Best American Revolution Blu-ray edition

[Jarfa]

Hi all

What's the best "American Revolution" epic movie available in Blu-Ray edition or DVD ?

Let me add some poll... cause 4th of July is coming soon

And some titles

*Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)
*Sleepy Hollow (1999)
*The Patriot (2000)
*National Treasure (2004)
*The Adams Chronicles (1976) TV mini-series
*Liberty! The American Revolution (1997) (TV series)
*The Crossing (2000) (TV series)
*Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor (2003) TV
*The Revolution (DVD) (2006) (TV series)
*John Adams" (2008) (TV series)

Thanks

[BasicGreatGuy]

If one is concerned about historical accuracy, I recommend "The Revolution." (dvd set). "John Adams" on Blu-ray is fairly accurate. "The Patriot" is not accurate albeit it is fun to watch. The other movies you listed are not ones I would recommend for the subject matter.

[Jarfa]

Originally Posted by BasicGreatGuy

If one is concerned about historical accuracy, I recommend "The Revolution." (dvd set). "John Adams" on Blu-ray is fairly accurate. "The Patriot" is not accurate albeit it is fun to watch. The other movies you listed are not ones I would recommend for the subject matter.

Thank You. Let me edit my first question.

[Filmmaker]

Best movie: THE PATRIOT

Best Blu-ray: NATIONAL TREASURE

Haven't seen JOHN ADAMS, but its pedigree probably means it's the true best (though likely also the stiffest and most academic, I'd imagine).

[RAZGRIZ-1]

The Patriot should technically win by default if you mean American Revolutionary War. I voted for that.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Kakashi Sensai

The Patriot should technically win by default if you mean American Revolutionary War. I voted for that.

Yeesh ....

Fortunately, we HAVE John Adams on Blu by now, which is about as close to the thread as it gets, and anybody who's still guessing Mel Gibson because That's The Only One They Know, hie thee to thy Netflix as soon as possible...
(And are we actually putting the National Treasure movies up as education, and not simply out of desperation to not have anything to say in the thread? Th-That's just...so....NO. )

As for DVD, that opens up the field to:
- PBS: Liberty! the American Revolution
- American Experience: Ben Franklin
- Ken Burns: Thomas Jefferson
- 1776 (mostly for fun, as some of the historical accuracy starts to look a little dodgy after the "John Adams" version of the same story)
- Founding Fathers / Founding Brothers
- American Experience: Dolley Madison
- The Crossing (of the Delaware)
- Benedict Arnold: a Question of Honor

(And if you want the War of 1812, yeah, there are a few good ones on that, too. )

[BasicGreatGuy]

Originally Posted by EricJ

Yeesh ....

Fortunately, we HAVE John Adams on Blu by now, which is about as close to the thread as it gets, and anybody who's still guessing Mel Gibson because That's The Only One They Know, hie thee to thy Netflix as soon as possible...

As for DVD, that opens up the field to:
- PBS: Liberty! the American Revolution
- American Experience: Ben Franklin
- Ken Burns: Thomas Jefferson
- 1776 (mostly for fun, as some of the historical accuracy starts to look a little dodgy after the "John Adams" version of the same story)
- Founding Fathers / Founding Brothers
- American Experience: Dolley Madison
- The Crossing (of the Delaware)
- Benedict Arnold: a Question of Honor

(And if you want the War of 1812, yeah, there are a few good ones on that, too. )

"Liberty!" and "Founding Brothers" do a very good job of giving good basic background of the war.

Founding History is my favorite genre.

[BasicGreatGuy]

PBS produced a series in the 70's called "The Adams Chronicles." It is available on Blu-ray now. I highly recommend the series if you enjoy founding history. The series is closely based on the book of the same name by Jack Shepard.

[kernel_thai]

John Adams. Not even close.

Ur poll is as deficient in choices as most high school American history classes r in this subject matter.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by kernel_thai

John Adams. Not even close.

Ur poll is as deficient in choices as most high school American history classes r in this subject matter.

+1 John Adams easily trumps the provided poll choices.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

+1 John Adams easily trumps the provided poll choices.

Yes, I'd go with John Adams by a mile.

[Jarfa]

Originally Posted by kernel_thai

Ur poll is as deficient in choices as most high school American history classes r in this subject matter.

Right. My mistake. Guess i can't even correct that

But... feature films... is my pool so bad ?

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by Jarfa

Right. My mistake. Guess i can't even correct that

But... feature films... is my pool so bad ?

Since you're referring to feature films I'd probably go with 1776 (the musical)....j/k. I'd go with The Patriot, but despite John Adams being a mini-series it is so much better and is almost entirely historically accurate.

[garyrc]

Originally Posted by EricJ

- 1776 (mostly for fun, as some of the historical accuracy starts to look a little dodgy after the "John Adams" version of the same story)

In 1776, they used famous quotes from the main characters (especially Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin) that they had said or written at various times in their lives, but not necessarily at that time, in an effort to sketch in their characters with lots of artistic license. I think it worked pretty well.

There is a fascinating 2 volume book called The Adams - Jefferson Letters that contains a sample of the letters between the two, and also letters between Abigail Adams and Jefferson, during the time when John and Thomas were not speaking.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by garyrc

In 1776, they used famous quotes from the main characters (especially Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin) that they had said or written at various times in their lives, but not necessarily at that time, in an effort to sketch in their characters with lots of artistic license. I think it worked pretty well.

It captures many of the great cantankerous Adams and Franklin quotes we might not otherwise know--
Was referring, though, to the comic-opera idea of portraying John Dickinson as loyalist Snidely Whiplash...As the John Adams miniseries more realistically portrays, Pennsylvania had the Quakers behind them, who annoyed Adams by falling back on any concession to Britain that would keep them out of war.

(Not enough to ruin the entire musical for me, but kind of embarrasses those of us who were using it as history replacement when we were kids. )

[garyrc]

Originally Posted by EricJ

It captures many of the great cantankerous Adams and Franklin quotes we might not otherwise know--
Was referring, though, to the comic-opera idea of portraying John Dickinson as loyalist Snidely Whiplash...As the John Adams miniseries more realistically portrays, Pennsylvania had the Quakers behind them, who annoyed Adams by falling back on any concession to Britain that would keep them out of war.

(Not enough to ruin the entire musical for me, but kind of embarrasses those of us who were using it as history replacement when we were kids. )

Yes, and it would have been good to build in that material, since making peace v.s. conducting a "good" war is a viable conflict even today. It would have given the audience a chance to hold two at least partly defensible concepts in their head at the same time, which, incidentally, was part of the definition of "intelligence" held by Abigail Adams.

[FlipperWasIrish]

Originally Posted by EricJ

(Not enough to ruin the entire musical for me, but kind of embarrasses those of us who were using it as history replacement when we were kids. )

Your teachers failed you and the other students if they didn't explain "1776" was a story about history and not history itself.

Note: I've been in two productions of "1776", one as the "the painter" of Ben Franklin and the other as Ben Franklin. A very fun show to perform in.