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The Statue of Liberty

  • 19851985
  • TV-GTV-G
  • 1h
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
655
YOUR RATING
The Statue of Liberty (1985)
DocumentaryHistory
Documentary showing the history of the world-famous Statue of Liberty in New York harbor, the impact it still has on people and the state of liberty as a personal and political concept in Am... Read allDocumentary showing the history of the world-famous Statue of Liberty in New York harbor, the impact it still has on people and the state of liberty as a personal and political concept in America in 1985.Documentary showing the history of the world-famous Statue of Liberty in New York harbor, the impact it still has on people and the state of liberty as a personal and political concept in America in 1985.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
655
YOUR RATING
    • Ken Burns
  • Writers
    • Ric Burns(screenplay)
    • Amy Stechler(screenplay)
    • Geoffrey C. Ward
  • Stars
    • David McCullough
    • Jeremy Irons(voice)
    • Derek Jacobi(voice)
    • Ken Burns
  • Writers
    • Ric Burns(screenplay)
    • Amy Stechler(screenplay)
    • Geoffrey C. Ward
  • Stars
    • David McCullough
    • Jeremy Irons(voice)
    • Derek Jacobi(voice)
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 6User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar

    Photos14

    The Statue of Liberty (1985)
    The Statue of Liberty (1985)
    The Statue of Liberty (1985)
    The Statue of Liberty (1985)
    The Statue of Liberty (1985)
    The Statue of Liberty (1985)
    The Statue of Liberty (1985)
    The Statue of Liberty (1985)
    The Statue of Liberty (1985)
    The Statue of Liberty (1985)
    The Statue of Liberty (1985)
    Milos Forman in The Statue of Liberty (1985)

    Top cast

    Edit
    David McCullough
    David McCullough
    • Self - Historian…
    Jeremy Irons
    Jeremy Irons
    • Self
    • (voice)
    Derek Jacobi
    Derek Jacobi
    • Self
    • (voice)
    Paul Roebling
    • Self
    • (voice)
    Arthur Miller
    Arthur Miller
    • Self
    • (voice)
    Milos Forman
    Milos Forman
    • Self - Film Director
    Tucker Burr
    • Self
    • (voice)
    Wendy Tilghman
    • Self
    • (voice)
    Camilla Rockwell
    • Self
    • (voice)
    Youyoute Aseignot
    • Self - Haiti
    James Baldwin
    James Baldwin
    • Self - Writer
    Josephine Bianco
    • Self - Italy
    Rosie Block
    • Self - Austria
    Ray Charles
    Ray Charles
    • Self - Composer
    Rodolpho Cid
    • Self - Cuba
    Andrei Codrescu
    Andrei Codrescu
    • Self - Poet
    Mario Cuomo
    Mario Cuomo
    • Self - Governor of New York
    Carolyn Forché
    • Self - Poet
    • (as Carolyn Forche)
      • Ken Burns
    • Writers
      • Ric Burns(screenplay)
      • Amy Stechler(screenplay)
      • Geoffrey C. Ward
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Connections
      Featured in Ken Burns: America's Storyteller (2017)
    • Soundtracks
      American Tune
      Music based on "St. Matthew Passion" by Johann Sebastian Bach

      Lyrics by Paul Simon

      Performed by Paul Simon

    User reviews6

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    5/10
    Early Burns Distills His Strengths and Weaknesses
    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.
    helpful•5
    4
    • TheExpatriate700
    • Jul 8, 2013

    Details

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      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Production companies
      • Florentine Films
      • Thirteen / WNET
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour
      • Color
      • Mono

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