bootlebarth I'm writing this when there are only seven other reviews. Compared with the hundreds or thousands of reviews of popular cinematographic dross (the greater the dross, the more the reviews), is there any point?The Journey of the Corps of Discovery is an amazing story, beautifully told. President Jefferson sends his secretary to find a route to the Pacific Ocean across thousands of miles of largely unknown territory. The adventure proves that truth can be stranger than fiction. This is an epic trip. Ken Burns has made some marvelous series, but none better.There are so many memorable moments that it seems pointless to select a sample. I'll never forget Meriwether Lewis's diary entry on his 31st birthday, rueing his indolence and lack of achievement at what he thought would be the half-way stage of his life.Everyone should see this wonderful series. Unfortunately, the bulk of the popcorn-eating, couch-potato viewing public prefer banality and fantasy to fact. Treat yourself to one of the best series ever.

gpeevers Documentary by Ken Burn's about the expedition commissioned by Thomas Jefferson, and led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark setting out from St Louis to explore the Missouri River and find a passage to the Pacific Ocean. The expedition would also provide; an invaluable map, details of new plants and animals including samples and the establishment of diplomatic relations for the United States with various Native American tribes.The story of this expedition is quite interesting, although I did not find the presentation as dynamic as I would have liked. Fortunately there is considerable material from the expedition's journals that allows us to get a real feel for these men, their hardships and their discoveries in their own words.One major limitation for me was that as a result of the time period in which this occurred, as there were no photographs from the era and the filmmakers were forced to rely on either paintings, present day footage of parts of their route (only those where signs of current civilization are not evident) and some non-specific usually distant recreations showing the keel boat or men in silhouette.For those unfamiliar with the details of the expedition the story of Sacagawea, the young native American girl is fascinating.The story is narrated by Hal Holbrook and features the vocal talents of Mathew Broderick, Sam Waterston and Adam Arkin.This film is not nearly as good as Burn's masterworks on the US Civil War or Baseball, but this is still an interesting well told documentary on an interesting subject.While Lewis and Clark were the first American's to cross the continent Sir Alexander Mackenzie a Canadian had already done so 10 years earlier.

usaf463 Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan are excellent film makers, but their focus on relying on still photography and reenactors in this documentary left much to be desired. The lack of research is obvious. Images used throughout the film are of the post expedition period, at times decades after the event. Why the lack of period images? Hundreds, if not thousands of artifacts from the era, including drawings and paintings were ignored. Historical accuracy of the reenactors left much to be desired, they are not clothed in the accoutrements issued by the U.S. Army nor correct civilian attire of the time frame. This is clearly evident by anyone wishing to review documentation produced by The Company of Military Historians, who published information on the 1st U.S. Infantry back in 1951. Lewis and Clark reenactors are notorious for their lack of historical accuracy. Interviews with some historians (friends of the film makers) left much to be desired and did much to lesson the impact of this film. Overall, it was an interesting endeavor but one which suffered from too much emotionalism. If you want to learn about the U.S. Army's Corps of Discovery, read the original journals. Nothwithstanding the celebrity endorsements and hype, the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Celebration has become a monumental flop.

TxMike Ken Burns' film is a landmark study of the 1804 through 1806 Lewis and Clark expedition, starting in St Louis, and returning there two years later, having found a route to the Pacific Ocean. Put your political leanings aside, this film does not judge whether the USA, Spain, and France *should* have been able to grab and trade the native lands occupied for centuries by various Native American tribes. Lewis and Clark, and the men that went with them, were true explorers. Their journey is almost unimaginable. When you fly west over the USA during a clear day, and can see the wide expanse of mountains, you can begin to understand what an ordeal it was for them to cross over to what we now call the Columbia River. This is not a dry historical film. Everyone should see it, for the historical significance of the journey. The city of St Louis built a high arch in commemoration of the journey, and it is called "The Jefferson Expansion Memorial."I saw the DVD, and it is a really fine one. I got it as a free loan from my local library, maybe you can too!!