Ken Burns: Here and There (2021) - full transcript
♪
[MAN SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY
IN DISTANCE]
♪
MAN: OK.
KEN BURNS: YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN?
WHICH IS TOTALLY...
YEAH, BEAUTIFUL.
RIGHT. JADEN, THIS... I WANT
TO SORT OF START HERE...
UH-HUH.
ON ONE OF MY SHOTS,
AND THEN I'VE LOCKED IT DOWN
SO YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO MOVE.
♪
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
♪
MAN: YEAH, I KNOW.
♪
MAN: WELL, GOOD EVENING,
EVERYBODY.
WELCOME TO THE RESTAURANT
AT BURDICK'S.
IT'S OUR PLEASURE
TO HAVE YOU HERE WITH US.
PART OF THE ORIGINAL PHILOSOPHY
OF THIS RESTAURANT
ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO WAS
INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY,
INVOLVING LOCAL FARMERS,
AND BRINGING THE BEST FOOD
WE CAN FIND WORLDWIDE
AND SHARING THEM
WITH OUR COMMUNITY,
WHICH IS YOU.
THE KITCHEN STAFF AND I
ARE VERY PROUD
TO BE PRESENTING YOU WITH
THIS FANTASTIC FOOD TONIGHT.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY,
WE'RE HERE WITH KEN BURNS.
KEN BURNS, TAKE IT AWAY.
[APPLAUSE]
FIRST OF ALL, IT'S REALLY GREAT
TO BE WITH YOU TONIGHT.
I SEE A LOT OF UNFAMILIAR FACES,
AS WELL AS FAMILIAR FACES.
I EXIST IN A TINY AREA
BETWEEN THE TWO-LETTER,
PLURAL PRONOUN "US"
AND THE CAPITAL LETTERS "U.S."
THAT'S THE PLACE THAT I INHABIT
IN EVERY FILM THAT I'VE MADE.
SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT FEELS GOOD
ABOUT SAYING "US" AND "WE"...
YOU KNOW, THE LATEST STORY
IN ARTHUR SCHLESINGER JR. SAID,
"THERE'S TOO MUCH PLURIBUS
AND NOT ENOUGH UNUM TODAY."
THERE'S NOBODY
IN THIS ROOM, REGARDLESS OF
YOUR POLITICAL PERSUASION, THAT
DOESN'T KNOW THAT THAT'S TRUE.
I'M IN THE BUSINESS OF UNUM,
AND IT COMES DOWN
TO TALKING ABOUT US
AND TALKING ABOUT THE U.S.
AND I THINK WHAT MY JOB...
WORKING IN PUBLIC TELEVISION,
LIVING IN THIS TOWN,
WHICH COULD CARE LESS
ABOUT HOW MANY EMMYS
AND HOW MANY PEABODYS
AND HOW MANY GRAMMYS
AND OSCAR NOMINATIONS THERE ARE,
AND THE SUBJECTS THEMSELVES
THAT ARE THE MOST
IMPORTANT THINGS.
I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIND
THIS CARTOON FOR A WHILE,
BUT FOR MANY YEARS,
I HAD ON MY REFRIGERATOR
AN OLD AND NOW FADED CARTOON,
AND IT SHOWS TWO GUYS
STANDING IN HELL, THE FLAMES
LICKING UP AROUND THEM,
AND ONE GUY SAYS
TO THE OTHER, "APPARENTLY
MY OVER-200 SCREEN CREDITS
DIDN'T MEAN A DAMN THING."
[LAUGHTER]
AND THEY DON'T.
I'LL NOW LET YOU
ENJOY YOUR MEAL,
AND I'LL COME AROUND
AND SEE YOU AND...
I AM THE WORLD'S BIGGEST
RED SOX FAN.
[MAN LAUGHS]
WOMAN: OH!
BUT IN MAYO,
THEY'RE ALL ON SALARY,
SO IT BREEDS A CULTURE
OF COLLABORATION,
SO THE PATIENT'S FIRST.
IT'S NOT THE HOSPITAL
ADMINISTRATOR BREATHING DOWN
THE DOCTOR'S NECK, SAYING,
"CONTROL THIS, CONTROL THAT."
IT'S NOT THE INSURANCE GUY
BREATHING DOWN THE HOSPITAL...
IT'S THE PATIENT.
I'VE BEEN HELP... I GO
TO LOTS OF DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
THERE'S ONE ACROSS THE RIVER
IN PUTNEY, VERMONT,
WHERE MY BIG KIDS, WHO HAVE
KIDS OF THEIR OWN, WENT...
WELL, MY LATEST THING
IS TO GET UP...
AND BEFORE THE WORK STARTS
IN THE EDITING ROOM...
TO JUST WALK DOWN NORTH ROAD
ALL THE WAY TO NORTH MAIN
AND COME HERE...
COME TO THE SHOP
AND GET A CUP OF TEA AND...
WITH MY DOG, AND THEN
WALK BACK UP, WHICH IS,
I ALWAYS SAY, THE MOST
AEROBIC CUP OF TEA THERE IS.
GOOD NIGHT, ALL.
BE WELL. BYE.
MAN: THANK YOU.
MAN 2: SO, KEN,
I KNOW WHAT
THE OBVIOUS MEANING
OF TONIGHT WAS.
WHAT'S IN BETWEEN
THE LINES ABOUT TONIGHT?
I DON'T...
I THINK IT'S ABOUT...
I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT,
LIKE, WHAT'S THE SUBTEXT HERE?
AND I THINK IT'S JUST ABOUT
SERVING WALPOLE, YOU KNOW?
THIS WAS EMPTY
FOR, YOU KNOW,
17 YEARS,
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND IT'S NOT EMPTY.
IT'S, LIKE, THRIVING
AND THERE'S...
IT FEELS LIKE THERE'S
SOMETHING INCREDIBLY
SOPHISTICATED AND ELEGANT
AND, AT THE SAME TIME,
REALLY KIND OF BASIC.
AND WHAT WAS GREAT AND WHAT
I HADN'T REALLY REALIZED IS
THAT PEOPLE CAME IN HERE,
AND EVERY TABLE,
THERE WERE MOSTLY STRANGERS;
THEY WERE THIS COUPLE
OR 4 MEETING ANOTHER 4
OR ANOTHER TWO, AND THEY
WERE GETTING TOGETHER AND THAT'S
EXACTLY THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW...
CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE
THAT I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS
WITH, LIFE, THAT I FIRST
STARTED OFF WITH A MEAL HERE.
LIFE'S ALL ABOUT RECIPROCITY
AND COMMUNICATION
AND NOT SORT OF GETTING ABOVE
SOMEBODY OR BELOW SOMEBODY.
THERE'S ONLY COMMUNICATION
OR CONNECTION AMONG EQUALS,
AND IT WAS SORT OF JUST SORT
OF SAYING THEY'RE NEIGHBORS.
♪
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
BE NICE IF THIS WAS
SO MUCH WARMER.
SEE THAT?
LOOK AT THAT.
SEE, I WAS GONNA GET
OVER HERE AND DO IT, COME
OVER HERE, AND SO THEN
YOU DON'T HAVE A KICK,
BUT YOU HAVE THE TREE
SILHOUETTED,
AND THEN YOU SEE MORE
OF THE STAIRS.
AND THEN YOU'RE NOT
AS DISTRACTED BY THE...
MAYBE PUT A POLARIZER...
THAT'S FINE.
AND DO A STRAIGHT 85.
YEAH.
HI. NICE TO MEET YOU.
DO YOU PLAY BASEBALL?
MM-HMM.
SO I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS
THAT ARE 10 AND 14 YEARS OLD
WHO PLAY BASEBALL.
WOMAN: I HOPE SO. I HOPE SO.
OH, MY GOD.
LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.
YEAH.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
JUST IN CASE IT'S
A LIGHT QUESTION,
BUT THEN YOU CAN
TAKE IT OFF. READY?
MOORE: OK.
WE GOT TO BE REAL QUIET.
ROLLING.
♪
[FILM PROJECTOR WHIRRING]
♪
BURNS: I WAS LIVING
IN NEW YORK AFTER GRADUATING
FROM HAMPSHIRE, TRYING TO RAISE
THE MONEY AND THEN TRY TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO BEGIN TO MAKE
MY FILM ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE,
AND WHEN A LOT OF THE SHOOTING...
I WON'T SAY ALL OF IT,
BUT A LOT OF THE SHOOTING...
WAS DONE IN THE SPRING OF 1979,
I WAS REALLY BROKE.
I LIVED IN
A 5-STORY WALK-UP
IN CHELSEA
BEFORE IT WAS CHELSEA,
PAYING $275 A MONTH,
AND I COULDN'T AFFORD IT
WHEN THE GUY SAID IT WAS
GOING UP TO $325.
AND I KNEW I HAD TO GET
A REAL JOB, BUT A REAL JOB MEANT
TO ME THAT I WOULD BE
STOPPING THE FILM, AND SO...
THAT ALSO MEANT, YOU KNOW, YOU'D
PUT THE FILM CANS ON A SHELF
OR ABOVE THE REFRIGERATOR,
AND THEN YOU'D WAKE UP AND YOU'D
BE 45 OR 50 YEARS OLD, AND YOU
HADN'T WRITTEN THAT NOVEL
OR YOU HADN'T DONE THE THING
OR YOU HADN'T FINISHED THE FILM
ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE, SO I
DECIDED TO MOVE WHERE A LOT
OF MY FRIENDS WERE, THE AREA
OF SOUTHERN VERMONT
AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE,
AND WALPOLE IS SORT OF THIS...
NOBODY ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY
LIVED IN WALPOLE, BUT WALPOLE
WAS THE CIRCLE AROUND WHICH MANY
OF MY FRIENDS' LIVES ORBITED.
AND WE FOUND THE HOUSE
THAT I'M LIVING IN NOW.
WE RENTED IT FOR $275,
SAME AMOUNT,
AND I MOVED IN WITH
MY GIRLFRIEND,
SOON-TO-BE WIFE,
AND WE HAD A BABY
AND BOUGHT THE HOUSE
AND HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO LEAVE.
♪
I USED TO THINK THAT THE BEST
PROFESSIONAL DECISION
I EVER MADE WAS TO MOVE
TO WALPOLE IN AUGUST OF 1979.
BUT AFTER WE STRUGGLED
TO MAKE AN HOUR-LONG FILM
ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
AND HAD IT COMPLETED,
IT GOT NOMINATED
FOR AN ACADEMY AWARD,
AND EVERYBODY SAID, "COME BACK
TO NEW YORK," "MOVE INTO L.A.,"
YOU KNOW, AND I SAID,
"NO, I'M STAYING HERE."
AND THAT'S THE BEST DECISION I
EVER MADE, OF SORT OF KNOWING
THAT THE KIND OF SPLENDID
ISOLATION THAT I NEED
TO DO THE KIND OF WORK WE DO,
WHICH IS SO LABOR-INTENSIVE,
SO TIME-INTENSIVE,
TAKING 10 YEARS PLUS
TO DO "THE NATIONAL PARKS,"
"VIETNAM," OTHER PROJECTS
THAT WE'VE DONE, THAT STAYING
HERE PROVIDED A KIND OF
SAFE HARBOR THAT PERMITTED US
TO DO THE KIND OF WORK WE DO
WITHOUT KIND OF THE UNDUE
INFLUENCES THAT YOU GET
FROM THE PRESSURES
OF THE INDUSTRY.
SO I'VE LOST A BIG THING...
THE SOCIETY OF MY COLLEAGUES,
OTHER FILMMAKERS,
OTHER FILM COMPANIES,
THAT SORT OF STUFF IN NEW YORK
OR L.A. OR ALL PLACES...
BUT I'VE GAINED A FAMILY
OF FILMMAKERS WHO'VE MADE
THE TREK UP HERE AND DECIDED
TO STAY AND JOIN IN WITH OUR LOT
AND WE'VE CREATED A KIND
OF COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE
WHO ARE INTERESTED IN
AND WORKING AS HARD
AS IS NECESSARY
TO MAKE THESE FILMS.
I STILL LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSE,
I STILL SLEEP
IN THE SAME BEDROOM,
AND 3 DAUGHTERS LATER AND LOTS
OF FILMS LATER, I'M STILL HERE,
AND I'M REALLY HAPPY.
THE TOWN IS ALSO
AN IMPORTANT THING.
FIRST OF ALL, IT'S
EXTRAORDINARILY BEAUTIFUL,
IT'S WELL-SITUATED,
THE LANDSCAPE IS AMAZING,
BUT THE PEOPLE ARE GREAT,
AND YOU'RE MEASURED HERE NOT BY
HOW BOLD YOUR NAME IS, BUT WHO
YOU ARE AS A HUMAN BEING,
AND THAT'S THE BEST WAY
TO BE JUDGED.
MAN: WE NOW HAVE A NATIONAL,
GLOBAL MEDIA INFRASTRUCTURE
THAT IS SO FOCUSED
ON BIG CITIES ALL THE TIME.
AND WE SEE OUR SMALL TOWNS,
WHETHER WE GREW UP IN THEM
OR WHETHER OR NOT WE KNOW THEM,
ONLY THROUGH POPULAR CULTURE,
AS THESE REFUGES AWAY FROM ALL
OF THAT CONFUSION.
I THINK WE LONG FOR
THOSE KINDS OF INTERACTIONS
WITH PEOPLE THAT WE DON'T HAVE
AS OFTEN AS WE USED TO.
♪
BURNS: I LOVE NEW YORK.
I LOVE THE ENERGY OF NEW YORK.
IT'S SORT OF THE OPPOSITE
OF WALPOLE AND A KIND OF
NECESSARY BALANCE FOR ME.
MY VERY FIRST FILM WAS
ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
AND I THINK, OVER THE COURSE
OF THE PRODUCTION, I WALKED
OVER IT 5 OR 10 TIMES,
MAYBE, IF THAT.
I NOW WALK OVER IT
15 OR 20 TIMES A MONTH,
AND WHAT'S GREAT IS
THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN A SHOT
THAT I SAY, "OH, I WISH
WE'D HAD THAT."
I THINK WE GOT IT,
BUT AT THE SAME TIME,
IT'S KIND OF MY DESSERT,
MY REWARD FOR HAVING TO
SPEND AS MUCH TIME IN THE CITY
AS TO WALK OVER THIS GREAT,
GREAT, GREAT WORK OF ART,
THIS OLD GOTHIC TOWERS
AND COMPRESSION
AND THIS WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL
MODERN STEEL IN TENSION
AND THE BEAUTIFUL KIND OF
SPIDER WEB OF THE CABLES.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE PLACE
JAMMED WITH TOURISTS.
EVERY TIME I WALK OVER,
IT'S A KIND OF BATTLE
BETWEEN YOUR ORDINARY MIND,
WHICH IS THINKING ABOUT
THIS PROBLEM AND THAT PROBLEM
AND WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO
AND WHAT YOU'RE GONNA EAT
AND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AND WHAT
JUST HAPPENED AND ALL
THAT SORT OF STUFF, BUT I
ALWAYS MANAGE AT SOME POINT
TO CLEAR EVERYTHING OUT
AND JUST SORT OF RECEIVE
THE BRIDGE, WHEREVER IT IS.
IT MIGHT BE THE APPROACH
TO THE NEW YORK TOWER;
IT MIGHT BE IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE BRIDGE, LOOKING AT MANHATTAN
OR BACK TO THE STATUE
OF LIBERTY; OR IT MIGHT BE
THE BROOKLYN TOWER, AND HOW
YOUNG WE WERE AND KIND OF
INVENTIVE ON HOW WE USED
CARS AND WHERE WE
FOUND OUR SHOTS, AND IT BRINGS
A LOT OF THAT BACK.
