The War

I've been an enthusiast of Ken Burn's cinematic works ever since I saw The Civil War in high school. That film was an incredible look at a war that almost permanently divided America. I was drawn in by how Burns covered this historically important event and there's no doubt that this experience developed my passion for history.

Burns is a visionary storyteller and is a master at assembling interesting facts & stories that most people have never heard of. I purchased his latest film The War and it has not disappointed. The War chronicles the transformative Second World War and how it affected every single American in the 1940's. What has really struck me is how this entire country pulled together and sacrificed to battle the forces of evil. Could this happen in today's United States? I have doubts about that.

This film is not a glorified endorsement of war but rather a honest look at moments suspended in time. You can't do this topic justice without showing the negative events that also transpired. One of the saddest things in this film so far is how this country treated it's citizens of Japanese decent. It gives me shivers at witnessing how hysteria led to these people's rights being trampled. It is a tarnished moment in American history that hopefully won't ever be forgotten.

I'm not a person who generally thinks war is an appropriate method of conflict resolution. But in WWII, I think it was something that had to be done. The evil that was afoot back then was something that had to be stopped and unfortunately it came with a heavy price. There will always be those who will debate if any war is ethical but I believe there are rare moments like WWII where it's imperative to act. I'm sure those who survived the Holocaust would agree.

Peace...Mark