| Actors: Larry Nehring, Michael L. Colosimo, Sam Edens, Karen Baum, Gabriel Field Directors: Ben Loeterman, Eric Stange Creators: Ben Loeterman, Eric Stange, Amy Geller, Jennifer Pearce Genres: Drama, Television, Military & War Sub-Genres: Drama, Television, Military & War Studio: Pbs (Direct) Format: DVD - Color DVD Release Date: 02/28/2006 Original Release Date: 01/18/2006 Theatrical Release Date: 01/18/2006 Release Year: 2006 Run Time: 4hr 0min Screens: Color Number of Discs: 2 SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 14 MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated) Languages: English |
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Search - The War That Made America: The Story of the French and Indian War on DVD
  | The War That Made America The Story of the French and Indian War Actors: Larry Nehring, Michael L. Colosimo, Sam Edens, Karen Baum, Gabriel Field Directors: Ben Loeterman, Eric Stange Genres: Drama, Television, Military & War NR 2006 4hr 0min What if the French had won? Almost 250 years ago, French and English armies clashed in the primeval forest of western Pennsylvania as they struggled to control the most important piece of real estate in 18th century North... more » |
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Member Movie Reviews Gloria B. (glowbird) from SPOKANE, WA Reviewed on 12/5/2022... I'm giving this one 5 stars because it is the first film I've ever seen that shows the participation of the Native American participation in a pivotal time in history that set the stage for the American Revolution. Some tribes sided with the French, others with the Brits. They had reasons for joining in the war. Some tribes had treaties with the Brits, others had long-standing interactions with the French. At one point it was said they wouldn't go to war to kill other Native people. Both sides used the Natives for their own ends. And it is true that by the time the British won back Quebec that the Natives were forgotten. I'm not a history buff, so I have no issue with what is portrayed in the film, nor with what is left out. For that, you can read other reviews. If the intent of the film is to show what preceded and led to the American Revolution, it has done its job. I learned a lot about the Native history that I didn't previously know. By the way, as George Washington pointed out, if the Indians could form a unified confederacy of six nations, then the colonials could, too. They even took the symbols of the Iroquois Confederacy and adopted them. The crossed arrows became the stars in the American flag. I thought it was very well done, and now is among my keepers. 3 of 4 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie ReviewsA Great Series! OR33rd | Portland, Oregon USA | 01/19/2006 (5 out of 5 stars) "WOW! To many Americans, the French and Indian War, was a casual footnote in a long ago history class. Ditto for references to Braddock's Defeat, Fort Duquesne, and Geo. Washington's initial exposure to warfare. To a few more, it might generate a recollection that, if they ever read it, "The Last of the Mohicans" by James F. Cooper, was set during this war. It also inspired Longfellow's epic poem, "Evangeline". A reference to the Siege of Louisbourg or the Plains of Abraham will likely result in a blank look. My experience over the years has been that our Canadian neighbors and friends have, in many ways, a better understanding of what this war meant to North America than we Americans do. I refer not only of the loss of Canada by France to Britain, but the planting and sprouting of issues during this war, that would fuel and feed the sparks of the American Revolution. This series does a wonderful job of taking much history, keeping it factual, chronilogical, understandable, AND, above all, INTERESTING. It somewhat came across as if I were watching an action/adventure/war movie EXCEPT that I've read several dozen books about the French and Indian War (aka the Seven Years War) and the historical accuracy is generally here. To those of you with an Ph.D. in history I say, relax, enjoy, and remember; to those without, view, enjoy, and learn. Your time will be well spent." Interesting, but Uneven Film Jean-Luc Glorieux | 02/14/2006 (3 out of 5 stars) "Like many western Pennsylvania history buffs, I had been really looking forward to this much-heralded PBS program that was produced by Pittsburgh's WQED. However, I must say now that I was somewhat dissapointed. On the positive side, I believe that overall this film did a fair job of explaining the main issues and describing the events of the so-called French and Indian war. In particular, its emphasis on the Indians' point of view was somewhat new and interesting, although it certainly was at time over-emphasized. Also on the positive side, the blend of narrative and action scenes was well done and came accross somewhat better than many of these typical documentaries made up of "experts" interviews and picture stills (a la Ken Burns). On the negative side, I share many of the criticisms of the