New York: A Documentary Film is a seven part PBS series exploring the entire history of New York City and examining its influence over our nation today. The fourteen and a half hour long film begins in 1609, with New York as a Dutch trading colony, and ends at the turn of the new millennium.
Without a doubt, this is the best documentary that I have seen so far. The program was very informative, yet easy to follow and understand. The plot moved along at a smooth, consistent pace, so there were no hang-ups on one particular topic. Along the same line, the documentary thoroughly covered many aspects of New York history. The series was entertaining; I couldn't wait for the next episode to arrive from Netflix! The visuals were very interesting and fun to watch. The movie was rich with historical paintings, early photographs and video footage, old maps and plans, and realistic reenactments. This was a unique and enjoyable way to tell the story. The excellent music also gave such life to the film.
This program also had a great message not only about New York, but about our nation as a whole. The basis of this message was that New York is a place where people of all nationalities can arrive as equals and be given the opportunity to create what they want for themselves. The themes of acceptance, ambition, dreaming big, and success all resonate within this vibrant city and on a larger scale, reflect the values of America as a whole. Whether or not this is an accurate description of New York, the idea that New York represents the idealistic qualities of America has remained intact for centuries. Because of all of the widespread difficulties faced by our country today, such as economic hardship, corruption and suspicion, and dangerous relations, it was very uplifting to watch this program.
This is one of few movies I could honestly say that I loved. I learned so much history from the documentary and have developed a profound respect for this great city.