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Ken Burns has become beyond being a documentarian; his name is a franchise, an unparalleled production entity. With each new project heading for the small screen, everyone seeks a part of him.

The filmmaker completed “more fucking podcasts than I ever thought possible”, he notes, nearing the end of his marathon promotional journey that included four dozen cities, numerous film showings and innumerable conversations. “There seems to be a podcast for every citizen, and I believe I’ve appeared on most of them.”

Fortunately the filmmaker is incredibly dynamic, equally articulate in interviews as he is prolific while filmmaking. The veteran director has gone everywhere from Monticello to popular podcasts to promote one of his most ambitious projects: this historical epic, a comprehensive multi-part historical examination that dominated the past decade of his life and arrived this week on PBS.

Defiantly Traditional Approach

Comparable to methodical preparation amidst instant gratification culture, Burns’ latest project proudly conventional, evoking memories of traditional war documentaries as opposed to modern online content and podcast series.

But for Burns, whose entire filmography documenting American historical narratives covering diverse cultural topics, its origin story transcends ordinary historical coverage but fundamental. “As I mentioned to directing partner Sarah Botstein during our discussions, and she shared this view: we won’t work on a more important film Burns contemplates during a telephone interview.

Extensive Historical Investigation

Burns, co-directors Botstein and David Schmidt plus scripting partner Geoffrey Ward referenced thousands of books and other historical materials. Multiple academic experts, covering various ideological backgrounds, provided on-air commentary in conjunction with distinguished researchers from a range of other fields such as enslavement studies, indigenous peoples’ narratives and the British empire.

Signature Documentary Style

The style of the series will appear similar to fans of historical documentaries. The unique approach incorporated methodical photographic exploration across still photos, generous use of period music and actors reading diaries, letters and speeches.

Those projects established Burns established his reputation; years later, now the doyen of documentaries, he can apparently summon any actor he chooses. Appearing alongside Burns at a recent event, renowned playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda noted: “Nobody declines an invitation from Ken Burns.”

Remarkable Ensemble

The extended filming period provided advantages in terms of flexibility. Filming occurred at professional facilities, at historical sites and remotely via Zoom, an approach adopted throughout the health crisis. The director describes working with Josh Brolin, who scheduled a brief window during his travels to perform his role portraying the founding father then continuing to his next engagement.

Additional performers feature multiple distinguished artists, respected performing veterans, diverse creative professionals, Tom Hanks, Ethan Hawke, Maya Hawke, accomplished dramatic artists, Damian Lewis, Laura Linney, Tobias Menzies, Edward Norton, David Oyelowo, Mandy Patinkin, small and big screen veterans, Dan Stevens, Meryl Streep.

The filmmaker continues: “Honestly, this could represent the finest ensemble gathered for any production. Their work is exceptional. They’re not picked because they’re celebrities. I got so angry when somebody said, about the prominent cast. I explained, ‘These are artists.’ They are among the world’s best performers and they can bring this stuff alive.”

Multifaceted Story

Nevertheless, the lack of surviving participants, modern media compelled the production to rely extensively on historical documents, combining personal accounts of multiple revolutionary participants. This allowed them to introduce audiences not only to the “bold-faced names” of the revolution but also to “dozens of others essential to the narrative, several participants remain visually unknown.

The filmmaker also explored his individual interest for maps and spatial representation. “Maps fascinate me,” he comments, “and there are more maps in this project compared to previous works I’ve done combined.”

Worldwide Consequences

The production crew recorded at nearly a hundred historical locations throughout the continent and British sites to preserve geographical atmosphere and worked extensively with historical interpreters. All these elements combine to tell a story more bloody, multifaceted and world-changing than the one taught in schools.

The documentary argues, was no mere parochial quarrel concerning territory, taxes and political voice. Conversely, the project presents a brutal conflict that finally engaged numerous countries and unexpectedly manifested what it calls “the noble aspirations of humankind”.

Civil War Reality

What had begun as a jumble of grievances directed toward Britain by colonial residents in 13 fractious colonies soon descended into a bloody domestic struggle, dividing communities and households and neighbour against neighbour. In episode two, academic Alan Taylor comments: “The main misapprehension regarding the Revolutionary War is that it was something a unifying experience for colonists. This ignores the truth that colonists battled fellow colonists.”

Nuanced Understanding

According to his perspective, the revolution is a story that “generally is overwhelmed by emotionalism and wistful remembrance and lacks depth and insufficiently honors the historical reality, all contributors and the extensive brutality.

The historian argues, a movement that announced the transformative concept of fundamental personal liberties; a vicious internal conflict, pitting Patriots against Loyalists; plus an international conflict, continuing previous patterns of wars between imperial nations for the “prize of North America”.

Contingent Historical Events

Burns also wanted {to rediscover the