pretty like some movies portray it to be. With all the information that is presented throughout this mini-series it avoids the tendency of getting bogged down with that information, and that alone is amazing considering how long the series is.
With the personal accounts that are presented, the audience has no option but to become a part of the sorrow, triumph and tragedy Burns brings to life in this mini-series. This film should be seen by everyone, not just those of us who are interested in that time period, but all Americans for it is because of this generation that we are here today. We who live in the current world have nothing but admiration and thankfulness for the men and women who sacrificed their lives , and livelihood, for the liberty and freedom we enjoy today. And like the soldiers that are now deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, they are making sacrifices for the future generation of freedom.