IT'S MY BRIDGE, AND I'LL TELL
YOU, I DON'T MEAN THAT
IN ANY KIND OF POSSESSIVE WAY,
BUT I'LL START TO CRY.
I MEAN, I WATCH
"SOPHIE'S CHOICE,"
WHICH IS A GREAT, GREAT MOVIE,
AND THERE'S A MOMENT
WHEN MERYL STREEP AND
KEVIN KLINE AND PETER MacNICOL...
THE 3 CHARACTERS,
PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS...
ARE ON THE BRIDGE LATE AT NIGHT
WITH ALL THE EXCITEMENT,
EXUBERANCE,
AND THEY'RE ALONE.
AND I SAW IT IN A MOVIE THEATER
IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
AND WEPT LIKE A BABY
'CAUSE I JUST THOUGHT,
"THEY GOT IT, TOO; THEY
UNDERSTAND WHAT I UNDERSTAND
ABOUT THIS MOST BEAUTIFUL
OF ALL BRIDGES IN THE WORLD."
♪
HAL HOLBROOK:
THEY SUSPECTED IT WAS A TRAP,
THAT THE STRANGERS WERE
IN LEAGUE WITH THEIR ENEMIES.
RELUCTANTLY, CAMEAHWAIT
AND A HANDFUL OF HIS PEOPLE
AGREED TO ACCOMPANY LEWIS BACK
TO JOIN CLARK AND THE OTHERS.
[NATIVE AMERICAN CHANTS]
I'D JUST E.Q. THOSE HOOVES
ON THE WIDE SHOT.
YEAH, THEY FEEL
TOO CLOSE TO US, RIGHT?
A LITTLE BIT, YEAH,
EXACTLY, AND ALSO MAYBE
A LITTLE BIT TOO HARD
FOR THE GROUND
THAT THEY'RE IN,
YOU KNOW.
MM-HMM.
TOO METALLIC OR TOO... LIKE
THEY'RE ON THIS HARD SURFACE.
I THINK WE JUST NEED
CLIPPETY-CLOP, CLIPPETY-CLOP.
MAN: YEAH, LET'S
GO AGAIN ON ONE?
MAN 2: YEAH.
KEN AND I WILL GO BACK TO IT.
HOW ABOUT THIS?
[IMITATING HOOF BEATS]
START IT OR WE JUST
FADE IT IN ON ONE?
SOUNDS HEAVY
ON THAT.
CAN YOU GET SOME
DIRT IN THERE?
YEAH.
THERE'S A CERTAIN LOOK.
DO WE HAVE A...
[IMITATES HORSE SNORT]
GET MORE OF A...[SNORTS]
THIS MAY BE OUR CHANCE.
HEH HEH!
KIND OF A...[SNORTS]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
THE FIRST EPISODE...
[LOUD RECORDING OF HORSE SNORT]
[ALL CHUCKLE]
♪
MAN, VOICE-OVER:
KEN BURNS IS IN WALPOLE
BECAUSE HE LOVES
THE TOWN OF WALPOLE.
IT'S AS SIMPLE
AS THAT, I THINK.
I MET HIM WHEN HE FIRST MOVED
TO NEW HAMPSHIRE IN...
I THINK IT WAS '79 OR SO,
AND ONE OF THE REASONS
THAT HE CAME HERE
WAS NOT BECAUSE HE WAS LOOKING
FOR SMALL-TOWN VALUES.
HE WAS LOOKING FOR A WAY THAT HE
COULD MAKE HIS FIRST FILM
AND NOT HAVE AS HIGH A COST
OF LIVING AS HE WOULD
IF HE DID WHAT MOST
YOUNG FILMMAKERS WOULD DO,
WHICH IS TO MOVE
TO NEW YORK CITY.
HE WOULD TELL ME
HIS GREAT FEAR
WAS THIS FILM THAT HE WANTED
TO MAKE ABOUT THE BUILDING
OF THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE ON
A SHOESTRING BUDGET...
THE NECESSITIES OF WHAT HE'D
HAVE TO DO IN FREELANCE WORK
AND OTHER THINGS, THAT HIS...
IMAGE WAS THERE'D BE
THESE CANS OF FILM UP ON THE...
REFRIGERATOR
THAT WERE STILL WAITING
TO HAVE MORE CANS ON IT
THAT WERE WAITING TO THEN
BE MADE INTO A FILM.
IN WALPOLE, HE COULD
LIVE MORE CHEAPLY,
AND WHAT HE FOUND WAS THAT HE
COULD LIVE MORE CHEAPLY,
HE COULD FINISH THAT FILM,
BUT IT WORKED ITS WAY
INTO HIS HEART AS WELL.
♪
DUNCAN, VOICE-OVER:
WE'RE BOTH SENTIMENTAL
ABOUT THIS PLACE THAT WE
CALL HOME AND WHERE
WE'VE RAISED OUR FAMILIES, AND
KEN, AFTER HIS GREAT SUCCESS,
YOU KNOW, COULD JUST
AS EASILY HAVE SAID,
"WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
"NOW THAT I DON'T HAVE TO
WORRY ABOUT THOSE CANS
"ON TOP OF MY REFRIGERATOR,
I'M GOING
TO NEW YORK CITY
OR LOS ANGELES,"
BUT HE HAS
STEADFASTLY WANTED
TO KEEP HIS ROOTS HERE.
OUR FILMS ARE
HOME-GROWN TOMATOES,
AND SO IT'S A FAMILY
IN THAT...
AN EXTENDED FAMILY
IN THAT RESPECT, TOO,
AND A COMMUNITY,
AND TO KEN'S GREAT CREDIT,
I THINK, HE HAS PLANTED HIMSELF
HERE AND TAKEN ROOT,
AND WE'RE ALL
THE BETTER FOR IT.
♪
ALEXANDER: I THINK
SMALL TOWNS HAVE AN ABILITY
TO RECHARGE ONE'S BATTERIES.
OFTEN, SMALL TOWNS
DON'T SEEM, AT LEAST,
TO BE AS COMPLEX
A PLACE AS, FOR EXAMPLE, A MUCH
BIGGER CITY WOULD BE, AND I
OFTEN THINK THE INTERACTIONS
ARE MUCH SIMPLER.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS
OFTEN IN A SMALL TOWN.
♪
BURNS: I MOVED TO WALPOLE,
TO WHERE I AM NOW,
IN THIRD WEEK OF AUGUST,
I THINK IT WAS,
OF 1979, SO WE'RE
COMING UP ON 40 YEARS.
AND WE HAD A BIG OLD
CHEVY VAN,
GREEN CHEVY VAN THAT WE USED
TO TRANSPORT THE FILM EQUIPMENT,
AND OF COURSE, DOUBLE DUTY
TO MOVE OUR MODEST "POSSESSIONS"
OUT OF THIS FIFTH-STORY WALK-UP
IN CHELSEA IN NEW YORK CITY
AND MOVE IT INTO THIS GIGANTIC,
TO US, HOUSE IN WALPOLE,
WHICH HAD MORE CLOSET SPACE...
LITERALLY MORE CLOSET SPACE...
THAN WE HAD FLOOR SPACE
IN NEW YORK CITY.
AND WE'D SORT OF UNLOADED,
IT WAS HOT,
THE END OF THE DAY WAS THERE...
IT WAS, LIKE, 7:00, 7:30...
SHADOWS WERE BEGINNING
TO LENGTHEN, AND I JUST DECIDED
TO TAKE A DRIVE,
AND I WENT DOWN NORTH ROAD
AND WHEN I GOT TO NORTH ROAD,
I TOOK A HARD RIGHT AT THE END
ON OLD DREWSVILLE ROAD.
I DON'T KNOW WHY.
I GUESS I'D NEVER BEEN DOWN
THERE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS
I ALWAYS SAY, AND I STILL
BELIEVE IT IS,
NEXT TO THE ROAD HOME, THE ROAD
I LIKE TO BE ON IS THE ONE
I'VE NEVER BEEN ON BEFORE,
SO I WAS GOING DOWN THIS ROAD
I'D NEVER BEEN ON,
AND AFTER ABOUT A MILE,
IT GOES FROM PAVED TO DIRT,
AND YOU KIND OF SLOW DOWN,
YOU EASE UP ON THE ACCELERATOR,
AND THEN, IN THE LATE EVENING
TWILIGHT, FOR SOME REASON,
I JUST STOPPED THE VAN,
AND THEN I LOOKED TO MY LEFT,
AND THERE WAS THIS
SOLITARY GRAVESTONE,
AND IT SAID, "THOMAS FLYNT
DANIEL TWITCHELL,
KILLED BY INDIANS, 1755."
AND IT JUST... THE HAIR ON
THE BACK OF MY NECK RAISED UP,
AND I DAR... MY HEAD, LIKE, LOOKED
TO THE RIGHT AGAIN, AND I
COULD HAVE SWORN THAT JUST OUT
OF MY PERIPHERAL VISION,
AN INDIAN BRAVE
HAD JUST DARTED AWAY.
AND I REALIZED
HOW RELATIVELY NEW IT WAS
THAT PEOPLE COULD BE...
WHITE SETTLEMENT
COULD BE CONTESTED IN 1755
AS THIS TOWN
WAS BEING FOUNDED,
OR AT LEAST EXPLORED, AND THAT
SEEMED LIKE AN INSTANT AGO
AND IT REMINDED ME WHY I LOVE
TO DEAL WITH HISTORY.
IT MADE THE PRESENT PAST,
AND THE PAST,
MOST IMPORTANT,
PRESENT IN THAT MOMENT.
IT JUST CAME ALIVE,
LOUD AND CLEAR.
EVERY TIME I HEAD OUT
NORTH OF HERE,
I LEAVE BY OLD DREWSVILLE ROAD
CONSCIOUSLY,
AND I'VE NEVER FAILED...
GOING AWAY OR COMING BACK...
TO JUST SLOW AND NOD
AND ACKNOWLEDGE
ITS EXISTENCE.
IT WAS A GREAT AWAKENING FOR ME,
A REAL PRESENT, A REAL GIFT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SOMETIMES
GIVEN GIFTS; YOU KNOW,
IT MAY BE
A SPECTACULAR SUNSET,
IT MAY BE JUST SEEING SOMETHING
EXTRAORDINARILY BEAUTIFUL
OR THE WAY THE LIGHT FALLS
OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE,
OR THERE... SOMETHING LIKE THAT
FOR ME, WHO WAS EMBARKING ON A
PROFESSIONAL LIFE THAT, AT THAT
POINT, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT
40-PLUS YEARS LATER, I WOULD
STILL BE DOING THE SAME THING.
♪
DUNCAN: I THINK,
AT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT
IN AMERICAN HISTORY,
THAT WE ARE LOSING
A SENSE OF COMMUNITY
IN THE LARGER SENSE THAT HAS
ALMOST NOTHING TO DO
WITH THE SIZE
OF THE COMMUNITY
THAT YOU LIVE IN.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS
AT PLAY: THE INTERNET,
THE POLITICAL CULTURE,
THE DECLINE
OF CERTAIN INSTITUTIONS,
WHETHER THAT'S THE CHURCH
OR CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS.
ALL OF THAT ARE HAVING
A HARMONIC CONVERGENCE,
I THINK,
RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT
THAT MAKES IT HARDER FOR US
TO THINK OF OURSELVES
OF "WHAT DO WE HAVE IN COMMON?
WHAT DO WE SHARE?"
VERSUS "LET ME
ILLUMINATE FOR YOU
ALL THE THINGS THAT I
DON'T LIKE ABOUT YOU."
AND WE YEARN FOR COMMUNITY,
AND THERE'S A LOT IN OUR WORLD,
PARTICULARLY TODAY,
THAT DOESN'T SELECT FOR THAT.
WE HAVE THIS THING CALLED
SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH ISN'T;
IT'S ASOCIAL MEDIA,
IT'S DRIVING US APART.
IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN IN A ROOM
WITH TWO TEENAGERS TEXTING
TO THEMSELVES ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE COUCH, YOU KNOW THAT'S
NOT SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT'S THE
EXACT OPPOSITE OF SOCIAL MEDIA.
BUT THE WAY IT BREEDS DIVISION,
THE WAY IT RETURNS US
OUT OF THE CIVILIZED STATE
THAT OUR FOUNDERS
AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME
BEFORE US HAVE DELIVERED US TO
AND BACK INTO SOME TRIBAL
CONFIGURATIONS, THAT'S SOMETHING
WE GOT TO REALLY, REALLY WORK
ON, BUT AT THE SAME TIME,
I THINK THE IMPULSE FOR PEOPLE
IS TO BE TOGETHER.
IT'S A SAD THING THAT WE'VE LOST
CIVICS IN OUR TEACHING; NOT JUST
HISTORY, WHICH HAS TURNED INTO
SOCIAL STUDIES, WHICH TURNED
INTO NOTHING, BUT CIVICS,
AND IT'S A DIRTY WORD NOW.
I ADMIT IT. NOBODY... I MEAN,
IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW,
YOU SAY, "COME AND CAN TAKE
YOUR CIVICS," YOU KNOW,
"YOU CAN HOLD YOUR NOSE,
YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE OK."
BUT IT'S NOT 100 SENATORS
AND 435 REPRESENTATIVES.
IT'S HOW YOU GET THINGS DONE
WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
WE NEED TO BE REMINDED
OF OUR STORIES
BECAUSE WE'RE IN PERHAPS
THE GREATEST EXISTENTIAL THREAT
WE'VE EVER HAD SINCE THE GREAT
DEPRESSION AND THE CIVIL WAR.
SO WE ARE GOING TO BE
THE AUTHORS OF OUR OWN DEMISE.
IN FACT, THERE'S AN AMAZING
QUOTE BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN
THAT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES
IN THE WHOLE, WIDE WORLD,
AND IT ENDS THE INTRODUCTION
OF "THE CIVIL WAR" SERIES.
HE WAS A YOUNG MAN, HE HADN'T
EVEN TURNED 29, IT WAS IN 1838.
HE WAS ADDRESSING A GROUP
OF, YOU KNOW, FELLOW SORT OF
MIDDLE-CLASS FOLKS
IN... IN SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS...
THE YOUNG MEN'S LYCEUM...
AND THE TOPIC THAT DAY WAS...
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
AND THAT SORT OF THING.
HE SAID, "WHEN SHALL WE EXPECT
THE APPROACH OF DANGER?
"SHALL SOME
TRANSATLANTIC GIANT
STEP THE EARTH
AND CRUSH US AT A BLOW?"
THEN HE ANSWERED
HIS OWN QUESTION: "NEVER.
"ALL THE ARMIES OF EUROPE, ASIA,
AND AFRICA COULD NOT, BY FORCE,
"TAKE A DRINK FROM
THE OHIO RIVER OR MAKE A TRAIL
"IN THE BLUE RIDGE IN THE TRIAL
OF A THOUSAND YEARS.
"IF DESTRUCTION BE OUR LOT,
WE MUST OURSELVES BE
"ITS AUTHOR AND FINISHER.
AS A NATION OF FREE MEN,
WE WILL LIVE THROUGH ALL TIME
OR DIE BY SUICIDE."
[VOICE TREMBLES]
I MEAN, IT'S AMAZING.
AND HE WOULD GO ON, OF COURSE,
TO PRESIDE OVER THE CLOSEST
WE'VE COME TO NATIONAL SUICIDE...
THE CIVIL WAR... BUT IT'S KIND OF,
IN SOME WAYS, OPTIMISTIC,
YOU KNOW, THAT THESE TWO OCEANS
ARE GOING TO PROTECT US,
SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE
SOME FOREIGN THREATS;
WHAT WE HAVE IS OUR OWN THREAT,
AND IF YOU DON'T GET THAT...
