"The American Experience" Robert E. Lee (2011)

Writer:

Mark Zwonitzer

TV Series:

"The American Experience" (1987)

Original Air Date:

3 January 2011 (Season 23, Episode 1)

Genre:

Documentary | History

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

USA | Anthology | Public Media | Reenactment

Cast

Jason Alan Carvell
Kara Jackson	...	Mary Lee
Michael Murphy	...	Himself / Narrator

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mark Zwonitzer

Produced by
Susan Bellows	....	series producer
Sharon Grimberg	....	executive producer
Hazel Gurland	....	associate producer
Susan Mottau	....	coordinating producer
Mark Samels	....	executive producer
Mark Zwonitzer	....	producer

Original Music by
Joel Goodman

Cinematography by
Michael Chin

Film Editing by
Bruce Shaw

Production Design by
Akeime Mitterlehner

Art Direction by
R. Mark Hughes

Production Management
Deborah Clancy	....	production manager
Nancy Sherman	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mark Kaufmann	....	assistant director

Art Department
Kirk Graves	....	property master
Jeremiah Hornbaker	....	set dresser
Alison Kennedy	....	designer
Ann Minarik	....	art production assistant
Bruce Shaw	....	motion graphics
John Sicoransa	....	production illustrator

Sound Department
Coll Anderson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Coll Anderson	....	supervising sound editor
James Briggs III	....	dialogue editor
John Chiarolanzio	....	assistant sound editor
Sara Chin	....	sound
Benjamin Clore	....	sound
John Jenkins	....	sound mixer
Shayne Parden	....	sound
Matt Snedecor	....	sound effects editor
J.T. Takagi	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Greg Andracke	....	additional photography
Charles Bevan	....	grip
Joshua Cross	....	key grip
Andrew Eckmann	....	grip
Marc Labbate	....	gaffer
Paul Marbury	....	assistant camera
Todd Ranson	....	gaffer
Robert Spencer	....	best boy electric
Hektor Stockton	....	electrician
Travis Tomlinson	....	gaffer
Jonathan Weaver	....	assistant camera
Tim Wicks	....	best boy grip

Animation Department
Aaron Nee	....	animator
Alisa Placas	....	animator

Editorial Department
Martin Benn	....	colorist
Martin Benn	....	on-line editor
Vanessa Ezersky	....	post-production assistant
Glenn Fukushima	....	post-production assistant
Spencer Gentry	....	on-line editor
Greg Shea	....	post-production assistant
Paul Taylor	....	senior editor

Music Department
Peggy Baldwin	....	musician
Kevin Bluhm	....	music editor
Joel Goodman	....	composer: theme music
Diego Morales	....	musician
John Rodd	....	music mix engineer
Anatoly Rosinsky	....	musician
Andrew Shulman	....	musician
Richard Todd	....	musician
Philip Vaiman	....	musician
John Wittenberg	....	musician

Other crew
Jon Allen	....	production assistant
Jessica Barbosa	....	production intern
Robert Barnett	....	production intern
Sean Cleary	....	marketing
James E. Dunford	....	series manager
Eric Eaton	....	production assistant
Susana Fernandes	....	project administration
Jay Fialkov	....	legal
Janice Flood	....	legal
Pamela Gaudiano	....	project administration
Tiffany Hagger	....	production intern
Wesley Hevia	....	production intern
Molly Jacobs	....	production assistant
Maureen Jordan	....	legal
Scott Kardel	....	legal
Timothy Messler	....	production coordinator
Jacob Pooler	....	production assistant
Lauren Prestileo	....	publicist
Gratianne Quade	....	production intern
Rob Rapley	....	additional researcher
Colleen Sackheim	....	transcriber
Jane Sakowski Bell	....	craft service
Tory Starr	....	production assistant
Tom Trigo	....	location manager
Jamila Wignot	....	recreations director
Patricia Yusah	....	project administration

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Rocky Collins		multiple episodes
Henry Hampton		creator

Produced by
Rocky Collins	....	producer (multiple episodes)

Sound Department
Doug Madick	....	foley artist (multiple episodes)

Distributors

• PBS International (2010) (Non-USA) (all media)

A different portrait of Lee than I'd seen in the past...he was more human and more flawed in this installment of "The American Experience".

I enjoyed this documentary about Robert E. Lee--mostly because it dispelled many myths I'd been taught as a student. First, while Lee was a bit conflicted about joining with the Confederacy, it was NOT a major conflict--he was very happy with slavery and didn't seem to have nearly as many second-thoughts as I'd heard. Second, he was far less successful than I'd always heard--especially early in the war. So, while he was quite beloved by his men, he often made poor decisions--especially each time he invaded the North (such as at Antietam and Gettysburg). It seemed to really demystify the man--making him see a lot more human than many earlier portrayals. Third, he was not an especially nice person--endorsing the whipping of runaway slaves and not particularly enjoying time he spent with his family. He was, to put it bluntly, a man who liked being at war--or at least being in military service and he was lost when not serving.

Like most of the PBS documentaries, it has excellent narration, a few historians giving their insights and an extensive use of photos and paintings--along with nice evocative music. It's a first-rate production all around and is about the best and most well-rounded one I have seen. Well worth seeing.