Amazon.com.au:Customer reviews: Hemingway - A Film By Ken Burns And Lynn Novick (DVD)

Ken W

Won't play in Australia

Reviewed in Australia on 5 November 2021

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Won't play in Australia

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Tom M

A Masterpiece of Garbage

Reviewed in the United States on 7 May 2021

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Anyone viewing this series (hardly a documentary) would be hard pressed to understand why Hemingway received the Nobel Prize for literature. It glosses over or misses entirely the significance of Hemingway's greatest works. They pander to the notion that Hemingway's Catholicism was a simple pretext to obtain an anullment of his first marriage. I heard little discussion of the theme of values that is the core of his literature. One would do well to consult H. R. Stoneback - "Reading Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises: Glossary and Commentary" to understand just how deeply values and Catholic imagery permeated his work. Instead, the series dwells on the popular image and his all too human frailties wrapping them in a pseudo-psychological analysis of cause and effect. Disgusting from someone of the stature of Ken Burns which will obviously influence countless viewers with a negative view of one of the U.S.'s greatest writers, ultimately discouraging them from reading timeless, great literature.

34 people found this helpful

Grandpa GARY

Great Video

Reviewed in the United States on 23 June 2021

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Ken Burns is a real artist/film maker. This video covers Hemmingway's life from his childhood through his writing and war correspondent years. He suffered many tragic accidents that I wasn't aware of. He suffered from mental problems I'd never heard about. It was very interesting and informative. I look forward to seeing Burns produce more biographies like this. Three discs to this so pace yourself and I'm sure you will appreciate all that Hemmingway wrote and you will get insight to his many characters.

8 people found this helpful

Overlook the flaws of the man and focus on the genius of the writer

Reviewed in the United States on 8 November 2021

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I just finished watching this documentary for the third time since receiving it in mid August. It connects the dots that culminated in Hemingway's genius. Nobody will come away from this six hour video disputing that Hemingway was flawed, but that's not the point. Look beyond that and you may get a glimmer of understanding as to how his writing style developed. He took Mark Twain's approach to the next level. The documentary provides a lot of hows and whys. Or, at least that was my takeaway.

A few notes: based on information provided in the documentary I was able to track down a copy of the Kansas City Star style guide. It's available as PDF document from a number of sources. Do a google search. That and Hemingway's early musical training, described in the video, especially counterpoint and repetition, combined are like the Rosetta Stone for decoding his style:

Yes, it was tempting to catalog his many flaws and to try rationalize them as part of why he saw the world and human nature, then described them the way he did. Some of that was even in the documentary, but I remained focused on what he learned and how he viewed life from an early age. They are two separate studies and I honestly feel that studying his character is the wrong approach. I came away with what I believe to be a deeper understanding of how he came to use words the way that he did. As for his character, it was too complex for me to comprehend how he developed in that respect, but if you are interested in such things there are ample anecdotes, recollections, and other items of interest to fill you in as well.

5 people found this helpful

Andrea J. Quinn

Well Done!

Reviewed in the United States on 19 May 2021

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In true Ken Burns fashion, another wonderful documentary about one of the greatest American authors. This documentary takes a deep dive into the psyche of a very complex man.

8 people found this helpful

Terry chamness

An excellent intimate look at one of America's greatest writers

Reviewed in the United States on 15 July 2021

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It seems like Ken Burns can't make a bad program he hits it out of the park again with this one which he co-produced with Lynn Novak. Hemingway is an intimate and well-researched look at one of America's most beloved and successful writers. I highly recommend this

6 people found this helpful

K. E. Brou

Ken Burns rules

Reviewed in the United States on 19 June 2021

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This was a very insightful program. I have read some books about Papa Hemingway but I think this was a bit more truthful. What a life!!!!

5 people found this helpful

Jim

Incredible work by Burns.

Reviewed in the United States on 12 May 2021

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Excellent documentary, delivery and service overall.

6 people found this helpful

Susan Ferguson

Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the most creative and controversial designers of our lifetime!

Reviewed in the United States on 22 April 2021

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I have been "addicted" to Frank Lloyd Wright's designs since I was a kid. I wanted to be an architect or even a draftsman when I was a teenager, and I found in FLW a "hero" of sorts. I love his designs whether they are home or office building designs or smaller items like clocks, statuary, or fabrics. While he was not exactly a stellar husband and father, he had the world in his palm with his architectural designs. This documentary clearly states Wright's achievements and his downfalls.

One person found this helpful

Candace

Fascinating!

Reviewed in the United States on 4 June 2021

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Fascinating! I never read Hemingway but this three DVD set is absolutely fascinating and I have since bought one of his books to read. What a life this man lead. Highly suggest purchasing!

4 people found this helpful

5 star		82%
4 star		11%
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1 star		2%

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