THAT US, INDIVIDUALLY,
WE'RE OUR OWN WORST ENEMIES,
AND COLLECTIVELY WE ARE...
THEN YOU MISS THE KIND
OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE NEED
TO SORT OF REALIZE TODAY
AND SEIZE THE BULL BY THE HORNS:
"HEY, LOOK, YOU KNOW WHAT?
I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK."
"I DON'T WANT THE TRIBALISM.
I LIKE THE IDEA
"THAT WE'RE CIVILIZED,
I LIKE THE IDEA THAT,
WITH ALL THESE IMMIGRANT GROUPS,
WE'RE STRONGER ALLOY."
YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL METALS,
YEP, STRONG, BUT NOTHING'S
LIKE AN ALLOY IN PUTTING STUFF
TOGETHER AND HAVING THAT
TENSILE STRENGTH
THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE,
AND THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF US.
WOMAN: IT'S PRESSURE.
ANYONE YOU KNOW, ANYONE IN THIS
BUSINESS, THERE'S PRESSURE,
BUT IT'S NOT AS HIGH-STRESS
OUT HERE AS NEW YORK AND L.A.
AND PLACES LIKE THAT, SO...
MAN: SO YOU LIKE WALPOLE?
IS THIS...
HAD YOU BEEN TO WALPOLE
BEFORE THIS PROJECT,
YOU CAME UP TO WORK ON THIS?
WOMAN: WELL, I WENT
TO SCHOOL AT KING STATE,
WHICH IS ONLY 20 MINUTES AWAY,
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M
FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA.
AND THEN WE SHOT
A STUDENT FILM IN WALPOLE,
AND WALPOLE JUST LOVES
THE FILM PEOPLE.
I MEAN, THEY WERE REALLY
VERY EXCITED WHEN WE CAME IN
TO DO OUR LITTLE STUDENT FILM,
AND WORKING HERE, YOU KNOW,
YOU GO INTO THE TOWN AND YOU
MAIL THINGS AND YOU HAVE LUNCH
AND YOU MEET PEOPLE,
AND THEY ALL KNOW AN OUTSIDER,
SO THEY'LL SAY, "OH, ARE YOU
WORKING OVER AT KEN'S PLACE?"
AND YOU'LL SAY, "YEAH"
AND THEY'LL ASK YOU ABOUT IT,
YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE JUST
VERY WARM AND... AND EXCITED
ABOUT IT AND I THINK THEY TAKE
A LOT OF PRIDE IN THE FACT THAT
KEN'S HERE AND HE HAS BROUGHT,
YOU KNOW, HIS COMPANY HERE AND...
[DISTORTED VOICES PLAYING
AT HIGH SPEED]
[TRUMPET PLAYING
A LIVELY JAZZ TUNE]
♪
[TRUMPET FADES]
BURNS: THE PEOPLE OF WALPOLE
ARE BOTH A COLLECTIVE THING,
THIS KIND OF PARENT,
THIS KIND OF GUARDIAN ANGEL
FOR ME, WHO IS AN ORPHAN,
AND... AND ALSO INDIVIDUALS
AND A VARIETY OF INDIVIDUALS
OVER TOWN, AND SO I CAN
WALK AROUND THE TOWN GREEN,
AND REMEMBER WHO LIVED
IN THE HOUSE BEFORE THEM
AND WHO WAS THERE BEFORE THEM.
AND NOW I'M AN OLD GUY IN
WALPOLE AND THERE'S LOTS OF KIDS
RUNNING AROUND AND MAKING A LOT
OF NOISE, AND THAT ALWAYS FEELS
GREAT, AND HOUSES GET BUILT AND
OTHER HOUSES GET IMPROVED UPON.
IT'S A LIVING,
BREATHING ORGANISM,
AND I THINK MANY OF US DON'T
HAVE THE TIME OR THE LUXURY,
AND THEREFORE I COUNT IT AS ONE
OF THE GREAT BLESSINGS
OF MY LIFE THAT I DO,
TO SORT OF FEEL...
I FEEL THIS ABOUT MY COUNTRY
IN A LONGER AND LONGER SENSE,
BUT I FEEL IT ABOUT WALPOLE,
THAT IT'S AN ENTITY,
THAT IT'S AN ORGANISM,
THAT IT BREATHES,
AND I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE
CONNECTED TO IT.
PAULA BURDICK: THERE'S
THE NORTH POLE, THE SOUTH POLE,
AND WALPOLE, THE EPICENTER
OF THE WORLD.
IN MANY WAYS, THE PEOPLE
WHO LIVE HERE IN WALPOLE,
THEY WANT IT TO BE
A BEST-KEPT SECRET, OK,
AND THERE'S A TRADITION THAT
MANY PEOPLE TRAVEL TO WALPOLE
BY TAKING A TURN AT THE
BLINKING LIGHT ON SOUTH STREET.
THE PEOPLE AT WALPOLE,
THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY DECIDED
THEY DON'T WANT A SIGN
THAT INDICATES HOW TO GET
TO THIS SWEET VILLAGE, OK?
AND SO THAT TELLS YOU
THAT THE PEOPLE
THAT LIVE HERE LOVE IT,
THEY DON'T WANT A LOT
OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT,
AND WE'VE TRIED TO KEEP
THE VILLAGE WHERE WE ARE
AND THE RESTAURANT
IS LOCATED AS PRISTINE
AND GENUINE AS POSSIBLE, AND I
THINK WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED THAT.
THE ONE THING THAT A TOWN
LIKE WALPOLE CAN TEACH
THE REST OF AMERICA IS
THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT.
MAN: I THINK
ANY VISITOR TO WALPOLE
WILL APPRECIATE WALPOLE
FOR ITS AUTHENTICITY.
IT DOESN'T LIE.
IT IS WHAT IT IS.
WOMAN: THERE'S A SAYING
THAT HOME ISN'T A PLACE,
IT'S A FEELING,
AND DEFINITELY
WALPOLE IS A FEELING
OF COMMUNITY,
OF CONNECTEDNESS, OF BEING ABLE
TO PURSUE YOUR LIFE
IN A BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDING,
AND THEN ALSO GET OUT
OF THE SPED-UP PART OF OUR LIVES
THAT SO MANY OF US
MAY GET CONSUMED BY,
AND SO WALPOLE IS JUST
A WONDERFUL PLACE
TO CALL HOME.
♪
VICKI GOHL: WALPOLE IS
VERY PROUD OF KEN BURNS,
AND KEN IS GROUNDED
BY THIS TOWN.
MAN: KEN KIND OF GREW WITH THE
TOWN, OR THE TOWN GREW WITH KEN.
WHEN KEN FIRST CAME HERE,
HE WASN'T A CELEBRITY.
HE WAS STRUGGLING, AND IT'S
BEEN FUN TO WATCH HIM GROW.
BUT IF YOU TAKE WALPOLE OUT
OF KEN, I THINK IT CHANGES KEN.
A LOT OF HIS IDENTITY AND HIS...
I THINK HE WOULD SAY
HIS SERENITY COMES
FROM, YOU KNOW, THE LOCAL LIFE
AND THAT LOCAL CONNECTION.
I WON'T CALL HIM AN ORDINARY
CITIZEN BECAUSE HE IS NOT,
BUT HE DOES INVOLVE HIMSELF
IN THINGS AND CONTRIBUTES,
AND I THINK IT'S WONDERFUL.
THE FACT THAT HE IS
UNPRETENTIOUS
AND COMFORTABLE
IN HIS OWN SKIN.
AND I FIND HIM
AN INCREDIBLE FORCE IN THE WORLD
AND ESPECIALLY ONE
THAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW.
AND HE IS, OFTEN MORE
THAN THE TOWN KNOWS,
AN INVISIBLE BENEFACTOR,
SOMEBODY WHO PROTECTS IT
AND SUPPORTS IT IN MANY,
MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
WOMAN: KEN BURNS IS
IMPORTANT TO WALPOLE
BECAUSE HE HELPS US REMEMBER
TO REMEMBER OUR HISTORY.
HOUGHTON: HE'S HUMBLE AND KIND,
AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE
HAS GAINED CELEBRITY,
HE IS STILL THE SAME KEN BURNS
THAT CAME TO TOWN
40 YEARS AGO.
WYCKOFF: KEN BEING KEN BURNS
MAYBE MEANS SOMETHING DIFFERENT
TO EVERYONE THAT YOU ASK;
I THINK THE REST OF THE WORLD
SEES A SIDE OF KEN BURNS...
THE FAMOUS FILMMAKER,
THE WONDERFUL DOCUMENTARIAN...
AND WHAT WE SEE HERE
IN WALPOLE IS A FRIEND.
BURNS, VOICE-OVER:
I AM SHAPED ENTIRELY BY WALPOLE.
IT HAS PROTECTED ME.
THERE'S NOTHING I'VE DONE
TO WALPOLE, NOTHING.
I'VE TRIED TO KEEP
A LIGHT FOOTPRINT HERE,
AND I'VE TRIED TO BE GOOD
TO THE COMMUNITY AND NOT STICK
MY NECK OUT
OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT,
AND THE MORE IMPORTANT THING IS
THERE'S SOME GUY WHO COMES UP
AT 3:00 IN THE MORNING
IN THE MIDDLE OF A SNOWSTORM
AND PLOWS MY DRIVEWAY,
AND SOMEBODY ELSE WILL COME
AT 3:00 IN THE MORNING
WHEN MY PIPES ARE FROZEN,
WHEN I FIRST MOVED IN HERE
AND NOBODY KNEW ME FROM ADAM
AND THAW THOSE PIPES OUT
AND FIX THE LEAK.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN MY DAUGHTER
HAD AN EMERGENCY,
THE E.M.T. GUYS WERE HERE
IN 6 MINUTES
AND THEY WERE ON IT.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE STUFF
THAT MATTERS:
THAT I CAN GET
A GOOD MEAL IN TOWN,
THAT PEOPLE WILL SAY HELLO
TO ONE ANOTHER AND THAT IT ISN'T
JUST WHEN YOU'RE WALKING IN
TOWN, BUT WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING.
WHEN I WALK, MY ARM IS GOING
UP AND DOWN, FLAPPING,
YOU KNOW, AT EVERY CAR
THAT PASSES, AND...
I DON'T KNOW MOST OF THEM, BUT I
WANT TO SAY WE'RE NEIGHBORS.
AFTER A WHILE, IF YOU'RE
A FAMOUS PERSON IN A SMALL TOWN,
AFTER A WHILE,
NOBODY GIVES A DAMN
THAT YOU'RE A FAMOUS PERSON
IN A SMALL TOWN.
WHAT YOU REALLY NEED IS,
"WHERE ARE YOU GONNA GET
THE GOOD COFFEE?
"WHO'S GONNA BE YOUR PLUMBER?
WHO'S GONNA BE YOUR ELECTRICIAN?
I NEED A GOOD WOODWORKER. WHO'S
GONNA BE THE DOCTOR FOR ME?"
THESE PEOPLE ARE THE MOST
IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THAT TOWN.
YOU CAN GO BACK
AS THE BIG CELEB,
BUT AFTER THAT WEARS OFF,
NOBODY CARES.
♪
WOMAN: I DEFINITELY THINK
WALPOLE MAKES KEN WHO HE IS.
I MEAN, HE COMES HERE
TO BE HIMSELF.
I THINK WALPOLE IS
HIS PLACE TO BE OFF-CAMERA,
HIS PLACE TO BE HIMSELF,
HIS PLACE TO BE KEN,
WHO RELAXES IN THE CHAIR
ON THE FRONT PORCH
AND PEOPLE RIDE THEIR BICYCLES
BY AND WAVE, AND THAT'S KEN.
WHATEVER IT IS, NOBODY HERE IS
EXPECTING HIM TO DO ANYTHING.
EVERYBODY HERE ALLOWS HIM
TO BE WHO HE IS.
MAN: HIS ABILITY TO TREAT
EVERYONE THE SAME,
THAT EVERYONE HE'S SPEAKING TO
HAS HIS ATTENTION,
WHETHER IT'S THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES
OR SOMEONE OPERATING
AN ELEVATOR.
EVERYONE IS SPECIAL,
EVERYONE'S STORY COUNTS,
AND THAT MAKES HIM
AN EXTRAORDINARY GUY, AND I
THINK THAT'S THE LESSON THAT
COMES FROM A KEN BURNS FILM,
IS THAT WE ALL STEP BACK
AND WE LISTEN TO THE STORIES.
AND OFTEN, IN OUR LIVES,
WE DON'T LISTEN ENOUGH, AND YET,
DURING THAT TWO HOURS
OR THAT 18 HOURS,
WE'RE LISTENING TO THE STORIES
OF ORDINARY PEOPLE WHO ARE
LIKE OURSELVES... AS KEN SAYS,
THEY'RE PEOPLE WE WOULD LIKE
TO HAVE OVER FOR THANKSGIVING
DINNER... BUT WE REALIZE
WHEN WE'RE LISTENING TO THEIR
STORIES THAT THEY'RE NOT
ORDINARY AT ALL,
THEY'RE EXTRAORDINARY, AND BY
ASSOCIATING WITH THESE
EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE,
WE FEEL EXTRAORDINARY
OURSELVES.
♪
BURNS:
COME HERE. LET'S GO.
♪
HEY, BABY,
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
ARE YOU UP?
GIRL ON PHONE: YES.
OK, JUST WANTED TO WISH YOU
HAVE A GREAT DAY AT SCHOOL,
AND I'LL TALK TO YOU AT THE END.
HAVE YOU EATEN ALREADY?
NO, I'M ABOUT TO EAT.
OK.
I LOVE YOU, SWEET GIRL.
HAVE A GREAT DAY.
IT'S RIGHT
IN FRONT OF ME.
OK, WELL, IF IT'S
IN FRONT OF YOU, EAT IT.
MY HANDS ARE FALLING OFF
'CAUSE IT'S SO COLD.
I'M WALKING CHESTER
INTO TOWN SO... OH.
NICE. COULD I HAVE
THAT PIECE OF TOAST?
ARHH! OOPS, I ATE
YOUR BREAKFAST.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
OK, LOVE.
I SEE YOU. I LOVE YOU.
HAVE A GOOD DAY.
ALL RIGHT.
OK. BYE.
BURNS:
I AM RICH IN DAUGHTERS.
I HAVE 4 DAUGHTERS: SARAH,
LILY, OLIVIA, AND WILLA.
S-L-O-W: THE OPPOSITE
OF MY LIFE.
THEY ARE MY LIFE.
I LOVE THEM MORE THAN I COULD
POSSIBLY EXPLAIN.
EACH ONE OF THEM...
I THINK MY OLDEST DAUGHTER IS
ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY
PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET, PERIOD,
AND I'VE MET LOTS AND LOTS
OF PRESIDENTS, I'VE MET
THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND, I'VE MET
NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS
AND PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS,
AND SHE'S THE BEE'S KNEES.
AND MY SECOND DAUGHTER, LILY,
I'M AS CLOSE TO HER
AS ANYBODY
THAT I KNOW IN THE UNIVERSE.
AND I'VE GOT THESE TWO LITTLE,
DEVELOPING HUMAN BEINGS:
OLIVIA,
WHO IS JUST...
HAS SO MUCH PROMISE;
AND WILLA, WHO IS
MY LOVE CHILD, THIS ENERGY.
I MEAN, THEY FINALLY
GOT AROUND TO GETTING IT
AND THEY NAMED
A HURRICANE AFTER WILLA,
AND IT'S, LIKE, BATTERING
OUTSIDE THE WINDOWS RIGHT NOW
AND WE GO,
"YEP, THAT'S HER."
♪
BURNS: SO THIS IS
A MYTHIC HOME FOR ME.
