10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America (History Channel)
Thoughtfully conceived and brilliantly executed,10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed Americais History Channel programming at its finest. As its title suggests, this series of ten one-hour documentaries does not necessarily represent the mostimportantand well-known moments in American history (though some of them arguably qualify), but rather they are pivotal milestones that helped to forge and define the American character--events which, in retrospect, have had a profound influence on our ever-changing society. With this as their editorial mission, the History Channel's producers recruited ten highly acclaimed documentary filmmakers to direct each one-hour episode, each contributing their own unique approach to the material. Featuring several well-chosen and prestigious narrators including Jeffrey Wright, Martin Sheen, Joe Morton, Terry Kinney, and Campbell Scott, the results are uniformly excellent, representing a broad spectrum of documentary styles, visual techniques, and painstakingly accurate recreations and dramatizations of the chosen events.From the very first slaughter of Native Americans by English settlers in 1637 ("Massacre at Mystic") to the civil rights movement's "Freedom Summer" of 1964, each episode places its one-day event in vivid historical context, concisely demonstrating how these events had a ripple effect on America's national identity. Some episodes are more experimental than others: Directed by Emmy-winner R.J. Cutler, "Shay's Rebellion: America's First Civil War" (1787) employs the uniquely expressionistic animation of Bill Plympton, far removed from the more familiar (but no less effective) style of dramatization included in "Einstein's Letter" (about the famed physicist's 1939 letter urging Franklin D. Roosevelt to develop nuclear weapons) or "Scopes:  The Battle Over America's Soul" (about the sensational 1925 "Monkey Trial" over the teaching of evolution). With varying degrees of documentary ingenuity, other episodes cover the California gold rush of 1849; the Civil War's bloody battle of Antietam; the violent 1892 "Homestead Strike" of united laborers against Carnegie Steel; the 1901 assassination of President William McKinley; and the dynamic appearances of Elvis Presley onThe Ed Sullivan Showin 1956. Presented in chronological order, these ten films offer lasting value to history buffs, teachers, and anyone interested in understanding how American history was forged in the furnace of tumultuous change. The sole bonus feature is a 30-minute survey of each episode's director and their distinct methods of completing their assignments. Their cumulative efforts combine to form one of the most wide-ranging and fascinating series the History Channel has ever presented.--Jeff Shannon