George Marshall & the American Century [DVD]

Written by Geoffrey Ward - the author of every Ken Burns' documentary series of note - and narrated by E.G. Marshall, this extraordinary film accomplishes something nearly impossible: it does justice to the most indispensable soldier and statesman in American history.The direction, pacing and editing are pitch perfect. Naturally you can point to omissions and vagaries here and there because it simply is not possible to cover this man's life in 90 minutes or many times 90 minutes. The Marshall Plan alone deserves that. It is, without question, the most inspired foreign policy program America has delivered.Just imagine serving a Democratic president with both Houses of Congress under Republican control and convincing them to pass a major foreign aid package aimed at rebuilding the economies of nations that were recently our enemies. Such was George Marshall's credibility and moral authority. And after centuries of conflict, Western Europe has not come close to war since.The actual date of release of this documentary is 1991. This is fortunate as all the people interviewed are no longer with us. The bad bit is that the video quality is not what we're used to now. Neither is the sound, which loses synch during the last 10 minutes or so if you're streaming it.

Not a fan of the Ken Burns docu drama style but this wasn't too bad, probably because 90 minutes forces efficiency of story telling. As a baby boomer myself there were a lot of personalities presented that were just going over the hill when I was becoming aware of larger things. For me it really crystallized how the current shape of the world is due to WWII and those personalities and the follow on effects and actions, so recommenced to fellow boomers as pretty good use of limited time. For my kids and grandkids generation I would say take 90 minutes to watch, take a few notes and do some g**gle research if you have any interest in geo politics. I am sure for a young person today who has an interest in geo politics and US politics for that matter it should bring greater clarity about current shape of the world, namely that it is still the post WWII era and can be understood to a great degree in that framework. If I was a high school history teacher I think I would (assume allowed to do such things) use this as the repeating focus point for deeper and more detailed teaching something like "America and the World, the last 100 Years" subtitle "It's All About the War". I think it would be easy to get students to do basic research on the personalities and events and how it all wove together. (That was another good point, smoothly constructed without a lot of jumps or disconnects). Not to forget the impressive accomplishments and personality of General Marshall, in this case avatar as much as subject.

I enjoy history and am pretty knowledgeable about World War 2, but until watching this documentary I did not know how influential, talented and honorable General Marshall was in the lead up to WW2, during and after the war . . . . Nobel Peace Prize winner, Secretary of State and later Secretary of Defense. Truly one of the important Americans in our history, and unfortunately so humble that he is not recognized as he should be.The last 20 minutes of the movie the audio and video got our of sync which is very distracting and not enjoyable.

An incredibly well-written and well-produced documentary about one of the leading figures in 20th century U.S. politics and military leadership.The documentary is greatly enhanced by the inclusion of personal recordings made by Marshall in preparation of his biography, A surprising number of those who personally knew and worked with general Marshall were also tracked down to be interviewed. The biography covers all aspects of Marshall's life, from early childhood, to his military service, to his later work as secretary of state and Nobel Peace Prize recipient. A fitting tribute for a man who had such a great impact on our nation, yet whose name seems almost lost to history these days.

A must see for anyone interested in how a great soul lived in a 'military' man. The Marshall Plan, ahead of it's time, and possibly the last time such great compassion was shown for everyone, including the germans!! A man who had great wisdom, compassion and brilliance ! A good example of someone who put his ego in service of a higher cause and power that benefited the many.

George Marshall not only was the greatest army man for the US but his dedicated labor to duty helped Europe, set a new world diplomacy approach and avoided disrupting distress between the fighting allies: Russia, England, and the US. Although Marshall chose to remain unknown (and Republicans gladly supported), Marshall is frequently mentioned at the UN and NATO and he is well known by anyone who really studies US history. This is a great opportunity to all to learn about this not recognized (as deserving) true American.

This is a very good look into the pivotal historical figure of General Marshall. Having actual narration from the man himself is not only revealing, but brings much credibility to the documentary itself, and there are excellent interviews with prominent figures in his life. I would probably give this at least 4 stars if not for the audio glitch at 1:17:57 that unsynchronizes the audio and visual for the rest of the film, and the cheezy keyboard music for the credits.

God seems to place men like Marshall, Truman, Roosevelt, Churchill, and many others in the right place at the right time in order to save the world when destruction is imminent. I'm grateful for those chosen few that have served so brilliantly and diligently, with no thought of money or power. They all have a special place in heaven!