I DON'T THINK I WOULD BE
WHO I AM WITHOUT IT.
YOU KNOW PEOPLE COME HERE
AND, TO A PERSON, THEY GO,
"WHAT DO PEOPLE DO
HERE," YOU KNOW?
AND I GO,
"EVERYTHING THEY DO
IN NEW YORK,
PLUS FARMING."
ALEXANDER, VOICE-OVER:
THE IDEA THAT A PLACE
IS PART OF WHO YOU ARE
HAS BECOME
A RARE SENTIMENT
IN THE 21st CENTURY.
I THINK WE ARE VERY DIVIDED
ON A NUMBER OF LINES.
A BIG CHASM UNDERLYING
THOSE DIVISIONS
IS A LACK OF
A SENSE OF PLACE.
THIS IS TRUE
ALL OVER THE WORLD.
OTHER NATIONS HAVE
SMALL TOWNS, TOO:
RURAL PLACES,
AGRARIAN PLACES,
LITTLE VILLAGES.
WHEN THAT ALL GOES AWAY,
A LOT OF WHAT WE ARE AND WERE
AS A COUNTRY ALSO GOES AWAY.
WE DO, ALL OF US,
SEEK A PLACE OF REPAIR.
WE DO LOOK FOR
THOSE PLACES AND MOMENTS
THAT PERMIT US
TO THROTTLE BACK ON LIFE,
TO BE ABLE TO SEE
THESE KIND OF DEEP QUESTIONS
IN A LESS URGENT
OR A LESS ANXIOUS WAY,
AND I FIND,
FOR ME, WALPOLE IS
PART OF THAT.
THERE'S A KIND OF BREATHING
THAT HAPPENS HERE...
NOT JUST PERSONALLY
AND INTIMATELY, BUT KIND OF
PROFESSIONALLY, AS WELL...
THAT I THINK PERMITS ME
TO DO MY BEST WORK AND,
I HOPE, BE MY BEST SELF,
BUT OTHER PEOPLE WILL HAVE
TO BE THE JUDGE OF THAT.
YOU CAN GO OUT INTO THE WORLD
AND YOU CAN DO YOUR STRUGGLES.
WHEN YOU COME BACK
TO THAT SMALL TOWN, I THINK
A LOT OF THAT PRESSURE
LEAVES YOU
AND HELPS YOU
RECHARGE YOURSELF.
BELLINI: IN THE QUIET
MOMENTS, WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT STUFF, YOU THINK
ABOUT, LIKE, THIS...
BURNS: YEAH.
WHAT'S HAPPENING INSIDE YOU?
WHEN YOU PLACE
YOURSELF IN NATURE,
IF YOU PUT YOURSELF
IN FRONT OF THIS,
WHICH IS WHAT
EMILY DICKINSON CALLS
"SUNRISES AND SUNSETS,
THE FAR THEATRICALS
OF DAY," WHICH...
I JUST LOVE THAT...
IF YOU PUT YOURSELF
IN THIS, YOU ARE
IMMEDIATELY REMINDED
OF YOUR OWN
INSIGNIFICANCE.
LIVING CLOSER
RELATIONSHIP TO NATURE,
THAT PERMITS YOU
TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP
WITH SOMETHING BIGGER
THAN YOURSELF.
OLIVIA: WILL WE GO
DOWN TO THE DOCK?
WELL, ACTUALLY,
THE DOCK'S BACK THERE.
WE'RE JUST GONNA GO
AND LOOK FOR A PLACE TO FILM.
YOU SEE, A GOOD PLACE
WHERE WE CAN SEE THE MOUNTAINS.
THIS IS A VERY GOOD...
THIS IS A REALLY GOOD PLACE,
AND OLIVIA IS GONNA
HOLD THE SLATE.
NOW YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT...
BUDDY HAS TO SEE YOUR FACE.
OTHERWISE WE CAN'T GET
STARTED, AND JUST HOLD IT.
CAN YOU CLICK IT
FOR ME, OLIVIA?
JUST TO... DON'T MOVE.
HE'S GONNA...
OK, LOOK BACK AT BUD.
BURNS, VOICE-OVER: I THINK
WE'RE ALWAYS FOND OF SAYING
THAT HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF...
IT DOES NOT...
OR "WE'RE CONDEMNED TO REPEAT
WHAT WE DON'T REMEMBER,"
A WONDERFUL PHRASE;
IMPORTANT TO AT LEAST
THINK ABOUT THAT,
BUT IT'S NOT TRUE.
EVERYTHING'S NEW,
EVERYTHING'S NEW, BUT
WE DO PERCEIVE PATTERNS,
WE DO PERCEIVE REPETITIONS,
WE DO PERCEIVE MOTIFS,
AND THOSE ARE NOT EVENTS,
THOSE ARE HUMAN BEINGS
REMAINING THE SAME.
ECCLESIASTES SAYS,
"WHAT HAS BEEN WILL BE AGAIN,
"WHAT HAS BEEN DONE
WILL BE DONE AGAIN.
THERE'S NOTHING NEW
UNDER THE SUN."
AND THEN WE SEE
THESE REPETITIONS, AND I LIKE
WHAT TWAIN SAID: "IT DOESN'T
REPEAT ITSELF, BUT IT RHYMES."
EVERY TIME WE FINISH A FILM,
WE NEVER SPEND A SECOND
DURING THE FILM WORRIED ABOUT
THE RHYME, AND THEN WE LIFT UP
AND GO, "WOW, ISN'T THAT
SO MUCH LIKE TODAY?"
AND IT ALWAYS IS, BUT I CAN
DO THAT OF ANY FILM.
IT ISN'T JUST "VIETNAM" WITH
THE TOPICALITY OF THE PROTESTS,
AND "THE PRESIDENTS"
AND IN "THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE."
IT'S IN "THE SHAKERS"
AND IT'S IN "THE ROOSEVELTS,"
IT'S IN "PROHIBITION,"
IT'S IN EVERY FILM WE'VE DONE.
IF YOU DO THE STORY WELL,
CONSCIENTIOUSLY, AUTHENTICALLY,
HONORABLY, THEN IT'S GOT
TO SPEAK TO THE PRESENT
'CAUSE HOW CAN... I MEAN, FAULKNER
SAID MUCH BETTER THAN ME
AND MUCH... HEH! QUICKER THAN ME:
"HISTORY IS NOT WAS, BUT IS."
MAN: OR THE RIGHTEOUSNESS
OF WHAT HE SAYS.
HE IS THE HAPPY WARRIOR
ON THE POLITICAL BATTLEFIELD...
ALFRED E. SMITH!
THAT'S TERRIFIC,
TERRIFIC, TERRIFIC.
VERY, VERY NICE.
AND FOR THE FIRST PART,
WE'RE NOT OUT THERE.
WE'RE NOT PROJECTING, YOU KNOW.
YEAH.
WE'RE NOT SORT OF DOING THAT.
IT STILL HAS THAT...
YES, OK.
INTERIOR, DIARY/LETTER QUALITY.
AS HE GETS
VERY OLDER, YOU KNOW,
AND HE'S LOST HIS SON, I
THINK THERE WILL BE WEARY...
QUALITY OF WHAT...
HIS LIFE CHANGES.
WILL CHANGE, AND YOU'LL
JUST GO INTO THAT
AND WE'LL EITHER QUIET IT
OR LOOSE IT OR...
VOICE OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
PAUL GIAMATTI.
THIS IS VOICE 1.01, TAKE ONE.
FROM THAT TIME,
FOR THE NEXT 7 GENERATIONS,
FROM FATHER TO SON,
EVERY ONE OF US WAS BORN
ON MANHATTAN ISLAND.
- THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
BURNS: SO WE'RE GONNA START
WITH A LITTLE SOUTHERN
AND KIND OF A LITTLE
EUGENE SLEDGE.
I DON'T HAVE HIS MIC
ON YET, SO...
AND THEN WE'LL MOVE BACK
TO SOME STRAIGHT STUFF
THAT WE WANTED TO HAVE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
HAPPILY.
THINGS GOING WELL?
YEAH, GOOD.
GOOD.
IT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL,
WILD YEAR, SO...
GOOD.
YEAH.
THIS IS VOICE 1.34,
TAKE ONE.
DEAR MR. PRESIDENT,
A FEW MINUTES BEFORE MIDNIGHT
ON MONDAY, AUGUST 13...
DEAR MR. PRESIDENT,
IT ALMOST SEEMED
THE OTHER NIGHT,
SITTING IN MY EASY CHAIR
IN THE LIBRARY...
I'M GOING TO BE
ON TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES
COMING UP SOON, AND IN IT,
I HAVE THINGS TO DO.
AND IT SAID, "MONEY COMING,
RESIDUALS ARRIVING."
AND I GOT ALL EXCITED
AND I RAN TO THE THING
AND I OPENED IT, AND I
COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.
I LOOKED DOWN.
IT WAS FOR TWO CENTS.
[LAUGHTER]
TWO [BLEEP] CENTS.
[LAUGHTER]
BURNS: YEAH, I REMEMBER
THE FIRST DAY OF FILM SCHOOL.
WE HAD A BIG, HUGE ARGUMENT, AND
IT WAS, LIKE, NOT FROM SCHOOL,
LIKE, A FILM CLASS
AT HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE.
IT'S SEPTEMBER OF 1971,
AND I VERY NAIVELY SAID,
"OH, YEAH, FILM'S GONNA MAKE YOU
DO SOMETHING," BUT IT WAS
GENERALLY ACCEPTED AT THE END
OF THE DISCUSSION
THAT I WAS NAIVE,
THAT, IN FACT,
FILMS DIDN'T DO ANYTHING,
THEY PREACHED TO THE CONVERTED,
AND THEY JUST, YOU KNOW,
REINFORCED WHAT YOU BELIEVED IN
OR REINFORCED WHAT YOU DIDN'T
BELIEVE IN, BUT THEY DIDN'T
MAKE YOU REALLY DO ANYTHING THAT
YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ALREADY DONE.
SO IT WAS GENERALLY ASSUMED
THAT I WAS WRONG AND NAIVE,
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN
MY FIRST FILM WAS BROADCAST
ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE,
THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE, YOU KNOW,
AROUND THE TIME OF
THE BROADCAST, TURNED 100...
MAY 24, 1983.
AND THERE WAS A FRONT-PAGE
ARTICLE, AND IT SHOWED
A COUPLE AND THEIR KIDS WALKING
ACROSS THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE.
THEY WERE FROM IDAHO,
AND THEY SAID THAT THEY'D SEEN
A DOCUMENTARY ON THE BROOKLYN
BRIDGE ON PUBLIC TELEVISION
AND DECIDED THEY'D ALWAYS
WANTED TO GO TO NEW YORK
AND DECIDED TO TAKE THEIR KIDS
AND TELL THEM HOW IT WAS BUILT.
AND I JUST... I CUT OUT THAT THING
AND I JUST SAID
TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE,
"I WAS RIGHT. YOU CAN."
THAT'S WHERE THE EMOTIONAL
ARCHEOLOGY COMES IN.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY
MOVE PEOPLE.
WE HAD ATTENDANCE
AT THE NATIONAL PARKS
SKYROCKETING
AFTER WORLD WAR II,
AND EVERYBODY WAS PUTTING
PEOPLE AND THE KIDS
IN THE STATION WAGON,
OR LATER THE MINIVAN, AND MAKING
THAT ICONIC 6-WEEK TRIP,
BUT AS WE GOT BUSIER AND BUSIER,
AS THE INTERNET INTRUDED
IN OUR LIVES, AND, YOU KNOW,
THAT KIND OF LEVELED OFF
IN THE NINETIES,
TOWARDS THE LATE NINETIES, AND
BEGAN TO EVEN DIP A LITTLE BIT
IN THE MID-AUGHTS,
AND OUR SERIES CAME OUT TOO LATE
FOR THE SUMMER SEASON OF '09
AND SEPTEMBER OF '09,
BUT THE NEXT YEAR,
THE ATTENDANCE WENT UP
15 MILLION PEOPLE,
AND THE SECRETARY
OF THE INTERIOR CALLED ME UP
AND HE SAID,
"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT."
I JUST WENT, "YAY," YOU KNOW.
THAT MEANT...
THAT WAS MORE THAN A THIRD
OF OUR AUDIENCE, THE FIRST TIME
IT WAS SHOWN,
GOT UP OFF THEIR DUFFS
AND WENT OUT
AND DID SOMETHING.
LOTS OF PEOPLE, AFTER OUR
"NATIONAL PARKS" FILM CAME OUT,
DECIDED, "WE NEED TO GET
OUR FAMILY IN THE CAR
OR ON AN AIRPLANE AND GO SEE
THESE THINGS OURSELVES."
AND WE HEAR ALL THE TIME
FROM PEOPLE WHO DID THAT
OR FROM PARK SERVICE PEOPLE
THAT SAY THAT PEOPLE ARE SHOWING
UP, AND ONE OF THE THINGS
THEY'RE MENTIONING
IS OUR FILM.
HEH! I MEAN, UH...
THAT'S WHAT YOU
DO IT FOR, RIGHT?
WE CARE ABOUT THE...
THIS IS... THIS IS
HONEYSUCKLE,
WHICH PUTS... I THINK,
OR A VARIATION...
PUTS US IN BEAR FOOD.
YEAH.
OH, THAT'S NICE.
LOOK AT THAT.
LOOK STRAIGHT UP.
I JUST LOVE THESE...
CASCADE.
FEELING IT RIGHT NOW.
IT'S VERY NICE.
[WATER SLOSHING]
♪
OH, YEAH.
LET'S CLIMB UP THERE, BUD.
I WOULD DO IT.
DUNCAN, VOICE-OVER:
BOY, MY FRIENDSHIP WITH HIM
HAS NOW GONE ON
FOR MANY YEARS
AND TAKEN US
TO WONDERFUL PLACES
AND MAKING FILMS THAT WE WERE
BOTH PASSIONATE ABOUT,
AND IT'S BROUGHT US BACK HERE
TO THIS ROOM SO MANY TIMES
WHEN WE WORKED TOGETHER TO TRY
TO DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN
TO TELL THE STORY THAT WE'VE
GONE OUT AND DISCOVERED.
HE LOVES TO TAKE ON A TOPIC AND
LEARN EVERYTHING HE CAN ABOUT IT
AND HE LOVES THEN THE PROCESS
OF REFINING WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED
TO TRY TO TELL A STORY,
AND TO TRY TO TELL A STORY
THAT WILL BE ACCURATE,
BE COMPELLING,
MAY INCLUDE THE...
WHAT HE CALLS
EMOTIONAL ARCHEOLOGY
TO REMIND US THAT ALL THE PEOPLE
IN HISTORY THAT WE LEARN ABOUT
WERE NOT CARDBOARD FIGURES,
THEY WERE REAL HUMAN BEINGS.
DAYTON DUNCAN IS,
YOU KNOW...
I MEAN, WE'RE BROTHERS,
YOU KNOW, SO COMPLETELY
WEDDED TOGETHER.
WE COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER,
WE'RE FIERCELY DEVOTED
TO WHAT WE KNOW AND WE FEEL,
AND WE ALSO HAVE A DEEP RESPECT,
WHEN THAT THING THAT WE FEEL
ISN'T EXACTLY WHAT
THE OTHER FEELS, TO PERMIT
THE OTHER TO HAVE THAT FEELING
AND REALIZE THAT THE OTHER
MIGHT BE RIGHT IN THE END.
AND SO WE... IT'S JUST BEEN
THIS EXTRAORDINARY PARTNERSHIP
ALMOST FROM THE FIRST TIME
I MET HIM.
