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Mark Twain - A Film Directed by Ken Burns (2002)
Front Cover Actor
Ken Burns
Movie Details
Language English
Audience Rating NR (Not Rated)
Running Time 220 mins
Country USA
Color Color
Plot
Given the legendary life of its subject, it's not surprising that Mark Twain is perhaps the most entertaining documentary Ken Burns has made. The creator of The Civil War and Jazz achieves reverent harmony with the magnificent story of Missouri-born author Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain), encompassing legend and fact with an exhilarating sense of adventure. Hailed by Hemingway as the originator of American literature, Twain (a nom de plume taken from a riverboat pilot's term for "safe waters") viewed himself as the American. Burns's film backs that claim as it follows Clemens's literary odyssey around the globe, from unrivaled acclaim as a writer to near destitution and the devastating deaths of his wife and three children. As usual, eloquent writers and scholars (including longtime Twain performer Hal Holbrook) provide a wondrous flow of anecdotes and observations, recounting Twain's remarkable humor while acknowledging a darker side that felt anger toward an indifferent god. Like all of Burns's films, Mark Twain is must-see viewing. --Jeff Shannon
Personal Details
Seen It Yes
Index 1696
Collection Status In Collection
Links Amazon US
Product Details
Format DVD
Region Region 1
794054860825
Release Date 1/8/2002
Nr of Disks/Tapes 1