Director: Ken Burns
Cast: Ossie Davis, Sam Waterston, Blythe Danner*, Philip Bosco
Have I Seen it Before: I want to say yes? Sometime in my misspent youth, I must have had a history teacher who had run out of energy and let this one run its course.
Did I Like It: There’s exceptionally little one can reasonably say about the craft of Ken Burns. At what he does, he is the absolute best. There is not a single flaw in any of his productions I have seen to date**. One might call his films long, but it’s hard to make that argument stick, when the films are intended to be viewed over multiple days (I’m looking in you direction, Zack Snyder...) One might dare to call them dray and boring, but I’m not sure I want to associate with such people, and would frankly rather you leave the site if that describes you.
So, what does one review about Burns’ films? It’s hard not to be tempted by the inclination to review the subject. Was Thomas Jefferson the genius of his (and possibly all) time? Was he a man of lofty words, but a depraved need to use the human beings around him? Was he both?
History evaluated—with the help of DNA evidence—subsequent to the production of this documentary created a consensus that he fathered the children of Sally Hemings. The film considers the possibility, but comes to no firm conclusions. He did use the people he owned, and he could not be bothered to fight the institution of slavery in any meaningful way. He saw the possibilities of the future needing to set aside the dogmas of his age, but that stance has fueled insurrectionists of today, just as much as it has liberalization of our laws.
For all of his brilliance, he failed at his ideals. The film is, therefore, a fascinating deep dive into one of America’s great enigmas.
On the rather trivial side of things, I am struck by the fact that Jefferson spent himself into penury, and did so almost exclusively in the process of buying too many books. That’s an all-too human failing which I could see myself falling into. I also can’t help but think his mind would have been blown by the prospect of a Kindle.
*And also Gwyneth too, briefly, while we’re at it, reading text from one of Jefferson’s granddaughters. It was undeniably a weird moment.
**And considering after the recent airing of Hemingway (2021), I bought into the PBS Passport hook, line and sinker, I will likely be taking in more of his oeuvre.