Last night, the first episode of Ken Burns’ epic 12-hour, six-part documentary
“The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” aired on PBS. Twelve hours sounds like an eternity, and at times this past weekend, as I watched an advance DVD press copy, it certainly felt that way. By the eight-hour mark, I had fallen asleep at least twice, and lost count of how many times I’d rolled my eyes at yet another documentary talking-head reminding me our national parks are the ultimate living symbol of democracy.
At other times, I was fascinated, moved, inspired to hit the road and flat-out impressed with the nature cinematography (think grand aerial shots and time-lapse clouds rushing by). But, like Burns’ “The Civil War” and “Jazz” (I’ve yet to swallow 18 hours of Ken’s “Baseball” Castor oil), "The National Parks" is a mixed bag.
I’ll start with the good. The first two episodes, which focus on the early history of the parks, are outstanding. Burns and
company have assembled a phenomenal collection of historic photos (cue the old-timey music and slow camera pans across grainy black-and-whites), and the written narrative is first-rate.
The spotlight shines on Yosemite and Yellowstone (the world’s first national park), which you’d think would grow tiresome, but there are some compelling dramas (the harrowing survival tale of an early Yellowstone explorer; John Muir’s entire life) to help propel the proceedings. Muir’s fight to save Yosemite’s Hetch Hetchy Valley from flooding by a dam and reservoir, designed to quench the thirst of San Francisco’s political vampires, is especially heartbreaking.
The third episode (airing Tuesday) satisfies the fan of individual parks with nice segments on Hawaii Volcanoes, Acadia and Denali (aka Mount McKinley). If, like me, you’re an American Southwest freak, tune in. Zion, Bryce Canyon and Arches get their props. The bitter battle to establish Grand Canyon as a national park is epic. And Burns crafts a taut development-versus-preservation drama that kept me wide awake.
Throughout the first six hours, the story of
Stephen Mather and
Horace Albright, the fathers of the National Park Service, is fascinating. I knew nothing about these men. And it turns out they’re responsible for, well, everything.
John Lithgow, Tom Hanks and a slew of surely overpaid Hollywood voices supply narration. But the best lines are delivered by ex-park rangers. In Wednesday night’s installment, a Zion old-timer says: “You could be a Naturalist Ranger at Zion if you knew the answers to three questions: Where’s the bathroom? How far is Las Vegas? What’s the fastest way out of here?”
Steven Mather was big on auto-touring of the national parks, and pushed for artfully-constructed scenic roads that would skirt the choicest spots. He teamed up with automobile clubs (including AAA) to promote them. And I, for one, am eternally grateful for the east road out of Zion National Pak through the Mount Carmel Tunnel. If you’ve ever driven it, no explanation needed.
As for Presidents, naturally Teddy Roosevelt and FDR are quoted extensively. But it’s the much-maligned Jimmy Carter who backs up the rhetoric with boldness. In the late 1970s he designates a whopping
56 million acres of Alaskan wilderness as National Park Service land. Bravo, sir! I surveyed some of the protected territory on my last Alaska trip in 2004. Spectacular.
So what about the bad? Well, Burns never met an edit he liked, and if he wasn’t such a staunch nut, 12 hours could’ve easily been cut down to 6 or 7. Quite often, "The National Parks" plays like that 6th grade classroom documentary that would never end. Spitballs flew. Love notes were passed.
If the national parks are your passion, I highly recommend picking up the DVD edition. Some of the special features are excellent. There’s a cool interview with Nevada Barr, the park ranger-turned-novelist, plus music videos (featuring more of that incredible cinematography) and making-of featurettes.
"The National Parks: America's Best Idea" airs on PBS through October 2, check your local listings.
