Ken Burns' Monumental American Revolution Documentary
Renowned documentary filmmaker Ken Burns has unveiled what he describes as his most important project to date - a sweeping twelve-hour series chronicling the American Revolution. After nearly a decade in production, this six-part epic represents the culmination of Burns' distinguished career and arrives on PBS as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary.
A Decade in the Making
The 72-year-old filmmaker has spent the past ten years immersed in revolutionary history, embarking on an exhaustive promotional tour spanning forty cities and hundreds of interviews. The American Revolution stands as a defiantly traditional documentary in an age of streaming content, reminiscent of classic historical series like The World at War and Burns' own groundbreaking Civil War series.
Burns reflects on the project's significance, stating: "We won't work on a more important film. Hopefully there are as important things coming up but this one has a singularity to it." The production team, including co-directors Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt alongside screenwriter Geoffrey Ward, consulted thousands of historical sources to create what Burns considers his definitive work.
All-Star Cast Brings History to Life
The documentary features what might be the most impressive ensemble cast ever assembled for a television project. Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Samuel L Jackson and dozens of other acclaimed actors lend their voices to historical figures. Burns passionately defends his casting choices against critics who question the use of celebrities.
"These are actors," he insists. "They're the finest actors in the world and they can bring this stuff alive. Tom Hanks can read a phonebook, as far as I'm concerned. Meryl Streep, the same thing." The Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda perfectly captured the industry's response to Burns' involvement, noting: "When Ken Burns calls, you say 'Yes.'"
Rediscovering the Revolution's Complexity
The series challenges simplified narratives of the American Revolution, presenting it as a brutal civil war rather than a unified struggle. Historian Alan Taylor explains in episode two: "The greatest misconception about the American Revolution is that it was something that unified Americans. It leaves out the reality that it was a civil war among Americans."
Burns emphasises the uncertainty that defined the period, noting that historical figures like George Washington had no knowledge of their eventual legacy. "George Washington didn't know he was George Washington," Burns observes. "He didn't know he was going to be on the dollar bill and the quarter."
The documentary confronts the central hypocrisy of slaveholders fighting for freedom while maintaining human bondage. Burns describes southern planters, including Washington himself, decrying their "enslavement" by British policies while holding hundreds of people in bondage.
Expanding Historical Perspectives
Unlike 20th century treatments of the subject, Burns' series gives significant attention to Native American and African American experiences. The film refuses to treat Native Americans as a monolithic obstacle, instead presenting nations like the Shawnee and Delaware as active players with sophisticated diplomatic and economic ties to Europe.
The production team filmed at nearly one hundred historical locations across North America and London, extensively using re-enactors and period maps to clarify troop movements and territorial disputes. Burns, a self-professed cartography enthusiast, notes there are more maps in this film than in all his previous works combined.
Despite contemporary political tensions surrounding historical interpretation, Burns maintains his focus on historical accuracy rather than present-day commentary. He quotes Mark Twain's observation that "history doesn't repeat itself but it rhymes," and describes his approach as being like Odysseus "lashed to the mast" to avoid being drawn into modern political debates.
The American Revolution is now available on PBS, the free PBS app, and at pbs.org, offering viewers an unprecedented deep dive into the complex, violent, and globally significant story of America's founding.
