The Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty (1985)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

This 61-minute documentary from Ken Burns gives us the history of The Statue of Liberty from the time Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi thought it up through its production, the controversy as well as what liberty meant to people back then and today. This entry in Ken Burns' "America" series is certainly very entertaining to not only history buffs but I think fans of documentaries will also enjoy it. As usual, Burns does a very good job at giving us a very detailed look at the subject but he does so without letting the material grow boring or make it to where the viewer simply doesn't care about what's being discussed. As with most of the director's work, this here features narration to tell the actual story but it's also used to let us hear the words from the people who were involved with the building of the statue as well as others. Some of the most interesting moments cover the creation of the statue and its troubled arrival to America where many people weren't ready for it. Many didn't want a gift from the immoral French while others didn't think we should have to pay for a gift (for a place to put it). Also covered is the meaning of the word liberty and why so many different people would look at it differently as well as what America really stands for.

This is one of documentarian Ken Burns' early accomplishments. It opens with a lot of talking heads expounding on the meaning of liberty. It's not a good opening. It's either pompous or boring or both. After those five minutes, it turns into something more recognizable by people who love his Civil War series. David McCullough is also narrating in this one. The story of the Statue of Liberty is interesting but nowhere near as compelling as the Civil War. This could be seen as a nice prologue to his much more compelling masterpiece. It holds some interesting information and he brings the old photos to life. However even at 60 minutes, this feels stretched out.

The Statue of Liberty represents one of Ken Burns's first documentaries for PBS. Much shorter than his later work at only an hour, it provides insights into the strengths and weaknesses of his style. Even in this preliminary work, he demonstrates an aptitude for revealing little known facts, while also indulging a tendency toward sentimentality.

All the hallmarks of Burns's work are already here. We have the familiar narration of David McCullough and testimony from intellectuals such as James Baldwin and Carolyn Forche. As with other Burns productions, the narrative is sprinkled with interesting quotes from various historical figures.

The film does a good job of making its subject interesting, revealing many facts I had not previously known, such as the involvement of Eiffel in the Statue of Liberty. At the same time, by virtue of its shorter length, the film makes the weaknesses of Burns's style glaringly obvious. In particular, he sentimentalizes the Statue's meaning as a symbol for immigrants, featuring interviews with migrants that add little to the narrative. Furthermore, he ends the documentary with a montage showing the Statue's impact on popular culture, flashing a number of images without giving them any context. A bit more analysis would have been useful.

One of Burns' earliest documentaries, there are strikingly beautiful images of The Statue of Liberty. Burns does a great job showing the Statue in different light and angles. I particularly enjoy his images of the Statue at sunset and the one that shows a panoramic view of the New York harbor, including the Twin Towers.

Like all Burns films, a great array of interviews from well known Americans to immigrants is included. I particularly like Mario Cuomo's views of the Statue as well as James Baldwin's.

I watched instantly on Netflix to kill and hour and possibly learn something. It accomplished both. Rating 7 of 10 stars.