Ken Burns has developed a body of work that is filled with extraordinary documentaries, biographies, and other genres of film on significant figures throughout society. He has been creating critically acclaimed films over the last 30 years, and his most recent production is just as poignant as his other works.
Burns has created art on a variety of eras throughout American history: The Civil War, World War II, Vietnam War, The Brooklyn Bridge, baseball, jazz, country music, prohibition, President Roosevelt, Frank Lloyd Wright, Jackie Robison, The Dust Bowl and creation of National Parks.
Naturally, as a filmmaker, Burns is a visionary. The challenge for any filmmaker is to capture the images within the mind and put them on film to be displayed on either the big or small screen, or both platforms.
Burns is known for his unique visual style. His visuals are never arbitrary, they seem to be supported by objective facts of the time period in which the filmmaker is creating. He does incredible research for all of his films and discovers ways for them to correspond with the aesthetic world that he creates.
Music is always present in his works and it seems to take on a life of its own. Many have called the music within his films to be haunting or referencing some sort of impending action for the central figure of the film. Burns uses music, not to startle his audience, but to gain their attention and place emphasis on another part of the film.
He uses music almost like a navigation system that points the viewer in the right direction in order to follow the story frame by frame. The music dictates the pace at which the audience will experience each frame.
These sounds are accompanied by visual illustrations that become a part of the storytelling process. Burns always depicts a beginning, middle and ending, but does so in a way that promotes movement through sounds and visuals and how they interact with each other onscreen. In most of his works, there is an element of surprise filled with otherworldly visuals that take observers to an entirely new place during the storytelling process.
The new production is narrated by Peter Coyote, who is known for his resounding voice that places a strong emphasis on aspects of the film. The three-part series was written by historian Geoffrey Ward. One of the most interesting aspects of Burns’ productions is that he only uses about 1/6 of the film that he records for a final edit.
By many filmmaker’s accounts, that is a very expensive and time-consuming way to develop a film project. However, it gives the director and actors more of an opportunity to discover the truth within the work that should be placed within the final edits. As an actor, going through a process where 5/6 of your work will not be seen, creates a journey for them to endure and hopefully relish in by finding intricacies that can only be found in longer films and taking them and putting them in the final film.
The series tackles Hemingway from the prospective of history and literature. However, it also explores his position in pop culture. Many readers are not aware of the prejudices that Hemingway had against other people based on their race or sexual orientation.
Burns seems to be arguing that one hand Hemingway can be a literary genius and on the other a figure that today’s lovers of literature are considering to “cancel” and effectively show him no interest in today’s culture. There is currently a campaign to cancel Hemingway, and this series may sway public opinion.
Hemingway: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick will be available to stream or view beginning on April 5 at 8/7c.