Ken Burns hits a home run with this documentary chronicling the life of Jackie Robinson. This PBS documentary is about as complete of a biography as you will see on the baseball legend. It includes rare footage from Jackie's playing career, interviews with friends, teammates and family (including Jackie's 93 year-old widow), and clips from Jackie's post-career endeavors.
Unlike the previous movies and biographies, the documentary highlights Jackie's failures as well as his triumphs. While "42" was a terrific movie, it only focused on Jackie's early career when he broke the color barrier and the short time following it. This documentary highlights the years following Jackie's breakthrough where he became much more outspoken and ruffled many feathers among teammates and media members. It also documents Jackie's post playing career where he faced a backlash due to his political views and had a strained relationship with his eldest son who preceded him in death. While most people would have been satisfied with a place in baseball history and a peaceful retirement, Jackie continued the fight for black civil rights even as his health took a turn for the worst. Younger athletes like Muhammad Ali and Jim Brown were becoming the voice of the 1960s civil rights movement and Jackie's influence began to fade. As with the case of many legends, Jackie's impact was not fully realized until many years after his death.
In the end, this 4-hour journey helps to establish a more human perspective of Jackie Robinson's life while not tarnishing his legacy.