WE DIDN'T START WORKING
FOR ANOTHER 10 YEARS TOGETHER,
BUT WHEN WE DID START WORKING,
WE HAVEN'T STOPPED.
AND AS HE'S CONTEMPLATING
RETIREMENT, I'M SORT OF, LIKE,
SAYING, "OK, WELL, HOLD THIS,"
AND HE GOES, "WELL, I'M GONNA
REALLY RETIRE,"
I SAY, "OK, HOLD THIS.
I STILL HAVE HIM INVOLVED, AND I
HOPE TO KEEP HIM SOMEHOW TRICKED
AND, LIKE, "LOOK OVER THERE,
OK, NOW YOU'RE WRITING THIS.
"OK, LOOK OVER THERE.
OK, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PRODUCE.
NO, NO, NO, BUT THIS
REALLY NEEDS YOUR HELP."
THAT HE AND I BOTH BELIEVE
THAT THE WORK YOU DO,
IF YOU LOVE IT
AND YOU THINK
IT HAS A PURPOSE,
THEN THAT IS...
THAT IS WHERE YOUR DESTINY,
IF YOU'RE LUCKY,
ULTIMATELY LEADS YOU.
BURNS: I THINK A LOT OF US
THINK THAT HAPPINESS IS
THIS GOD-GIVEN RIGHT,
WE SHOULD BE HAPPY AND CHEERFUL,
AND THAT, CLEARLY, ONE OF
THE EASY WAYS IS MATERIAL STUFF.
THAT'S NOT IT, AND WE FIND
THAT THE RICHER IS SADDER,
SADDER THAN MOST PEOPLE,
THAT THE POOREST GIVE AWAY MORE
OF THEIR DISPOSABLE...
IF THAT'S EVEN A WORD... INCOME
THAN THE RICH DO,
SO SOMETHING IS OFF HERE,
AND WHAT ACTUALLY JEFFERSON
MEANT BY "HAPPINESS"
AND WHAT THE FOUNDERS MEANT
BY "HAPPINESS" WAS SORT OF
LIFELONG LEARNING, AND THAT
MEANS, AT THE ULTIMATE END
OF THE DAY, YOU'RE ALWAYS
SEEKING TO BE A BETTER PERSON,
"TO BE A BETTER ANGEL,"
LINCOLN WOULD SAY, AND THAT'S
HOW TO BE BETTER...
"PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS,"
YOU KNOW,
"A MORE PERFECT NATION."
THIS IS NOTHING THAT YOU'VE
SAID WE'VE ARRIVED AT,
IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE TILTING
TOWARDS, AND IF YOU'RE HEADING
IN THAT DIRECTION,
THINGS ARE USUALLY GOOD.
IF YOU'RE NOT, THEN WE'RE
WRINGING OUR HANDS AND SAYING,
LIKE CHICKEN LITTLE,
"OH, THE SKY IS FALLING."
IT'S NOT, BUT WE DO HAVE
TO BE HEADING FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE TO BE
GETTING BETTER.
♪
BURNS: THIS IS ONE
OF MY FAVORITE SPOTS
BECAUSE EVERYTHING
YOU SEE
IS VERMONT THAT ISN'T
IN THE FOREGROUND
TREE LINE.
BURNS: WHEN I WAS MAKING
"THE CIVIL WAR" SERIES,
I WOULD GO OUT AND FILM
WALPOLE FROM THIS VANTAGE.
YOU CAN GO IN AND FIND,
IN "THE CIVIL WAR" SERIES,
WALPOLE IN ABOUT 5
OR 6 DIFFERENT PLACES.
I THINK THAT OUR MEMORIES ARE,
IN SOME WAYS, LITTLE FILM CLIPS,
AND THEN SOMETIMES WE
TELL ENOUGH STORIES
AND THEY GET SORT OF SO ENDOWED
THAT THEY DON'T BECOME... THEY'RE
NOT THE ACTUAL PHOTOGRAPHIC
OR FILM-CLIP MEMORIES,
BUT THEY GET...
THEY GET SORT OF...
THEY GET TURNED INTO STORIES
AND THEY GET PRACTICED, AND I'M
AS SUSCEPTIBLE TO ANY OF THAT
AS ANYBODY, BUT I ALSO
REMEMBER STUFF.
THERE WAS A GREAT MOMENT
WHEN I TAUGHT MY BIG KIDS,
WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE, BACK TO
MY TOWN IN DELAWARE, WHERE I HAD
GROWN UP AND PLAYED
LITTLE LEAGUE, AND IN THE BACK
OF MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,
WEST PARK PLACE ELEMENTARY,
I WENT TO THE PLACE
WHERE WE PLAYED BASEBALL,
AND I PLAYED OUT... THEY SAT THERE
WITH THEIR MOUTHS OPEN
AS I PLAYED BACK OR I REENACTED
LITTLE FILM CLIPS
OF WHEN I MADE A SPECTACULAR,
THROUGH-THE-LEGS PLAY,
FOR THAT SHORTSTOP TO THE SECOND
BASEMAN FOR A FORCE OUT,
OR WHEN I MADE A DIVING CATCH
IN RIGHT FIELD.
AND THEY WERE JUST IN AMAZEMENT,
AND I WAS AMAZED, TOO, THAT I
COULD, IN MY ADULT LIFE,
CATCH UP AND SORT OF REPLICATE
AND SORT OF MOVE
IN PARALLEL UNIVERSE
WITH WHAT HAD HAPPENED
WHEN I WAS 7 AND 8 AND 9.
IT WAS THRILLING.
♪
I HAVE THESE MOMENTS
WHERE I FEEL CONNECTED
TO THE YOUNG ME.
A LOT OF IT IS CONNECTED
WITH THE TRAGEDY
OF THE LOSS OF MY MOM.
IN FACT, I MADE A FILM
ABOUT A PAINTER NAMED
WILLIAM SEGAL AND WHEN WE WERE...
THE CAMERA WAS OFF, HE STARTED
TALKING TO ME, AND HE STARTED
SKETCHING ME WITHOUT LOOKING
DOWN, AND I TALKED TO HIM
AND I WAS MEETING HIS EYE,
AND SUDDENLY HE LOOKED DOWN
AND HE SAID, "OH, MY GOODNESS.
I'VE PAINTED A CHILD."
AND HE'D PAINTED ME AT AGE 8,
AND I'VE KEPT THAT
IN MY BEDROOM EVER SINCE.
HE LOOKED AT ME,
AND HE SAW EXACTLY
WHERE I WAS BOTH ARRESTED,
AND WHERE I... MEANING THE BOY
THAT HOPED THAT THE TRAGEDY
THAT WAS ABOUT TO OVERTAKE
HIS FAMILY WOULDN'T HAPPEN,
BUT HE'S STILL THERE, AND I
REMEMBER, JUST SHORTLY AFTER
MY 65th BIRTHDAY, AND I WAS
GOING TO SEE MY OLDEST DAUGHTER
AND MY SON-IN-LAW
AND MY GRANDKIDS,
AND I WAS BOUNDING UP THE SUBWAY
STAIRS, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,
I FELT THE 8-YEAR-OLD
BOUNDING ALONG WITH ME, TOO.
I MEAN, IT WAS LIKE I HAD
A MEMORY OF BOUNDING UP STAIRS
WITH A SIMILAR ABANDON, AND I
THOUGHT, "YEAH, IT'S JUST...
YOU KNOW, AGE IS JUST A NUMBER,"
AND THEN, OF COURSE,
EVERYTHING STARTED FAILING.
♪
MAN: MY JOB WAS TO GET SHOT AT.
MY JOB WAS DRAW ENEMY FIRE.
I WAS A DUCK DECOY.
I GOT SHOT AT A LOT.
I ENGAGED THE ENEMY A LOT.
♪
MAN: UH, YOU FOUND
IN MUSGRAVE
THE IDEAL PERSON, I THINK,
TO BE REPRESENTATIVE
OF SO MANY OF US
AND OUR... HURT
AND IN OUR...
THAT... THERE'S A LINE HE SAYS
NEAR THE END, "WHEN THE CHINOOKS
CAME DOWN AND TOOK US
AWAY, FOR WHAT?"
AND I, IN MY TIME
IN VIETNAM,
I THOUGHT THAT
EVERY DAY, VIRTUALLY.
WE'D GO IN SOMEWHERE,
AND SOMEONE MIGHT DIE,
AND HELICOPTERS WOULD TAKE US
AWAY AND WE'D THINK, "FOR WHAT?"
YOU CAPTURED THAT
THROUGH THAT
VERY COMPELLING FACE OF HIS.
SO EXPRESSIVE.
IT'S NOT JUST WHAT HE SAYS.
IT'S THE MOVEMENT
OF HIS EYES,
AND IT SHOWS
WHAT FILM CAN DO
THAT I'M NOT SURE
CAN BE DONE JUST WITH AUDIO.
IT'S A MIXTURE OF THAT GUY'S
EYES, AS CARL SAID,
LOOKING FOR
"WHAT SHOULD I SAY?"
♪
BURNS: THERE IS
A CERTAIN ARROGANCE TO PRESUME
THAT WE SOMEHOW CONTROL
OUR LIVES.
WE CAN.
WE CAN EXERT WILL
AT PARTICULAR TIMES
THAT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE,
CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
A MODESTLY TALENTED FILMMAKER
COMPLETING A FILM AND SOMEBODY
WHO MAYBE HAD MORE TALENT,
BUT DIDN'T HAVE
THE PERSEVERANCE, AND SO
THE PERSEVERANCE WINS
AND THE FILM IS MADE,
THE PERSEVERANCE FAILS
AND THE FILM DIDN'T GET MADE,
AND WE NEVER GET TO KNOW THAT
THAT WAS ANOTHER ORSON WELLES
OR ANOTHER WHATEVER, SO WE
CAN DO IT, BUT AT THE MOST PART,
WE SORT OF FEEL THAT
LARGER THINGS ARE HAPPENING,
AND THAT'S WHERE HUMILITY HAS TO
BE A HUGE PART OF WHO WE ARE.
WE HAVE TO FEEL THE FACT THAT
WE'RE JUST PART OF SOMETHING,
AND THE FACT THAT NONE OF US
GET OUT OF THIS ALIVE
HAS GOT TO BE,
YOU KNOW, HUMBLING.
WE SPEND ALMOST ALL OF OUR LIVES
TRYING TO AVOID THAT FACT,
WHICH IS WHY I'M SO DRAWN
TO ERNEST HEMINGWAY, A FILM
I'M WORKING ON RIGHT NOW,
IS 'CAUSE HE DIDN'T JUST
COURT DEATH IN A PHYSICAL SENSE,
BUT HE UNDERSTOOD
THAT THIS WAS AS BIG
A PART OF LIFE
AS LIFE WAS,
AND HE MOVED TOWARDS IT.
[STRINGS PLAYING]
♪
BURNS, VOICE-OVER:
THEY'RE WATCHING YOUR PROCESS,
JUST GATHERING A PIECE OF MUSIC,
SORT OF FUSSING WITH IT,
PLAYING WITH IT, TALKING
AMONG YOURSELVES OR FINDING IT,
AND THEN LAYING IT DOWN;
JUST IT FEELS SO SIMILAR,
LIKE THERE'S A KINSHIP,
YOU KNOW.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE THING...
IS THERE'S A KINSHIP.
WOMAN: IT'S CREATIVE.
WELL, LISTEN,
YOU KNOW WHAT WE THINK OF YOU.
HEH!
WE KNOW WHAT WE THINK
OF WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING
FOR DECADES
AND YOUR PROCESS OF DOING
VERY, VERY LARGE TOPICS
AND YOU GO REALLY DEEP INTO IT.
REALLY DEEP.
AND YOU REALLY FAN OUT
AND YOU TRY AND TELL
THE MULTI-PERSPECTIVE,
YOU KNOW, STORY,
AND FROM MANY,
MANY SIDES AND...
THAT IS
MULTI-PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT?
YES.
HA HA HA!
JUST WANTED
TO CHECK ON THAT.
YOU'RE GOOD.
YOU'RE GOOD.
HA HA! AND THAT'S HOW
INCREDIBLY RARE THAT IS,
AND WE'RE JUST KIND OF,
"WOW, THANK GOD YOU EXIST."
OH, WELL, IT'S FUNNY
BECAUSE I DON'T THINK
YOU'RE ABLE TO EVEN DO
AS DEEP A DIVE AS YOU'D
WANT TO DO UNLESS YOU
CAN BRING PEOPLE ALONG.
AND THE VEHICLE FOR
DOING THAT, THE FASTEST
WAY TO A PERSON'S
HEART, WHICH IS
THE SOUL OF THIS, IS
OPEN-HEART SURGERY,
IS MUSIC.
BURNS, VOICE-OVER: SO WE WERE
IN CONSULTANT'S MEETINGS
FOR "THE CIVIL WAR."
WE HADN'T EVEN STARTED EDITING,
BUT THE SCRIPTS WEREN'T DONE,
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'D ENGAGED
SCHOLARS AT THE BEGINNING,
TWO DOZEN OF THEM,
SOME PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS,
REALLY AMAZING PEOPLE.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE
OF THEM, VERY FEW HAD SENT
FIRST-PERSON QUOTES,
AND WE BEGGED THEM
FOR FIRST-PERSON QUOTES
SO WE COULD POPULATE IT NOT JUST
WITH EXPOSITION, BUT WITH
THE SOUND OF HOW PEOPLE SPOKE.
AND ONE DAY WE GOT A LETTER,
AND MY BROTHER CAME IN
AND SAID, "THIS IS WHAT
ROBERT JOHANSSON HAD SENT US."
HE HANDED IT TO ME, AND I
STARTED TO READ IT OUT LOUD
IN MY OFFICE,
SAME OFFICE I'M IN NOW,
AND BY THE END OF IT,
MY VOICE WAS CRACKING,
AND EVERYONE ELSE WAS IN TEARS.
I HANDED IT TO RICK, AND I SAID,
"MAKE A COPY OF IT AND PUT IT AS
THE LAST THING IN EPISODE ONE."
HE GOES, "BUT IT'S THE BATTLE
OF MANASSAS, WHICH IS ABOUT
20 MINUTES BEFORE THE END
OF EPISODE ONE."
AND I JUST SAID,
"PUT IT AT THE END.
IT'S WHAT THE WHOLE STAKES... IT'S
WHAT THE WHOLE FILM IS ABOUT."
AND, SO EVEN THOUGH WE'D
PASSED THAT BATTLE,
WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED,
HERE'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
AND IT'S ABOUT LOVE, AGAIN.
IT'S ABOUT LOVE OF COUNTRY,
LOVE OF GOVERNMENT,
LOVE OF CAUSE...
STUFF YOU DON'T HEAR
VERY MUCH TODAY...
LOVE OF FAMILY, LOVE OF WIFE,
LOVE OF PARTNER,
LOVE OF CHILDREN,
LOVE OF LOVE,
LOVE OF GOD... ALL OF THOSE THINGS
ARE IN THE LETTER, AND I TOOK
ONE OF THE COPIES AND PUT IT UP
ON MY WALL, AND I TOOK
ANOTHER ONE AND FOLDED IT UP
AND PUT IT IN MY WALLET.
AND FOR MANY YEARS
AFTER "THE CIVIL WAR,"
I CARRIED IT AROUND
AND WOULD READ IT PERIODICALLY
AND, YOU KNOW, "SARAH,
MY LOVE FOR YOU IS DEATHLESS.
"IT SEEMS TO BIND ME
LIKE MIGHTY CABLES THAT NOTHING
"BUT OMNIPOTENCE CAN HOLD,
AND YET MY LOVE OF COUNTRY
"COMES OVER ME LIKE
A STRONG WIND AND BEARS ME
IRRESISTIBLY
TO THE BATTLEFIELD."
