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The Donner Party
A Film by Ric Burns
Studio: Warner Bros.
Year: 2002
Rated: NR
Film Length: 90 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Full Frame
Subtitles: None
Lately, it seems that no-one can take a historical
event and make it more seemingly real than filmmaker
Ric Burns. You may recognize the last name --
both Ric and his brother Ken Burns began their
filmmaking career in the mid-eighties, and are
well-known for their work on the acclaimed 1987
PBS series THE CIVIL WAR. Told through
pictures and heart-felt narration, their stories
are so well told that the viewer actually feels the
passions of the people of which the story is about.
If you ever doubted the impact that these stories
have upon a viewer, then you need you to watch
The Donner Party, perhaps the most disturbing
story that this filmmaker has ever told. This is
a film not only about a great tragedy, but the
ultimate test of human character.
The Donner Party was the most famous tragedy in
the history of the westward migration. This is the
story of the families of James F. Reed and George
and Jacob Donner, 31 people in nine wagons, who left
Springfield, Illinois in April 1846 in pursuit of
a dream for a better life. The journey to
California was expected to take about 6 months.
Other families joined them along the way. At some
point, there were over 80 cars and more than 300
people with the group.
Perhaps the most tragic mistake that the Donner-Reed
party made was to listen to the carnival barkings of
Lansford W. Hastings whose published Emigrants'
Guide to Oregon and California promised a route
through the West that would save 350-400 miles of
journey. Despite warnings from many that the route
was unpassable, the Donner-Reed party decided that
they would take the Hastings cut-off across the
barren reaches of the Great Basin which is bordered
by the Rocky and Sierra Nevada Mountains.
From here the documentary tells the story of the
party's grueling crossing of the Salt Flats where
afterwards tempers flared so high that James Reed
kills John Snyder, the Graves family's teamster.
James is deemed a murderer by the rest of the party
and is banished from the group. For months to come,
the emigrants would endure many more obstacles, but
none as harrowing as their experiences at Truckee
Lake with the pass over the Sierra just a few
miles beyond. It is here where the emigrants are
forced back by the snow, where they slaughtered
their cattle in order to fend off starvation. The
most harrowing part of this story is just about
to be told as we learn how the party on the verge
of starvation resorted to cannibalism, eating
members of their own family.
How is the transfer?
Please understand that I cannot hold a TV
production like this to the same standards as a
theatrical presentation. For the most part, this
full-frame presentation is broadcast quality. In
other words, the DVD format does nothing to better
the small amount of noise, picture blemish and
color impurities one would expect from a film made
for broadcast television. Sound is quite clear,
with a noticeable amount of stereo separation
within the film's music selections. Visually this
is nothing to rave about, but you find yourself so
emotionally involved in the story that you soon
forget about things such as picture quality.
Special Features
There are no added features here except redirection
to the PBS on-line site where you can further read
about The American Experience.
The one major gripe I have about this DVD is that
like all other PBS presentations, there are no
subtitles available. Though the disc is closed
captioned, I find that many television sets display
these captions in an obtrusive blackened area of the
screen. It is my hope that PBS considers adding
subtitles to future releases.
Final Thoughts
With all the theatrical reviews that appear on
this forum week after week, it becomes easy to
forget that this format offers so much educational
material that often gets overlooked.
It is my hope through these reviews to convince more
people to watch powerful documentaries like this. In
fact, I dare you to find a recent theatrical release
that will effect you as emotionally as The Donner
Party, a harrowing and highly disturbing story
that I promise will haunt you days after watching.
Anything that emotionally moves me in this manner
deserves a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED status....and you know
what? It can be had for under $15 on-line.
Release Date: January 14, 2003
All screen captures have been further compressed.
They are for illustrative purposes only and do not
represent actual picture quality
