The American Experience - Ronald Reagan

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The American Experience - Ronald Reagan

Editorial Review

One of the most popular presidents ever, Ronald Wilson Reagan served two terms in office and left with his reputation intact as a charismatic leader who managed to avoid many of the major pitfalls of the leaders before him. A one-time actor, he became a passionate ideologue who preached a gospel of optimism, lower taxes, less government and anti-communism. Often underestimated, his success in office surprised many of his greatest detractors.

Both loved and reviled, Ronald "Dutch" Reagan rose out of the political ashes of Watergate to become one of the most popular presidents in American history. Whether you like it or not, he will be remembered along with Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy as one of the most influential and charismatic political figures of the 20th century. This epic four-and-a-half-hour documentary shows why, and it benefits greatly from the fact that many of the participants in the documented events are still alive. Tape 1 chronicles his troubled childhood with an alcoholic father, his years as a lifeguard, his eventual stardom in Hollywood, his governorship of California, and his election to the presidency in 1980. Tape 2 picks up shortly after the assassination attempt and takes off as it explains his policy toward the "evil empire." Surprising to some will be the news that privately Reagan abhorred nuclear weapons and feared Armageddon, but he firmly believed that the United States could only negotiate from a position of strength (during his administration Pentagon spending reached $34 million an hour). Long but never boring, this film is a tribute to a man infinitely more complex than the jellybean-eating figurehead many like to portray him as. Included are interviews with Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher, Nancy Reagan, and those wacky Reagan kids. --Kristian St. Clair

Features:

• Box set
• Black & White
• Closed-captioned
• Color

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
• Reluctantly admits the wisdom of Reagan
  I almost didn't make it through this presention. It got bogged down too much in the protest lines and slow economy that were present in the ealry part of Reagan's administration. During one part of the film, the narrator states " some Americans disagreed with the President's policies"...and as this is being said, it's showing protestors dressed in devil costumes and others wearing skull masks marching in the streets. Excuse me, some Americans ?!! I'm not saying that these marching malcontents weren't... more info
• little biased, but still very good
  This is a somewhat biased story, but the it's PBS, so, what do you expect? Ronald Reagan was an incredible president, and my guess is that if you are a diehard liberal who does not like Reagan, this may actually change you view a bit.
• A dismal compilation complete with liberal skew
  This video contains such a liberal bias that it sickened me to watch it. If you don't know the truth about this wonderful man, this documentary can only cause you to come to the wrong conclusion about him. I found it disheartening to listen to the emotionally driven, untrue commentary about Reagan and his presidency, all set to dismal, depressing, and gloomy music seemingly chosen to convey the feeling of a funeral or a holocaust movie.
  Reagan was a good man. Reagan was a great American. Everyone who... more info
• Pretty good documentary that will not please partisans
  Partisans on either side will not be happy with the portrayal of Ronald Reagan. Those on the left will feel that Reagan continues to be held up as some sort of demigod, while those on the right will bristle at any criticism of Reagan's "disengaged" style of presidential leadership. I definitely do not fall into the category of a Reagan supporter & I believe the man is sometimes given more credit than he is due for world events that were unfolding long before he assumed the presidency. Nonetheless, I... more info

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