John Adams (2008/HBO Mini-Series
Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B+ Extras: B Film:
A
HBO's
mini-series on John Adams is perhaps one of the most
expressive cinematic experiences ever captures in a mini-series. It’s a breathtaking venture through American
History as seen through the eyes of one of the most important figures. The fact that they actually spent adequate
money to produce this, plus cast great actors and really make this a unique
story that embodies much of Adams life is just astonishing that truly makes
History interesting and educational. I
also found it quite interesting that two of the key figures in the signing of
the Declaration of Independence (John Adams and Thomas Jefferson) not only died
exactly 50 years after the signing, but they also happened to die on July 4th, which is the precise date
in history 50-years later in 1826....what are the odds?
So what
makes this mini-series so great?
Well,
first is the fact that it's not treated like a documentary nor does it try to
squeeze a large chunk of history into 7 parts. Rather the treatment of John
Adams life is done so through his perspective on the major events in history,
yet at the same time the series has gaps in time that are paced in a slower
manner rather than attempt to do several history lessons in 8 or 9 hours. By doing so we are taken through pivotal
moments in American History through the lens of one of the most important
keystone figures in all of that - Adams. Most people are unaware of the link that he
provides to Jefferson, Madison, Washington, Franklin, and just about
every-other important figure of that era, plus he is uniquely linked to the
Boston Tea Party, Boston Massacre, Signing of the Declaration of Independence
(he convinced Jefferson to write it), The Constitution, and was also highly
responsible for treaties between France and England. There is no doubt that Adams was largely
responsible for carving out the initial framework from which we [Americans]
still stand today.
There was
also a price to all of this, which the series also brings forth in the emotion
that is conjured up over years and years of Adams life as he was away from his
wife and kids, there is a passionate scene in which Abigail Adams reconvenes
with her husband in France after many years apart, it is in this scene that
they look at each other with some distance as if they were looking at each
other for the first time, then moments later as Adams is showing his wife the
many rooms of the house he lives in there is a non-verbal communication
happening here as the two are in many ways falling in love again, they are
re-connecting a lost tie. Moments later
Adams is returning to American soil for the first time in many years with
Abigail and all of his kids are waiting for him, though they are now adults and
he looks at them and realizes in this single moment that time has escaped him
and that he has sacrificed nearly everything for America and the price was his
family and not seeing them grow up before his eyes.
Towards
the end of the series there is yet another great moment that some may overlook.
Adams and Thomas Jefferson were quite
close in the early days of the Nation and eventually were President and
Vice-President together, although they quickly had a falling out after the
first term, which lead to a bit of rivalry and semi-hatred of one another. Their opposing beliefs became apparent and
they went their separate ways. However,
late in years Adams and Jefferson begin to write to one another again and they
end up forgiving and forgetting their past and re-establish a close connection
via letters. This is truly a great
moment in this series as both men choose to let their opposing views rest to
the side, while they accept friendship through their encouragement to one
another through letters, this all happens once Abigail passes away and Adams
begins to seek comfort through the letters of Jefferson, who is without a doubt
the only man who understood Adams fully.
Unlike
many mini-series this one has some amazing depth and scope, yet at the same
time chooses very carefully on what it wants to focus on and really
encapsulates the complexity of John Adams, while at the same time painting a
very vivid picture of an early Nation being formed and the pains of that
process. The production value here is
very key as makeup and costume are top-notch considering we end up seeing about
85 years of history altogether. The
casting is superb with Paul Giamatti as John Adams and Laura Linney as his
wife, plus David Morse plays an exceptional George Washington. All of the casting is top-notch here! The other key factor was getting a
cinematographer who understood how to capture not only history being
re-created, but also the feel, the look, the emotions....Tak Fujimoto, who has
lensed other important films and his most notable being the modern classic Silence of the Lambs. His work here is astonishing and sets this
mini-series apart from the crowd. Together
with all of these factors this is easily one of the best mini-series ever
produced.
On
Blu-ray the experience is taken to a whole new level, I had the privilege of
viewing the original HBO broadcast on High Definition, which looked good, but
the Blu-ray takes that to a more significant level with richer colors, less HD
blocking, and the black levels are far deeper.
Not really sure why HBO decided to release the Blu-ray many months after
the DVD though. The 1.78 X 1 framed High
Definition transfer is presented in 1080p and showcases what a terrific
production this truly is. Early in the
film we enter quickly into the showdown of the Boston Massacre, there is snow
on the ground, it’s almost pitch black and yet exceptional detail can be
revealed to us as Fujimoto’s camerawork demonstrates contrast and yet detail as
well. The warmth of the candle-lit internal
scenes reminds us of the beautiful natural lighting from Stanley Kubrick’s
masterpiece Barry Lyndon in 1975.
The
original broadcast was also limited in the sound department, but for this
Blu-ray release HBO has issued the film in a stunningly clear DTS-HD 5.1 Master
Audio mix, which brings forth much of the ambiance and subtle nuances mixed
throughout the series, in addition to the dialogue and the musical score, which
is as refreshing as it was integral to the enriching story, some cues reminded
me of the score from 1993’s made-for-television (and eventually theatrical) Gettysburg. The DTS-HD mix has moments of high activity
during several of the war scenes, which are treated uniquely in that we don’t
see battles, but we hear them, we see the results of them, that is enough to
tell the story in this case as the material is handled with such superior
writing and directing that we understand that results without seeing the
effects.
For
Blu-ray the seven parts are spread over three 50GB discs, with the third disc
also containing supplements, which are mostly exclusive for this Blu-ray
release. There is a very terrific HBO
making-of which runs about 30-minutes and really captures most of the
production elements and gives the viewer a new appreciation of the meticulous
nature of what it took to make the mini-series look as authentic as it is. There is also a 40-minute segment called Painting With Words, which is a detailed
look at writer David McCullough and is narrated by him as well, this is also a
good insight into the source material, inspiration, and the attraction to
Adams, which helps manifest more of an appreciation for the origins of the
series.
Exclusive
here though is an enhanced fact track, which allows you to interact with a
pop-up historical guide through each episode, which helps give even more
insight into the historical context and relevance and only allows for a greater
experience of the series after seeing it once prior to this, these were also
featured on the DVD edition, but here the format enables the supplement to have
more depth.
While
some may wish to have even more supplements, the series itself is so fantastic
that really anything beyond that is just icing on the already delicious
cake. John Adams is not just a beefed up experience for History buffs,
it’s an experience that anyone should take part in for a greater appreciation
of American History. This is certainly a
series that school libraries and institutions should have readily on hand, but
more importantly the demand for excellent productions such as this should
inspire more high caliber work like this to be produced and green-lit, the
payoff here is tremendous, the Blu-ray brings forth a better technical viewing
overall and that leaves little else so say other than… Join or Die!
- Nate Goss
