The Civil War (TV Mini Series) The Cause (1861) (1990) User Reviews

Lots Of Info To Start This Series Off

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 12 August 2007]

This first segment in this 9-part television series looks at the beginnings of the American Civil War: how the South felt and why it seceded from the Union; President Abraham Lincoln's election, and the beginning battles of this famous war.

This, being the longest episode of the series at 100 minutes, had a lot of facts presented. To those not well-versed on the war (such as I), this was like taking a course in American history. There are so many facts to learn and names to remember - if I want to keep up with this series -it gets taxing on one's brain. However, the program is presented in such a format that it is usually interesting. Filmmaker Ken Burns went on to use this format in his other projects, such as the series on baseball. He shows a lot of black-and-white pictures of the era, throws in some modern day color shots (which are beautiful) and adds narration to everything. The latter is in the form of letters written by witnesses of the war, or in biographies or in comments by modern-day historians. The voices are provided by a host of people, from history writers and commentators to Hollywood actors.

Those quoted most often in this opening show are two of the most eloquent men in U.S. history: Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, the black leader of his day. Also, at the end of this segment, we hear quite a bit about George McClellan, a man who got the Union armies in shape to fight.

Overall, there were too many bits of information to recall them all here.

Amazed

[LucasHC_ · 10/10 · 23 December 2019]

Everything that surrounds the United States is always the subject of much discussion, and it is undeniable that they are a great nation with a great history, but the Civil War was that dark spot of the past that people of that time had to face in order to better things come in the future.

Previously I had watched The Vietnam War and was amazed at how much material (image and video) there was about it, as I had heard that it was the most televised conflict, but on YouTube there is so few material.

And now, a fact that is over 100 years old has a lot of material about it, and Ken Burns respects the premise of "listening" to both sides, very striking in his other documentaries.

Succinct in Sixteen

[unclesamsavage · 10/10 · 1 January 2021]

Covering the blood-boiling yet bloodless open to America's bloodiest war, Burns burns through boredom into passion.

Screenplay...................................... 10 / 10 Acting...............................................10 Cinematography............................... 9 Sound................................................... 10 Editing................................................ 10 Score....................................................... 10 Timeless Utility................................. 10 Total.................................................... 69 / 70 ~= 10 Verdict................................................. Masterpiece

Episode 1: The Cause

[Michael_Elliott · 2 November 2012]

The Civil War: The Cause (1990)

**** (out of 4)

The first episode in Ken Burns' documentary takes a look at the events that led up to what would become the bloodiest war in American history. The events of 1861 are covered and include such topics as: Bull Run, the impact of 1793's cotton gin, how in 1860 one out of every seven Americans was owned by someone else, John Brown, Thomas Jackson, the election of Abraham Lincoln and the first battles of the war. History buffs are certainly going to love this episode as it takes its time but fully explains everything that was happening in the country during 1860 and 1861 and it gives you a clear idea of why both sides thought war was the only hope for their sides. The documentary also does a terrific job at showing why both sides also thought that the war would only last a few months with even a few people thinking that no one would have to die. The film uses narration to tell its story as well as actors (Jason Robards, Morgan Freeman) to do parts of various characters. This here has always been a very effective way for Burns to tell the story and connect with the viewer. There are also a great collection of photos from the era including some very haunting ones dealing with the amputations that were rampant throughout the war.

Should Be Part Of Our Shared Data Base.

[rmax304823 · 4 November 2011]

This episode covers the prelude to the Civil War, with an emphasis on the economics and morality of slavery, through the first battle of Manassas or Bull Run.

I used to show part of this episode in a course in Social Problems at a predominantly black Southern university. The students knew about slavery and Frederick Douglass, of course, and some knew more than is given in the film. But my intention was mainly to establish the context in which the conflict over slavery took place. I'm not sure how much of it sank in. I taught the same course in a state university a year later, when this film was first being shown on TV, in which most of the students were considered elite because they were majoring in difficult subjects. Of the two dozen students, none had watched any of the episodes.

Too many American college students are virtually ahistorical. A survey, a few years ago, revealed that no more than half could place the American Civil War in its proper half century. A respectable survey taken before the Fourth of July, 2010, showed that one out of five Americans couldn't name the country we gained our independence from.

But, having sung my song of woe and now stepping down from the soap box, I must say I haven't seen any of this series in more than ten years and recently bought the boxed set, wondering if my first impression of it had changed any.

Well, it hasn't. It's a work of near genius. I can't imagine how Ken Burns and his team managed to put together this material in a way that carries so much impact. It quietly and effectively covers the political background and the personalities of the participants in the Civil War. And it carries it all off without pandering. Both sides are well represented. And I don't know how anyone can hear the letter of Sullivan Ballou to his wife Sarah without being moved by it. Ballou was a nobody, just a soldier. And the prose seems stilted with the passage of time. But its lyricism and vernacular poetry have rarely been bettered. Sullivan was prescient; he was killed five days later. The utter misery of the years to come is hinted at.

The written narration, the quotes chosen, are unimpeachable, as is their reading by various celebrities and actors. And between still photographs and period paintings, there are modern scenes of battlefields, rivers, and small towns that evoke the 1860s and are splendidly composed. In one clip, a grassy field, a layer of fog, a small town with a white church steeple, a darker rolling hill, and a dim sky are painted across the screen like horizontal ribbons.