YOU KNOW, I MEAN,
IT'S JUST... IT'S AMAZING.
IT'S JUST AN AMAZING LETTER
ABOUT LOVE, AND I THINK
EVERY, YOU KNOW, MAN WISHES
HE COULD SAY THESE THINGS
TO THE WOMAN HE LOVES, OR, MORE
IMPORTANTLY, EVERY WOMAN WISHES
HER MAN COULD SAY
THESE THINGS TO HER.
AND SO IT WAS A PERFECT THING.
IT FELL APART IN MY POCKET.
I USED TO BE ABLE TO PUT IT UP
INTO 8 OR 10 LITTLE PIECES,
AND THEN FINALLY
I JUST RETIRED IT.
AND IT'S FUNNY,
I END UP NOT MEMORIZING,
BUT I END UP REMEMBERING
LOTS OF QUOTES
IN THE COURSE OF WORKING
ON A FILM: YOU KNOW, "BASEBALL,"
THE OPENING NARRATION;
THIS QUOTE FROM WALT WHITMAN;
THIS QUOTE FROM ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
AND I NEVER FELT COMPELLED
TO COMMIT IT TO MEMORY.
IT'S JUST GOING TO BE ORGANIC,
WHAT GETS COMMITTED TO MEMORY,
AND FOR WHATEVER REASON,
THAT'S NOT ON THE HARD DRIVE,
BUT IT'S CERTAINLY
IN MY HEART.
DUNCAN: WE LEAVE HERE
TO GO SOMEPLACE,
BUT IT ALWAYS BRINGS US
BACK TO WALPOLE
BECAUSE IT'S HOME, AND IT'S
BECAUSE IT'S WHERE WE DO
THE WORK THAT WE DO,
AND WE ARE LUCKY.
MAN: CHORUS.
ALL: ♪ I SAW THE LIGHT ♪
♪ I SAW THE LIGHT ♪
♪ NO MORE DARKNESS,
NO MORE NIGHT ♪
♪ NOW I'M SO HAPPY,
NO SORROW IN SIGHT ♪
♪ PRAISE THE LORD,
I SAW THE LIGHT ♪
[PLAYING
A HARMONICA SOLO]
♪
ALL: ♪ NOW I'M SO HAPPY,
NO SORROW IN SIGHT ♪
♪ PRAISE THE LORD ♪
♪ I SAW THE LIGHT ♪
♪
DUNCAN: DON'T GET
ABOVE YOUR RAISING.
YOU'RE REMINDED OF THAT
MORE OFTEN IN A SMALL TOWN,
WHERE YOU'RE MORE LIKELY
TO RUN INTO SOMEBODY
THAT, IF YOU'RE NOT FOLLOWING
THAT GOOD ADVICE,
ARE LIKELY TO... LITTLE MORE
LIKELY TO SAY, YOU KNOW,
"DON'T GET ABOVE
YOUR RAISING THERE, PAL,"
YOU KNOW,
"YOU'RE ONE OF US."
I'M NOT SURE
THAT I EVER WANT
TO PUT MY AUDIENCE
IN MY FILMS,
LET ALONE ANYONE ELSE'S FILMS
THAT MIGHT BE ABOUT ME,
IN A POSITION TO TELL THEM WHAT
TO FEEL OR WHAT TO EXPERIENCE.
I KNOW THAT I WOULD LIKE
MY GRAVESTONE
TO READ...
BESIDES "GOOD FATHER,"
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING,
IF THERE IS ROOM...
THE CHORUS OF A TUNE
THAT I USED
IN THE "WORLD WAR II" FILM,
WRITTEN BY, NOW, A DEAR FRIEND
OF MINE, GENE SCHEER.
IT'S CALLED "AMERICAN ANTHEM,"
AND HE SAID, "LET THEM SAY
OF ME I WAS ONE WHO BELIEVED
"IN SHARING THE BLESSINGS
I HAVE RECEIVED,
"LET ME KNOW IN MY HEART
WHEN MY DAYS ARE THROUGH,
AMERICA, AMERICA,
I DID MY BEST FOR YOU."
♪
[MAN SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY
IN DISTANCE]
♪
MAN: OK.
KEN BURNS: YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN?
WHICH IS TOTALLY...
YEAH, BEAUTIFUL.
RIGHT. JADEN, THIS... I WANT
TO SORT OF START HERE...
UH-HUH.
ON ONE OF MY SHOTS,
AND THEN I'VE LOCKED IT DOWN
SO YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO MOVE.
♪
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
♪
MAN: YEAH, I KNOW.
♪
MAN: WELL, GOOD EVENING,
EVERYBODY.
WELCOME TO THE RESTAURANT
AT BURDICK'S.
IT'S OUR PLEASURE
TO HAVE YOU HERE WITH US.
PART OF THE ORIGINAL PHILOSOPHY
OF THIS RESTAURANT
ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO WAS
INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY,
INVOLVING LOCAL FARMERS,
AND BRINGING THE BEST FOOD
WE CAN FIND WORLDWIDE
AND SHARING THEM
WITH OUR COMMUNITY,
WHICH IS YOU.
THE KITCHEN STAFF AND I
ARE VERY PROUD
TO BE PRESENTING YOU WITH
THIS FANTASTIC FOOD TONIGHT.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY,
WE'RE HERE WITH KEN BURNS.
KEN BURNS, TAKE IT AWAY.
[APPLAUSE]
FIRST OF ALL, IT'S REALLY GREAT
TO BE WITH YOU TONIGHT.
I SEE A LOT OF UNFAMILIAR FACES,
AS WELL AS FAMILIAR FACES.
I EXIST IN A TINY AREA
BETWEEN THE TWO-LETTER,
PLURAL PRONOUN "US"
AND THE CAPITAL LETTERS "U.S."
THAT'S THE PLACE THAT I INHABIT
IN EVERY FILM THAT I'VE MADE.
SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT FEELS GOOD
ABOUT SAYING "US" AND "WE"...
YOU KNOW, THE LATEST STORY
IN ARTHUR SCHLESINGER JR. SAID,
"THERE'S TOO MUCH PLURIBUS
AND NOT ENOUGH UNUM TODAY."
THERE'S NOBODY
IN THIS ROOM, REGARDLESS OF
YOUR POLITICAL PERSUASION, THAT
DOESN'T KNOW THAT THAT'S TRUE.
I'M IN THE BUSINESS OF UNUM,
AND IT COMES DOWN
TO TALKING ABOUT US
AND TALKING ABOUT THE U.S.
AND I THINK WHAT MY JOB...
WORKING IN PUBLIC TELEVISION,
LIVING IN THIS TOWN,
WHICH COULD CARE LESS
ABOUT HOW MANY EMMYS
AND HOW MANY PEABODYS
AND HOW MANY GRAMMYS
AND OSCAR NOMINATIONS THERE ARE,
AND THE SUBJECTS THEMSELVES
THAT ARE THE MOST
IMPORTANT THINGS.
I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIND
THIS CARTOON FOR A WHILE,
BUT FOR MANY YEARS,
I HAD ON MY REFRIGERATOR
AN OLD AND NOW FADED CARTOON,
AND IT SHOWS TWO GUYS
STANDING IN HELL, THE FLAMES
LICKING UP AROUND THEM,
AND ONE GUY SAYS
TO THE OTHER, "APPARENTLY
MY OVER-200 SCREEN CREDITS
DIDN'T MEAN A DAMN THING."
[LAUGHTER]
AND THEY DON'T.
I'LL NOW LET YOU
ENJOY YOUR MEAL,
AND I'LL COME AROUND
AND SEE YOU AND...
I AM THE WORLD'S BIGGEST
RED SOX FAN.
[MAN LAUGHS]
WOMAN: OH!
BUT IN MAYO,
THEY'RE ALL ON SALARY,
SO IT BREEDS A CULTURE
OF COLLABORATION,
SO THE PATIENT'S FIRST.
IT'S NOT THE HOSPITAL
ADMINISTRATOR BREATHING DOWN
THE DOCTOR'S NECK, SAYING,
"CONTROL THIS, CONTROL THAT."
IT'S NOT THE INSURANCE GUY
BREATHING DOWN THE HOSPITAL...
IT'S THE PATIENT.
I'VE BEEN HELP... I GO
TO LOTS OF DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
THERE'S ONE ACROSS THE RIVER
IN PUTNEY, VERMONT,
WHERE MY BIG KIDS, WHO HAVE
KIDS OF THEIR OWN, WENT...
WELL, MY LATEST THING
IS TO GET UP...
AND BEFORE THE WORK STARTS
IN THE EDITING ROOM...
TO JUST WALK DOWN NORTH ROAD
ALL THE WAY TO NORTH MAIN
AND COME HERE...
COME TO THE SHOP
AND GET A CUP OF TEA AND...
WITH MY DOG, AND THEN
WALK BACK UP, WHICH IS,
I ALWAYS SAY, THE MOST
AEROBIC CUP OF TEA THERE IS.
GOOD NIGHT, ALL.
BE WELL. BYE.
MAN: THANK YOU.
MAN 2: SO, KEN,
I KNOW WHAT
THE OBVIOUS MEANING
OF TONIGHT WAS.
WHAT'S IN BETWEEN
THE LINES ABOUT TONIGHT?
I DON'T...
I THINK IT'S ABOUT...
I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT,
LIKE, WHAT'S THE SUBTEXT HERE?
AND I THINK IT'S JUST ABOUT
SERVING WALPOLE, YOU KNOW?
THIS WAS EMPTY
FOR, YOU KNOW,
17 YEARS,
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND IT'S NOT EMPTY.
IT'S, LIKE, THRIVING
AND THERE'S...
IT FEELS LIKE THERE'S
SOMETHING INCREDIBLY
SOPHISTICATED AND ELEGANT
AND, AT THE SAME TIME,
REALLY KIND OF BASIC.
AND WHAT WAS GREAT AND WHAT
I HADN'T REALLY REALIZED IS
THAT PEOPLE CAME IN HERE,
AND EVERY TABLE,
THERE WERE MOSTLY STRANGERS;
THEY WERE THIS COUPLE
OR 4 MEETING ANOTHER 4
OR ANOTHER TWO, AND THEY
WERE GETTING TOGETHER AND THAT'S
EXACTLY THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW...
CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE
THAT I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS
WITH, LIFE, THAT I FIRST
STARTED OFF WITH A MEAL HERE.
LIFE'S ALL ABOUT RECIPROCITY
AND COMMUNICATION
AND NOT SORT OF GETTING ABOVE
SOMEBODY OR BELOW SOMEBODY.
THERE'S ONLY COMMUNICATION
OR CONNECTION AMONG EQUALS,
AND IT WAS SORT OF JUST SORT
OF SAYING THEY'RE NEIGHBORS.
♪
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
BE NICE IF THIS WAS
SO MUCH WARMER.
SEE THAT?
LOOK AT THAT.
SEE, I WAS GONNA GET
OVER HERE AND DO IT, COME
OVER HERE, AND SO THEN
YOU DON'T HAVE A KICK,
BUT YOU HAVE THE TREE
SILHOUETTED,
AND THEN YOU SEE MORE
OF THE STAIRS.
AND THEN YOU'RE NOT
AS DISTRACTED BY THE...
MAYBE PUT A POLARIZER...
THAT'S FINE.
AND DO A STRAIGHT 85.
YEAH.
HI. NICE TO MEET YOU.
DO YOU PLAY BASEBALL?
MM-HMM.
SO I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS
THAT ARE 10 AND 14 YEARS OLD
WHO PLAY BASEBALL.
WOMAN: I HOPE SO. I HOPE SO.
OH, MY GOD.
LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.
YEAH.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
JUST IN CASE IT'S
A LIGHT QUESTION,
BUT THEN YOU CAN
TAKE IT OFF. READY?
MOORE: OK.
WE GOT TO BE REAL QUIET.
ROLLING.
♪
[FILM PROJECTOR WHIRRING]
♪
BURNS: I WAS LIVING
IN NEW YORK AFTER GRADUATING
FROM HAMPSHIRE, TRYING TO RAISE
THE MONEY AND THEN TRY TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO BEGIN TO MAKE
MY FILM ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE,
AND WHEN A LOT OF THE SHOOTING...
I WON'T SAY ALL OF IT,
BUT A LOT OF THE SHOOTING...
WAS DONE IN THE SPRING OF 1979,
I WAS REALLY BROKE.
I LIVED IN
A 5-STORY WALK-UP
IN CHELSEA
BEFORE IT WAS CHELSEA,
PAYING $275 A MONTH,
AND I COULDN'T AFFORD IT
WHEN THE GUY SAID IT WAS
GOING UP TO $325.
AND I KNEW I HAD TO GET
A REAL JOB, BUT A REAL JOB MEANT
TO ME THAT I WOULD BE
STOPPING THE FILM, AND SO...
THAT ALSO MEANT, YOU KNOW, YOU'D
PUT THE FILM CANS ON A SHELF
OR ABOVE THE REFRIGERATOR,
AND THEN YOU'D WAKE UP AND YOU'D
BE 45 OR 50 YEARS OLD, AND YOU
HADN'T WRITTEN THAT NOVEL
OR YOU HADN'T DONE THE THING
OR YOU HADN'T FINISHED THE FILM
ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE, SO I
DECIDED TO MOVE WHERE A LOT
OF MY FRIENDS WERE, THE AREA
OF SOUTHERN VERMONT
AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE,
AND WALPOLE IS SORT OF THIS...
NOBODY ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY
LIVED IN WALPOLE, BUT WALPOLE
WAS THE CIRCLE AROUND WHICH MANY
OF MY FRIENDS' LIVES ORBITED.
AND WE FOUND THE HOUSE
THAT I'M LIVING IN NOW.
WE RENTED IT FOR $275,
SAME AMOUNT,
AND I MOVED IN WITH
MY GIRLFRIEND,
SOON-TO-BE WIFE,
AND WE HAD A BABY
AND BOUGHT THE HOUSE
AND HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO LEAVE.
♪
I USED TO THINK THAT THE BEST
PROFESSIONAL DECISION
I EVER MADE WAS TO MOVE
TO WALPOLE IN AUGUST OF 1979.
BUT AFTER WE STRUGGLED
TO MAKE AN HOUR-LONG FILM
ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
AND HAD IT COMPLETED,
IT GOT NOMINATED
FOR AN ACADEMY AWARD,
AND EVERYBODY SAID, "COME BACK
TO NEW YORK," "MOVE INTO L.A.,"
YOU KNOW, AND I SAID,
"NO, I'M STAYING HERE."
AND THAT'S THE BEST DECISION I
EVER MADE, OF SORT OF KNOWING
THAT THE KIND OF SPLENDID
ISOLATION THAT I NEED
TO DO THE KIND OF WORK WE DO,
WHICH IS SO LABOR-INTENSIVE,
SO TIME-INTENSIVE,
TAKING 10 YEARS PLUS
TO DO "THE NATIONAL PARKS,"
"VIETNAM," OTHER PROJECTS
THAT WE'VE DONE, THAT STAYING
HERE PROVIDED A KIND OF
SAFE HARBOR THAT PERMITTED US
TO DO THE KIND OF WORK WE DO
WITHOUT KIND OF THE UNDUE
INFLUENCES THAT YOU GET
FROM THE PRESSURES
OF THE INDUSTRY.
SO I'VE LOST A BIG THING...
THE SOCIETY OF MY COLLEAGUES,
OTHER FILMMAKERS,
OTHER FILM COMPANIES,
THAT SORT OF STUFF IN NEW YORK
OR L.A. OR ALL PLACES...