sacthing review by "The Highlander", although he too does not have all of his facts straight when he says for example that William Pitt (The Elder) was NOT the British Prime Minister durin the war, although he was, first from 1757 to 1761 and again from 1766 to 1768. I agree that many of the battles did have a somewhat "staged" look. Most of all I was very dissapointed and frustrated by how little importance was given to Forbes's successful campaign of 1758 against Fort Duquesne as compared to the earlier failures of 1754 by Washington and 1755 by Braddock. In particular, I was somewhat incredulous that there was NO mention of Col. Henry Bouquet, the Swiss mercenary in the British service who was most responsible for Forbes' success. Finally I could not believe the complete omission of the 1763 Battle of Bushy Run that started as a re-run of Braddock's defeat but ended up as the victory that decided the outcome of Pontiac's War thanks to the wiles of the same Col. Bouquet who certainly must rank as one of the most successful British commanders of this war." A nicely done overview. M. Keogh | New York, NY | 03/04/2006 (4 out of 5 stars) ""The War that Made America" is an overview of most of the major events, and the people involved in them, of the French and Indian War. It's sort of documentary/miniseries hybrid. Like a documentary, it's narrated by an actor- Graham Greene, occasionally shows paintings and drawings from the era, and presents maps to highlight where the historical events took place. However, unlike most documentaries, there are no historians discussing the subject or modern scenes of areas where the battles took place. Instead, the film attempts to bring the main events of the war to life by "re-enacting" them through the use of actors. I'm hestitant to use the word "re-enactment" to describe the live-action scenes because that conjures up images of middle-aged, overweight folks waddling about in period costumes and "dying" melodramatically for the camera. The "War that Made America," although obviously constrained by a low budget, appeared to have made attempts to to avoid the image of "old guys playing army" that unfortunately attaches to most documentaries that rely heavily on the services of amateur historical enthusiasts. The live action scenes are fairly subdued and I didn't notice any 300lb fifty-year old privates or corporals.
For its historical viewpoints, the documentary appears to have relied heavily upon the work of historian Fred Anderson- the author of the "Crucible of War" which is a terrific book on the Seven Years War. Thus, just as Anderson portrayed in his book, the American Indian tribes are shown as serious political players in the struggle and not just peripheral allies as they are usually portrayed by other historians. Further, since Anderson thinks that the guerilla warfare of expertise of American ranger outfits is nothing more than a myth, Robert Rogers and his rangers are not even mentioned which may surprise some people. However, the film does avoid one of Anderson's more loopy beliefs- James Wolfe was suicidal and that battle of the Plains of Abraham was simply a way for him to kill himself. The documentary focuses on most of the famous events of the war- the attack on Jumonville's glen, the battles of Fort Necessity, Monogahela, the Bloody Morning Scout and Lake George, Fort William Henry, Ticonderoga, and the Plains of Abraham. It also discusses the problems that the British high command had with the colonial assemblies (something Anderson focused heavily on in his book). Near the end, it show some of the events of Pontiac's uprising. Also, the film constantly reminds the viewer that the French and Indian War is crucial to understanding why the American Revolution occured. That link between the French and Indian War and the American Revolution is mostly demonstrated by the film's portrayal of the key role that young George Washington played in the F&I war and how it shaped his development as a man and as a commander. The role of George Washington is nicely played by Larry Nehring- a Cleveland stage actor who has Washington's imposing height and auburn hair. (Although he's a little too old to be playing a man who was just in early 20's when most of the events of the film take place. The film also has an incredibly overaged "Mary Jemison.) The film is fairly even handed. It does not pretend that the Indians were not responsible for atrocities such as the Fort William Henry massacre or for what Shawnee raiders did to the Jemison family. Thus, it's not as "PC" as some have complained here especially in light of the fact that there are "historians" out there who have attempted to whitewash every Indian atrocity. Overall, this was a very nicely done documentary on a fascinating subject. Yes, it had a public TV documentary budget and looks it, but it does appear that the producers tried hard to make every cent count. It provides a nice overview for people not really familiar with this period of history. It probably going to be shown in a lot of schools. " |
