"The War" (by Ken Burns) Part 6 of 7; Airing on PBS @ 7PM Central 10-1-07

pbs.org ^ | undated | PBS staff

[VOA]

Please see following posts for URL links to the discussion threads
for Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the series.

(VOA's boilerplate from prior threads)
All commentary regarding personal experience, family tales of WWII,
and critique of how Burns (and PBS) handles topics are welcome.

Hopefully the threads on the seven episodes will serve as
guides when this large documentary becomes required viewing in
high schools.
Comments on how Burns handled the documenatry (positive,
negative, or neutral) will come in handy when "the younger
generation" sees the series. Especially if Burns takes a
"Smithsonian" tact to some topics...leaving people to wonder
"who the good guys were" during the epic struggle.

[VOA]

TV headsup for PBS/Ken Burns' "The War"

[P.O.E.]

Enough with that violin already, willya Ken?

[VOA]

Links to discussion threads on Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 as well as other useful links.

URL for thread on Part 1
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1901006/posts?page=1

URL for thread on Part 2 (Monday 9-24-07)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1901629/posts

URL for thread on Part 3 (Tuesday 9-25-07)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1902083/posts?page=1

URL for thread on Part 4 of 7; Airing on PBS @ 7PM Central
9-26-07
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1902654/posts

URL for thread on Part 5 of 7: (Sunday 9-31-07)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1904611/posts

URLs for PBS websites:
URL to check listing for local PBS stations:
http://www.pbs.org/thewar/broadcast_schedule.htm

PBS website for Ken Burns’ “The War”
http://www.pbs.org/thewar/?campaign=pbshomefeatures_1_thewarbrakenburnsfilm_2007-09-23

[stubernx98]

Not near as good as ole “victory at Sea”

[reuben kincaid]

The 1970’s WWII documentary series WORLD AT WAR was far superior. Kenny’s glossing over too many important events to make room for the minority cryfest.

[VOA]

“Enough with that violin already”

When I watch NOVA on PBS, during the opening music, I can’t help saying:
“Cue the oboe”.

That same opening theme must have been in use for at least a decade!

[VOA]

“Not near as good as ole “victory at Sea””

Good thing NFL films had “Victory At Sea” to guide their choices
of theme music (and not “The War”).

[mdittmar]

Darn it,I was going to go to bed,now I have to stay up.

If you can get past the pc crap,I give it two thumbs up.

[PGalt]

Thanks for your posts on “The War”. I have not watched 1 minute of it but did read all comments from yesterday’s part 5 thread.

ping raygun (thanks for your pings).

Thanks to all contributors to these threads.

[P.O.E.]

A friend of mine once said “It’s a good thing life is so morose or all those oboe players would be out of work”.

[agooga]

I agree 100%

Rented World at War a couple of years ago and plowed through it in a week or so— as amazing as I remembered watching with my dad back in the early 70’s. Truly the gold standard of WW2 docs.

Also agree with you on the racial elements of Burn’s flick— a little goes a long way. Yeah, it was real, it happened, it’s a shame, but it was incidental (as far as I’m concerned) to the overall drama of the war.

[vintage patriot]

Have enjoyed the series, have seen it all up to now.

Tonight probably alot of coverage on the ‘Bulge’

Last night Operation Market Garden was covered, a lesser known allied effort that turned into a disaster. Didn’t realize how high the casualty figures were.

It is different and refreshing to see a series about WWII not parroting the ‘official line’ only.

[whatisthetruth]

I was going to watch this series but reading all the criticism's on it eventho I did tape some of it for viewing later I will now not waste my time, afterall life is too short to waste it on the liberal agenda. Thanks to all those reviewers who had to endure it so far saving those of us who can now utilize the time for something more worthy.

"This is crap!"

[VOA]

I do think Burns did a decent job on “The Bulge”.
But then fighting for your life and seeing friends die at Christmas
time...that does go well with the downbeat ambience of the show.
Showing the frozen bodies and the burial detail tossing the one body
onto the truck...that should be in any real war documentary.

[Roccus]

I’ve been taping the series and watching it when I can. I have to keep reminding myself that, as is stated at the start of each segment, this is a story about four towns during the war rather than the war itself.

[VOA]

“240 days in combat”...and a soldier would probably go insane

I do think of this WWII metric and then wonder about our guys/gals doing
hitches in Iraq/Afghanistan.
Sure, no barrage of German 88s to face...but doing what I see as
the toughest “police work” day in and day out for months...
it would probably drive me crazy, sooner or later.

[VOA]

RE: the painting

All I want to know is how did Eldridge McCarthy sneak into my house
and execute my portrait without my knowledge or permission?

(Just joking, but the painting does at least capture the ambience of
my TV commentary some days!)

[VOA]

Additional commentary on tonight’s episode of “The War”

Goodbye Mr Burns: Ken Burns’ “The War”
Posted on 10/01/2007 5:59:05 PM PDT by american_ranger
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1905145/posts

[weegee]

I have a relative who served in Iraq. His grandfather served in WWII in one of the invasions and saw many troops die.

The grandfather would not talk of the war and didn’t want to go to museums to relive the experience but when his grandson returned from combat, he sat down and talked about it with his grandson.

[berdie]

After one of the episodes the other night, I was hoping folks might watch this and see that most wars are the same. Hard work, losses, wins, deaths. We might have an excellent strategy that is FUBAR by situations out of our control. From the Revolutionary War to Iraq. If folks could sit down at a table and negotiate..that would be marvelous, but given human nature, it just ain’t gonna happen.

Since we are by majority a people of law and taught that killing is bad..and don’t live in a third world country where all life is on the line every minute..it’s no surprise that some would crack.

Thanks for your threads..looking forward to number 7.