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Ken Burns’ ‘The War’

Ken Burns new PBS documentary series "The War" will premiere on the Arkansas Educational Television Network Sunday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m.

“The War,” directed and produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, explores the history and horror of the Second World War from an American perspective by following the fortunes of so-called ordinary men and women who get caught up in the greatest cataclysm in human history.

Six years in the making, this epic 14-hour film, reminiscent in scope and power of Burns’s landmark series “The Civil War,” focuses on the stories of citizens from four geographically distributed American towns — Waterbury, Conn.; Mobile, Ala.; Sacramento, Calif.; and the tiny farming town of Luverne, Minn. These four communities stand in for — and could represent — any town in the United States that went through the war’s four devastating years. Individuals from each community take the viewer through their own personal journeys into war, painting vivid portraits of how the war dramatically altered their lives and those of their neighbors, as well as the country they helped to save for generations to come. A portion of the film has also been dedicated to the Hispanic and Japanese-American participation in the war.

“The Second World War was so massive, catastrophic and complex, it is almost beyond the mind’s and the heart’s capacity to process everything that happened and, more important, what it meant on a human level,” Burns said.

By focusing on the personal stories of ordinary Americans who had extraordinary experiences, the film tries to bring one of the biggest events in the history of the world down to a very intimate scale. In the end, it becomes obvious that there are no “ordinary lives.”

In addition to Keith David’s narration, “The War” features first-person voices read by some of America’s greatest actors. Tom Hanks reads the voice of Al McIntosh, editor of the Rock County Star-Herald in Luverne whose weekly columns poignantly tried to explain the unexplainable to his neighbors. Other voices include Josh Lucas, Bobby Cannavale, Samuel L. Jackson, Eli Wallach, Robert Wahlberg, Carolyn McCormack, Adam Arkin and Kevin Conway.

“It’s critical that we capture the stories of the generation that fought and lived through World War II before they are lost to us forever,” John F. Wilson, PBS Senior Vice President and Chief T.V. Programming Executive said. “PBS’ goal for ‘The War’ is to reach into every home and classroom so together we can better understand what we as a nation experienced in those difficult years and what we as a nation accomplished.”

“The War” will air in seven parts:

Accompanying the series will be a book written by Geoffrey C. Ward and introduced by Ken Burns that will be published by Alfred A. Knopf. PBS Home Video is producing a complete DVD box set that will feature “making of” footage and an interview with Burns and others involved in the film. The soundtrack will be released in September by Sony BMG Legacy Recordings. As with all of Burns’ films, there is an extensive educational outreach component and an interactive Web page (www.aetn.org/thewar) that provides more information on the film, the battles and related issues.

AETN will air several new specials produced to accompany “The War” prior to the first episode. Beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 23, viewers may tune in for “Barnes and…Van Kirk,” followed by “Behind Their Words: A Look at AETN’s WWII Oral History Project” at 4 p.m.; the 90-minute documentary “Their Journey: A Veterans’ Tribute Tour” at 5 p.m.; and “Countdown to The War” at 6:30 p.m.

“The War” is a production of Florentine Films and WETA Washington, D.C. Corporate funding is provided by General Motors, Anheuser-Busch and Bank of America. Major funding is provided by Lilly Endowment, Inc.; Public Television Viewers and PBS; National Endowment for the Humanities; Corporation for Public Broadcasting; and The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. Additional funding is provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts; The Longaberger Foundation; and Park Foundation, Inc.

The Arkansas Educational Television Network (www.aetn.org) provides lifelong learning opportunities, improves and enhances Arkansans’ lives and celebrates the unique culture of Arkansas through its programming and services. AETN’s analog and digital transmitters and numerous cable system connections give it statewide reach.