The U.S. and the Holocaust

Yes, it's another in-depth, detailed history from Ken Burns and crew.

But having each episode over 2 hours long really drags out. I watched it bite sized chunks and also found myself fast-forwarding at times. Peter Coyote's narration also drones on.

The narration outline, especially in the first episode, parallels immigration issues the USA is having today. Not sure if this emphasis was intentional or as the saying goes, "nothing ever changes."

There are a lot of still photos and videos, taken by the German soldiers, that will likely be new to anyone viewing the documentary.

The testimony from Eva Geiringer in episode 3 about camp conditions will turn your stomach.

As Episode 1 of "The US and the Holocaust" (2022 release; 3 episodes of about 125 min each) opens, we are in 1933 and a certain Mr. Frank has just bought a brand new 16 mm camera to film some family scenes in Frankfurt. We also get a picture of that family, the husband and wife and their two daughters, the youngest one being... Anna Frank. At this point we are 5 min into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from the Ken Burns factory, co-directed by Ken Burns, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein. Here they examine the complicated history of the US towards Jews. Not that this was the first time, as one of the talking heads reminds us that before this, there was the genocide of the native Americans and the forced importation of black people from Africa. But we divert... In excruciating detail, we are reminded how in the 1930s the US was an isolated country not very interested in the rest of the world, let alone the pending refugee drama and later genocide in Europe following the Nazi's ascent to power in Germany in 1933 that was quickly followed by more and more restrictions on Jews in Germany and elsewhere. The US State Department was openly and unapologetically anti-semitic, as were large segments of the US population, much to the chagrin of FDR. We are reminded along the way that there were dozens of pro-Nazi organizations in the US at that time, and that the US happily chose to participate in the 1936 winter and summer Olympics, which were all but major Nazi propaganda events. Meanwhile things get worse and worse for Jews in Germany, leading to "kristalnacht" in 1938...

Episode 1 premiered on PBS last night and is now available on PBS On Demand. The remaining 2 episodes will air on PBS tomorrow (Tue) and Wednesday. Can't wait to see how it plays out, and to what extent today's parallel ("Jews will not replace us"! Charlottesville 2017) frightening extreme right climate will be included (if at all). If you have any interest in US history including its troubled race relations with Jews, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

*UPDATE 9/23/22* I've now seen all 3 episodes, and this documentary series makes for overall very sobering viewing. In Episode 2 we are reminded of the damage done by isolationists like Charles Lindbergh and US Senator Reynolds, who wants to build a wall on US borders "so tall that it will keep out everyone" (no, really, that is a statement from Reynolds made in 1941). The archive footage of the Warsaw ghetto and the Nazi's killing camps will make you sick. At the tail end of Episode 3, we are reminded that yes, it can happen again, as we get the infamous footage of the White supremacists in Charlottesville in 2017 but also of the mass shooting at the Pittsburgh synagogue.in 2018. This documentary series should be required viewing for all HS and college students.

This is as much a story about American history as it is about the Holocaust. As with another Burns' documentary The Vietnam War, the director masterfully places the personal stories in the forefront while at the same time explains the complexities of the politics and public mood at the time. Why it was plausible that FDR didn't do as much as he could have given the implications for negotiating with a Congress that represented the mood of the country at the time. You can agree or not whether FDR did the right thing but by interjecting the narrative with interviewed with historians, Burns leaves it up to the viewer to decide.

He also explains the upper crust Ivy League culture at the State Department that stymied opportunities to help people immigrate, the pervasive acceptance of eugenics and the popularity of the isolationist movement.

I take issue with the reviewers on this forum who criticized this series for not focusing as much attention on the plight of the homosexuals or Romanies. The focus of this series is the historical context in America which was also the history of the Jews in America. And it was the Jewish population of Europe that had the largest connection to America, as opposed to other groups who were met with the same fate. Each of those groups has its own unique history that would take another documentary to explore. Many Holocaust memorials actually do this because the point of remembering this horrific event is to learn how pervasive genocide is and how vulnerable we all are.

This film presents an interesting take on Jewish immigration during World War Two. Ken Burns et al do a good job of giving us the backstory of how FDR's administration approached the situation and the constant barrage of anti semitic forces working to keep the United States out of the war for as long as possible. The documentary is raw, graphic , and in your face but people need to see this to realize that life is precious. Man's hatred and cruelty knows no bounds but if we are reminded of it by films such as these, hopefully we can keep ourselves in check to try never to repeat this type of heinous cruelty.

Mr ken burns for his ever so connective and brutally consistent narrative talents and partner in the direction crew together with lynn novick and sara botstein. This documentary doesnt just put the magnifying glass on the usa, indirec tly it tells the story about how the entire globe positioned itself on the jewish and other surpressed minorities going under the term of refugees during the nazi era.

Its just a pitty mr burns (et.co.) that you didnt make this series in 1985 when the war generation still lived, the year you famed the brooklyn bridge forever. I think that the number of reciepients are highly diminished due to digital media platforms, the topic of ww2 is alien and the subject of the jewish destiny is a heavy subject to elaborate and devour for the fast food and fast news generation x and z'ers of today.

I really admire the efforts done searching archives for pictorials and film reels used in this 3 part series, loads of material i havent seen in the past, and i, the grumpy old man, have a sofisticated interest on an amateur level the ww2 history and have seen almost everything that has been issued from english, french, german and japanese language spheres + the italian, and loads and loads of norwegian war history.

Im glad mr burns that you still have many productive years to come, i can not praise enough the impact and inspiration youve released in miself as your products have appeared

so to everyone sceptical to the harrowing title making usa seem like a crook, well then watch and learn, cause the refugee problem will always be there. Its an overwhelming recommend from the g.o.m..