BUT I'VE GAINED A FAMILY
OF FILMMAKERS WHO'VE MADE
THE TREK UP HERE AND DECIDED
TO STAY AND JOIN IN WITH OUR LOT
AND WE'VE CREATED A KIND
OF COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE
WHO ARE INTERESTED IN
AND WORKING AS HARD
AS IS NECESSARY
TO MAKE THESE FILMS.
I STILL LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSE,
I STILL SLEEP
IN THE SAME BEDROOM,
AND 3 DAUGHTERS LATER AND LOTS
OF FILMS LATER, I'M STILL HERE,
AND I'M REALLY HAPPY.
THE TOWN IS ALSO
AN IMPORTANT THING.
FIRST OF ALL, IT'S
EXTRAORDINARILY BEAUTIFUL,
IT'S WELL-SITUATED,
THE LANDSCAPE IS AMAZING,
BUT THE PEOPLE ARE GREAT,
AND YOU'RE MEASURED HERE NOT BY
HOW BOLD YOUR NAME IS, BUT WHO
YOU ARE AS A HUMAN BEING,
AND THAT'S THE BEST WAY
TO BE JUDGED.
MAN: WE NOW HAVE A NATIONAL,
GLOBAL MEDIA INFRASTRUCTURE
THAT IS SO FOCUSED
ON BIG CITIES ALL THE TIME.
AND WE SEE OUR SMALL TOWNS,
WHETHER WE GREW UP IN THEM
OR WHETHER OR NOT WE KNOW THEM,
ONLY THROUGH POPULAR CULTURE,
AS THESE REFUGES AWAY FROM ALL
OF THAT CONFUSION.
I THINK WE LONG FOR
THOSE KINDS OF INTERACTIONS
WITH PEOPLE THAT WE DON'T HAVE
AS OFTEN AS WE USED TO.
♪
BURNS: I LOVE NEW YORK.
I LOVE THE ENERGY OF NEW YORK.
IT'S SORT OF THE OPPOSITE
OF WALPOLE AND A KIND OF
NECESSARY BALANCE FOR ME.
MY VERY FIRST FILM WAS
ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
AND I THINK, OVER THE COURSE
OF THE PRODUCTION, I WALKED
OVER IT 5 OR 10 TIMES,
MAYBE, IF THAT.
I NOW WALK OVER IT
15 OR 20 TIMES A MONTH,
AND WHAT'S GREAT IS
THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN A SHOT
THAT I SAY, "OH, I WISH
WE'D HAD THAT."
I THINK WE GOT IT,
BUT AT THE SAME TIME,
IT'S KIND OF MY DESSERT,
MY REWARD FOR HAVING TO
SPEND AS MUCH TIME IN THE CITY
AS TO WALK OVER THIS GREAT,
GREAT, GREAT WORK OF ART,
THIS OLD GOTHIC TOWERS
AND COMPRESSION
AND THIS WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL
MODERN STEEL IN TENSION
AND THE BEAUTIFUL KIND OF
SPIDER WEB OF THE CABLES.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE PLACE
JAMMED WITH TOURISTS.
EVERY TIME I WALK OVER,
IT'S A KIND OF BATTLE
BETWEEN YOUR ORDINARY MIND,
WHICH IS THINKING ABOUT
THIS PROBLEM AND THAT PROBLEM
AND WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO
AND WHAT YOU'RE GONNA EAT
AND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AND WHAT
JUST HAPPENED AND ALL
THAT SORT OF STUFF, BUT I
ALWAYS MANAGE AT SOME POINT
TO CLEAR EVERYTHING OUT
AND JUST SORT OF RECEIVE
THE BRIDGE, WHEREVER IT IS.
IT MIGHT BE THE APPROACH
TO THE NEW YORK TOWER;
IT MIGHT BE IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE BRIDGE, LOOKING AT MANHATTAN
OR BACK TO THE STATUE
OF LIBERTY; OR IT MIGHT BE
THE BROOKLYN TOWER, AND HOW
YOUNG WE WERE AND KIND OF
INVENTIVE ON HOW WE USED
CARS AND WHERE WE
FOUND OUR SHOTS, AND IT BRINGS
A LOT OF THAT BACK.
IT'S MY BRIDGE, AND I'LL TELL
YOU, I DON'T MEAN THAT
IN ANY KIND OF POSSESSIVE WAY,
BUT I'LL START TO CRY.
I MEAN, I WATCH
"SOPHIE'S CHOICE,"
WHICH IS A GREAT, GREAT MOVIE,
AND THERE'S A MOMENT
WHEN MERYL STREEP AND
KEVIN KLINE AND PETER MacNICOL...
THE 3 CHARACTERS,
PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS...
ARE ON THE BRIDGE LATE AT NIGHT
WITH ALL THE EXCITEMENT,
EXUBERANCE,
AND THEY'RE ALONE.
AND I SAW IT IN A MOVIE THEATER
IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
AND WEPT LIKE A BABY
'CAUSE I JUST THOUGHT,
"THEY GOT IT, TOO; THEY
UNDERSTAND WHAT I UNDERSTAND
ABOUT THIS MOST BEAUTIFUL
OF ALL BRIDGES IN THE WORLD."
♪
HAL HOLBROOK:
THEY SUSPECTED IT WAS A TRAP,
THAT THE STRANGERS WERE
IN LEAGUE WITH THEIR ENEMIES.
RELUCTANTLY, CAMEAHWAIT
AND A HANDFUL OF HIS PEOPLE
AGREED TO ACCOMPANY LEWIS BACK
TO JOIN CLARK AND THE OTHERS.
[NATIVE AMERICAN CHANTS]
I'D JUST E.Q. THOSE HOOVES
ON THE WIDE SHOT.
YEAH, THEY FEEL
TOO CLOSE TO US, RIGHT?
A LITTLE BIT, YEAH,
EXACTLY, AND ALSO MAYBE
A LITTLE BIT TOO HARD
FOR THE GROUND
THAT THEY'RE IN,
YOU KNOW.
MM-HMM.
TOO METALLIC OR TOO... LIKE
THEY'RE ON THIS HARD SURFACE.
I THINK WE JUST NEED
CLIPPETY-CLOP, CLIPPETY-CLOP.
MAN: YEAH, LET'S
GO AGAIN ON ONE?
MAN 2: YEAH.
KEN AND I WILL GO BACK TO IT.
HOW ABOUT THIS?
[IMITATING HOOF BEATS]
START IT OR WE JUST
FADE IT IN ON ONE?
SOUNDS HEAVY
ON THAT.
CAN YOU GET SOME
DIRT IN THERE?
YEAH.
THERE'S A CERTAIN LOOK.
DO WE HAVE A...
[IMITATES HORSE SNORT]
GET MORE OF A...[SNORTS]
THIS MAY BE OUR CHANCE.
HEH HEH!
KIND OF A...[SNORTS]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
THE FIRST EPISODE...
[LOUD RECORDING OF HORSE SNORT]
[ALL CHUCKLE]
♪
MAN, VOICE-OVER:
KEN BURNS IS IN WALPOLE
BECAUSE HE LOVES
THE TOWN OF WALPOLE.
IT'S AS SIMPLE
AS THAT, I THINK.
I MET HIM WHEN HE FIRST MOVED
TO NEW HAMPSHIRE IN...
I THINK IT WAS '79 OR SO,
AND ONE OF THE REASONS
THAT HE CAME HERE
WAS NOT BECAUSE HE WAS LOOKING
FOR SMALL-TOWN VALUES.
HE WAS LOOKING FOR A WAY THAT HE
COULD MAKE HIS FIRST FILM
AND NOT HAVE AS HIGH A COST
OF LIVING AS HE WOULD
IF HE DID WHAT MOST
YOUNG FILMMAKERS WOULD DO,
WHICH IS TO MOVE
TO NEW YORK CITY.
HE WOULD TELL ME
HIS GREAT FEAR
WAS THIS FILM THAT HE WANTED
TO MAKE ABOUT THE BUILDING
OF THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE ON
A SHOESTRING BUDGET...
THE NECESSITIES OF WHAT HE'D
HAVE TO DO IN FREELANCE WORK
AND OTHER THINGS, THAT HIS...
IMAGE WAS THERE'D BE
THESE CANS OF FILM UP ON THE...
REFRIGERATOR
THAT WERE STILL WAITING
TO HAVE MORE CANS ON IT
THAT WERE WAITING TO THEN
BE MADE INTO A FILM.
IN WALPOLE, HE COULD
LIVE MORE CHEAPLY,
AND WHAT HE FOUND WAS THAT HE
COULD LIVE MORE CHEAPLY,
HE COULD FINISH THAT FILM,
BUT IT WORKED ITS WAY
INTO HIS HEART AS WELL.
♪
DUNCAN, VOICE-OVER:
WE'RE BOTH SENTIMENTAL
ABOUT THIS PLACE THAT WE
CALL HOME AND WHERE
WE'VE RAISED OUR FAMILIES, AND
KEN, AFTER HIS GREAT SUCCESS,
YOU KNOW, COULD JUST
AS EASILY HAVE SAID,
"WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
"NOW THAT I DON'T HAVE TO
WORRY ABOUT THOSE CANS
"ON TOP OF MY REFRIGERATOR,
I'M GOING
TO NEW YORK CITY
OR LOS ANGELES,"
BUT HE HAS
STEADFASTLY WANTED
TO KEEP HIS ROOTS HERE.
OUR FILMS ARE
HOME-GROWN TOMATOES,
AND SO IT'S A FAMILY
IN THAT...
AN EXTENDED FAMILY
IN THAT RESPECT, TOO,
AND A COMMUNITY,
AND TO KEN'S GREAT CREDIT,
I THINK, HE HAS PLANTED HIMSELF
HERE AND TAKEN ROOT,
AND WE'RE ALL
THE BETTER FOR IT.
♪
ALEXANDER: I THINK
SMALL TOWNS HAVE AN ABILITY
TO RECHARGE ONE'S BATTERIES.
OFTEN, SMALL TOWNS
DON'T SEEM, AT LEAST,
TO BE AS COMPLEX
A PLACE AS, FOR EXAMPLE, A MUCH
BIGGER CITY WOULD BE, AND I
OFTEN THINK THE INTERACTIONS
ARE MUCH SIMPLER.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS
OFTEN IN A SMALL TOWN.
♪
BURNS: I MOVED TO WALPOLE,
TO WHERE I AM NOW,
IN THIRD WEEK OF AUGUST,
I THINK IT WAS,
OF 1979, SO WE'RE
COMING UP ON 40 YEARS.
AND WE HAD A BIG OLD
CHEVY VAN,
GREEN CHEVY VAN THAT WE USED
TO TRANSPORT THE FILM EQUIPMENT,
AND OF COURSE, DOUBLE DUTY
TO MOVE OUR MODEST "POSSESSIONS"
OUT OF THIS FIFTH-STORY WALK-UP
IN CHELSEA IN NEW YORK CITY
AND MOVE IT INTO THIS GIGANTIC,
TO US, HOUSE IN WALPOLE,
WHICH HAD MORE CLOSET SPACE...
LITERALLY MORE CLOSET SPACE...
THAN WE HAD FLOOR SPACE
IN NEW YORK CITY.
AND WE'D SORT OF UNLOADED,
IT WAS HOT,
THE END OF THE DAY WAS THERE...
IT WAS, LIKE, 7:00, 7:30...
SHADOWS WERE BEGINNING
TO LENGTHEN, AND I JUST DECIDED
TO TAKE A DRIVE,
AND I WENT DOWN NORTH ROAD
AND WHEN I GOT TO NORTH ROAD,
I TOOK A HARD RIGHT AT THE END
ON OLD DREWSVILLE ROAD.
I DON'T KNOW WHY.
I GUESS I'D NEVER BEEN DOWN
THERE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS
I ALWAYS SAY, AND I STILL
BELIEVE IT IS,
NEXT TO THE ROAD HOME, THE ROAD
I LIKE TO BE ON IS THE ONE
I'VE NEVER BEEN ON BEFORE,
SO I WAS GOING DOWN THIS ROAD
I'D NEVER BEEN ON,
AND AFTER ABOUT A MILE,
IT GOES FROM PAVED TO DIRT,
AND YOU KIND OF SLOW DOWN,
YOU EASE UP ON THE ACCELERATOR,
AND THEN, IN THE LATE EVENING
TWILIGHT, FOR SOME REASON,
I JUST STOPPED THE VAN,
AND THEN I LOOKED TO MY LEFT,
AND THERE WAS THIS
SOLITARY GRAVESTONE,
AND IT SAID, "THOMAS FLYNT
DANIEL TWITCHELL,
KILLED BY INDIANS, 1755."
AND IT JUST... THE HAIR ON
THE BACK OF MY NECK RAISED UP,
AND I DAR... MY HEAD, LIKE, LOOKED
TO THE RIGHT AGAIN, AND I
COULD HAVE SWORN THAT JUST OUT
OF MY PERIPHERAL VISION,
AN INDIAN BRAVE
HAD JUST DARTED AWAY.
AND I REALIZED
HOW RELATIVELY NEW IT WAS
THAT PEOPLE COULD BE...
WHITE SETTLEMENT
COULD BE CONTESTED IN 1755
AS THIS TOWN
WAS BEING FOUNDED,
OR AT LEAST EXPLORED, AND THAT
SEEMED LIKE AN INSTANT AGO
AND IT REMINDED ME WHY I LOVE
TO DEAL WITH HISTORY.
IT MADE THE PRESENT PAST,
AND THE PAST,
MOST IMPORTANT,
PRESENT IN THAT MOMENT.
IT JUST CAME ALIVE,
LOUD AND CLEAR.
EVERY TIME I HEAD OUT
NORTH OF HERE,
I LEAVE BY OLD DREWSVILLE ROAD
CONSCIOUSLY,
AND I'VE NEVER FAILED...
GOING AWAY OR COMING BACK...
TO JUST SLOW AND NOD
AND ACKNOWLEDGE
ITS EXISTENCE.
IT WAS A GREAT AWAKENING FOR ME,
A REAL PRESENT, A REAL GIFT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SOMETIMES
GIVEN GIFTS; YOU KNOW,
IT MAY BE
A SPECTACULAR SUNSET,
IT MAY BE JUST SEEING SOMETHING
EXTRAORDINARILY BEAUTIFUL
OR THE WAY THE LIGHT FALLS
OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE,
OR THERE... SOMETHING LIKE THAT
FOR ME, WHO WAS EMBARKING ON A
PROFESSIONAL LIFE THAT, AT THAT
POINT, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT
40-PLUS YEARS LATER, I WOULD
STILL BE DOING THE SAME THING.
♪
DUNCAN: I THINK,
AT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT
IN AMERICAN HISTORY,
THAT WE ARE LOSING
A SENSE OF COMMUNITY
IN THE LARGER SENSE THAT HAS
ALMOST NOTHING TO DO
WITH THE SIZE
OF THE COMMUNITY
THAT YOU LIVE IN.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS
AT PLAY: THE INTERNET,
THE POLITICAL CULTURE,
THE DECLINE
OF CERTAIN INSTITUTIONS,
WHETHER THAT'S THE CHURCH
OR CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS.
ALL OF THAT ARE HAVING
A HARMONIC CONVERGENCE,
I THINK,
RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT
THAT MAKES IT HARDER FOR US
TO THINK OF OURSELVES
OF "WHAT DO WE HAVE IN COMMON?
WHAT DO WE SHARE?"
VERSUS "LET ME
ILLUMINATE FOR YOU
ALL THE THINGS THAT I
DON'T LIKE ABOUT YOU."
AND WE YEARN FOR COMMUNITY,
AND THERE'S A LOT IN OUR WORLD,
PARTICULARLY TODAY,
THAT DOESN'T SELECT FOR THAT.
WE HAVE THIS THING CALLED
SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH ISN'T;
IT'S ASOCIAL MEDIA,
IT'S DRIVING US APART.
IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN IN A ROOM
WITH TWO TEENAGERS TEXTING
TO THEMSELVES ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE COUCH, YOU KNOW THAT'S
NOT SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT'S THE
EXACT OPPOSITE OF SOCIAL MEDIA.
BUT THE WAY IT BREEDS DIVISION,
THE WAY IT RETURNS US
OUT OF THE CIVILIZED STATE
THAT OUR FOUNDERS
AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME
BEFORE US HAVE DELIVERED US TO
AND BACK INTO SOME TRIBAL
CONFIGURATIONS, THAT'S SOMETHING
WE GOT TO REALLY, REALLY WORK
ON, BUT AT THE SAME TIME,
I THINK THE IMPULSE FOR PEOPLE
IS TO BE TOGETHER.
IT'S A SAD THING THAT WE'VE LOST
CIVICS IN OUR TEACHING; NOT JUST
HISTORY, WHICH HAS TURNED INTO
SOCIAL STUDIES, WHICH TURNED
INTO NOTHING, BUT CIVICS,
AND IT'S A DIRTY WORD NOW.
I ADMIT IT. NOBODY... I MEAN,
IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW,
YOU SAY, "COME AND CAN TAKE
YOUR CIVICS," YOU KNOW,
"YOU CAN HOLD YOUR NOSE,
YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE OK."
BUT IT'S NOT 100 SENATORS
AND 435 REPRESENTATIVES.
IT'S HOW YOU GET THINGS DONE
WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
WE NEED TO BE REMINDED
OF OUR STORIES
BECAUSE WE'RE IN PERHAPS
THE GREATEST EXISTENTIAL THREAT
WE'VE EVER HAD SINCE THE GREAT
DEPRESSION AND THE CIVIL WAR.
SO WE ARE GOING TO BE
THE AUTHORS OF OUR OWN DEMISE.
IN FACT, THERE'S AN AMAZING
QUOTE BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN
THAT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES
IN THE WHOLE, WIDE WORLD,
AND IT ENDS THE INTRODUCTION
OF "THE CIVIL WAR" SERIES.
HE WAS A YOUNG MAN, HE HADN'T
EVEN TURNED 29, IT WAS IN 1838.
HE WAS ADDRESSING A GROUP
OF, YOU KNOW, FELLOW SORT OF
MIDDLE-CLASS FOLKS
IN... IN SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS...
THE YOUNG MEN'S LYCEUM...
AND THE TOPIC THAT DAY WAS...
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
AND THAT SORT OF THING.
HE SAID, "WHEN SHALL WE EXPECT
THE APPROACH OF DANGER?
"SHALL SOME
TRANSATLANTIC GIANT
STEP THE EARTH
AND CRUSH US AT A BLOW?"
THEN HE ANSWERED
HIS OWN QUESTION: "NEVER.
"ALL THE ARMIES OF EUROPE, ASIA,
AND AFRICA COULD NOT, BY FORCE,
"TAKE A DRINK FROM
THE OHIO RIVER OR MAKE A TRAIL
"IN THE BLUE RIDGE IN THE TRIAL
OF A THOUSAND YEARS.
"IF DESTRUCTION BE OUR LOT,
WE MUST OURSELVES BE
"ITS AUTHOR AND FINISHER.
AS A NATION OF FREE MEN,
WE WILL LIVE THROUGH ALL TIME
OR DIE BY SUICIDE."
[VOICE TREMBLES]
I MEAN, IT'S AMAZING.
AND HE WOULD GO ON, OF COURSE,
TO PRESIDE OVER THE CLOSEST
WE'VE COME TO NATIONAL SUICIDE...
THE CIVIL WAR... BUT IT'S KIND OF,
IN SOME WAYS, OPTIMISTIC,
YOU KNOW, THAT THESE TWO OCEANS
ARE GOING TO PROTECT US,
SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE
SOME FOREIGN THREATS;
WHAT WE HAVE IS OUR OWN THREAT,
AND IF YOU DON'T GET THAT...
THAT US, INDIVIDUALLY,
WE'RE OUR OWN WORST ENEMIES,
AND COLLECTIVELY WE ARE...
THEN YOU MISS THE KIND
OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE NEED
TO SORT OF REALIZE TODAY
AND SEIZE THE BULL BY THE HORNS:
"HEY, LOOK, YOU KNOW WHAT?
I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK."
"I DON'T WANT THE TRIBALISM.
I LIKE THE IDEA
"THAT WE'RE CIVILIZED,
I LIKE THE IDEA THAT,
WITH ALL THESE IMMIGRANT GROUPS,
WE'RE STRONGER ALLOY."
YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL METALS,
YEP, STRONG, BUT NOTHING'S
LIKE AN ALLOY IN PUTTING STUFF
TOGETHER AND HAVING THAT
TENSILE STRENGTH
THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE,
AND THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF US.
WOMAN: IT'S PRESSURE.
ANYONE YOU KNOW, ANYONE IN THIS
BUSINESS, THERE'S PRESSURE,
BUT IT'S NOT AS HIGH-STRESS
OUT HERE AS NEW YORK AND L.A.
AND PLACES LIKE THAT, SO...
MAN: SO YOU LIKE WALPOLE?
IS THIS...
HAD YOU BEEN TO WALPOLE
BEFORE THIS PROJECT,
YOU CAME UP TO WORK ON THIS?
WOMAN: WELL, I WENT
TO SCHOOL AT KING STATE,
WHICH IS ONLY 20 MINUTES AWAY,
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M
FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA.
AND THEN WE SHOT
A STUDENT FILM IN WALPOLE,
AND WALPOLE JUST LOVES
THE FILM PEOPLE.
I MEAN, THEY WERE REALLY
VERY EXCITED WHEN WE CAME IN
TO DO OUR LITTLE STUDENT FILM,
AND WORKING HERE, YOU KNOW,
YOU GO INTO THE TOWN AND YOU
MAIL THINGS AND YOU HAVE LUNCH
AND YOU MEET PEOPLE,
AND THEY ALL KNOW AN OUTSIDER,
SO THEY'LL SAY, "OH, ARE YOU
WORKING OVER AT KEN'S PLACE?"
AND YOU'LL SAY, "YEAH"
AND THEY'LL ASK YOU ABOUT IT,
YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE JUST
VERY WARM AND... AND EXCITED
ABOUT IT AND I THINK THEY TAKE
A LOT OF PRIDE IN THE FACT THAT
KEN'S HERE AND HE HAS BROUGHT,
YOU KNOW, HIS COMPANY HERE AND...
[DISTORTED VOICES PLAYING
AT HIGH SPEED]
[TRUMPET PLAYING
A LIVELY JAZZ TUNE]
♪
[TRUMPET FADES]
BURNS: THE PEOPLE OF WALPOLE
ARE BOTH A COLLECTIVE THING,
THIS KIND OF PARENT,
THIS KIND OF GUARDIAN ANGEL
FOR ME, WHO IS AN ORPHAN,
AND... AND ALSO INDIVIDUALS
AND A VARIETY OF INDIVIDUALS
OVER TOWN, AND SO I CAN
WALK AROUND THE TOWN GREEN,
AND REMEMBER WHO LIVED
IN THE HOUSE BEFORE THEM
AND WHO WAS THERE BEFORE THEM.
AND NOW I'M AN OLD GUY IN
WALPOLE AND THERE'S LOTS OF KIDS
RUNNING AROUND AND MAKING A LOT
OF NOISE, AND THAT ALWAYS FEELS
GREAT, AND HOUSES GET BUILT AND
OTHER HOUSES GET IMPROVED UPON.
IT'S A LIVING,
BREATHING ORGANISM,
AND I THINK MANY OF US DON'T
HAVE THE TIME OR THE LUXURY,
AND THEREFORE I COUNT IT AS ONE
OF THE GREAT BLESSINGS
OF MY LIFE THAT I DO,
TO SORT OF FEEL...
I FEEL THIS ABOUT MY COUNTRY
IN A LONGER AND LONGER SENSE,
BUT I FEEL IT ABOUT WALPOLE,
THAT IT'S AN ENTITY,
THAT IT'S AN ORGANISM,
THAT IT BREATHES,
AND I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE
CONNECTED TO IT.
PAULA BURDICK: THERE'S
THE NORTH POLE, THE SOUTH POLE,
AND WALPOLE, THE EPICENTER
OF THE WORLD.
IN MANY WAYS, THE PEOPLE
WHO LIVE HERE IN WALPOLE,
THEY WANT IT TO BE
A BEST-KEPT SECRET, OK,
AND THERE'S A TRADITION THAT
MANY PEOPLE TRAVEL TO WALPOLE
BY TAKING A TURN AT THE
BLINKING LIGHT ON SOUTH STREET.
THE PEOPLE AT WALPOLE,
THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY DECIDED
THEY DON'T WANT A SIGN
THAT INDICATES HOW TO GET
TO THIS SWEET VILLAGE, OK?
AND SO THAT TELLS YOU
THAT THE PEOPLE
THAT LIVE HERE LOVE IT,
THEY DON'T WANT A LOT
OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT,
AND WE'VE TRIED TO KEEP
THE VILLAGE WHERE WE ARE
AND THE RESTAURANT
IS LOCATED AS PRISTINE
AND GENUINE AS POSSIBLE, AND I
THINK WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED THAT.
THE ONE THING THAT A TOWN
LIKE WALPOLE CAN TEACH
THE REST OF AMERICA IS
THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT.
MAN: I THINK
ANY VISITOR TO WALPOLE
WILL APPRECIATE WALPOLE
FOR ITS AUTHENTICITY.
IT DOESN'T LIE.
IT IS WHAT IT IS.
WOMAN: THERE'S A SAYING
THAT HOME ISN'T A PLACE,
IT'S A FEELING,
AND DEFINITELY
WALPOLE IS A FEELING
OF COMMUNITY,
OF CONNECTEDNESS, OF BEING ABLE
TO PURSUE YOUR LIFE
IN A BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDING,
AND THEN ALSO GET OUT
OF THE SPED-UP PART OF OUR LIVES
THAT SO MANY OF US
MAY GET CONSUMED BY,
AND SO WALPOLE IS JUST
A WONDERFUL PLACE
TO CALL HOME.
♪
VICKI GOHL: WALPOLE IS
VERY PROUD OF KEN BURNS,
AND KEN IS GROUNDED
BY THIS TOWN.
MAN: KEN KIND OF GREW WITH THE
TOWN, OR THE TOWN GREW WITH KEN.
WHEN KEN FIRST CAME HERE,
HE WASN'T A CELEBRITY.
HE WAS STRUGGLING, AND IT'S
BEEN FUN TO WATCH HIM GROW.
BUT IF YOU TAKE WALPOLE OUT
OF KEN, I THINK IT CHANGES KEN.
A LOT OF HIS IDENTITY AND HIS...
I THINK HE WOULD SAY
HIS SERENITY COMES
FROM, YOU KNOW, THE LOCAL LIFE
AND THAT LOCAL CONNECTION.
I WON'T CALL HIM AN ORDINARY
CITIZEN BECAUSE HE IS NOT,
BUT HE DOES INVOLVE HIMSELF
IN THINGS AND CONTRIBUTES,
AND I THINK IT'S WONDERFUL.
THE FACT THAT HE IS
UNPRETENTIOUS
AND COMFORTABLE
IN HIS OWN SKIN.
AND I FIND HIM
AN INCREDIBLE FORCE IN THE WORLD
AND ESPECIALLY ONE
THAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW.
AND HE IS, OFTEN MORE
THAN THE TOWN KNOWS,
AN INVISIBLE BENEFACTOR,
SOMEBODY WHO PROTECTS IT
AND SUPPORTS IT IN MANY,
MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
WOMAN: KEN BURNS IS
IMPORTANT TO WALPOLE
BECAUSE HE HELPS US REMEMBER
TO REMEMBER OUR HISTORY.
HOUGHTON: HE'S HUMBLE AND KIND,
AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE
HAS GAINED CELEBRITY,
HE IS STILL THE SAME KEN BURNS
THAT CAME TO TOWN
40 YEARS AGO.
WYCKOFF: KEN BEING KEN BURNS
MAYBE MEANS SOMETHING DIFFERENT
TO EVERYONE THAT YOU ASK;
I THINK THE REST OF THE WORLD
SEES A SIDE OF KEN BURNS...
THE FAMOUS FILMMAKER,
THE WONDERFUL DOCUMENTARIAN...
AND WHAT WE SEE HERE
IN WALPOLE IS A FRIEND.
BURNS, VOICE-OVER:
I AM SHAPED ENTIRELY BY WALPOLE.
IT HAS PROTECTED ME.
THERE'S NOTHING I'VE DONE
TO WALPOLE, NOTHING.
I'VE TRIED TO KEEP
A LIGHT FOOTPRINT HERE,
AND I'VE TRIED TO BE GOOD
TO THE COMMUNITY AND NOT STICK
MY NECK OUT
OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT,
AND THE MORE IMPORTANT THING IS
THERE'S SOME GUY WHO COMES UP
AT 3:00 IN THE MORNING
IN THE MIDDLE OF A SNOWSTORM
AND PLOWS MY DRIVEWAY,
AND SOMEBODY ELSE WILL COME
AT 3:00 IN THE MORNING
WHEN MY PIPES ARE FROZEN,
WHEN I FIRST MOVED IN HERE
AND NOBODY KNEW ME FROM ADAM
AND THAW THOSE PIPES OUT
AND FIX THE LEAK.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN MY DAUGHTER
HAD AN EMERGENCY,
THE E.M.T. GUYS WERE HERE
IN 6 MINUTES
AND THEY WERE ON IT.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE STUFF
THAT MATTERS:
THAT I CAN GET
A GOOD MEAL IN TOWN,
THAT PEOPLE WILL SAY HELLO
TO ONE ANOTHER AND THAT IT ISN'T
JUST WHEN YOU'RE WALKING IN
TOWN, BUT WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING.
WHEN I WALK, MY ARM IS GOING
UP AND DOWN, FLAPPING,
YOU KNOW, AT EVERY CAR
THAT PASSES, AND...
I DON'T KNOW MOST OF THEM, BUT I
WANT TO SAY WE'RE NEIGHBORS.
AFTER A WHILE, IF YOU'RE
A FAMOUS PERSON IN A SMALL TOWN,
AFTER A WHILE,
NOBODY GIVES A DAMN
THAT YOU'RE A FAMOUS PERSON
IN A SMALL TOWN.
WHAT YOU REALLY NEED IS,
"WHERE ARE YOU GONNA GET
THE GOOD COFFEE?
"WHO'S GONNA BE YOUR PLUMBER?
WHO'S GONNA BE YOUR ELECTRICIAN?
I NEED A GOOD WOODWORKER. WHO'S
GONNA BE THE DOCTOR FOR ME?"
THESE PEOPLE ARE THE MOST
IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THAT TOWN.
YOU CAN GO BACK
AS THE BIG CELEB,
BUT AFTER THAT WEARS OFF,
NOBODY CARES.
♪
WOMAN: I DEFINITELY THINK
WALPOLE MAKES KEN WHO HE IS.
I MEAN, HE COMES HERE
TO BE HIMSELF.
I THINK WALPOLE IS
HIS PLACE TO BE OFF-CAMERA,
HIS PLACE TO BE HIMSELF,
HIS PLACE TO BE KEN,
WHO RELAXES IN THE CHAIR
ON THE FRONT PORCH
AND PEOPLE RIDE THEIR BICYCLES
BY AND WAVE, AND THAT'S KEN.
WHATEVER IT IS, NOBODY HERE IS
EXPECTING HIM TO DO ANYTHING.
EVERYBODY HERE ALLOWS HIM
TO BE WHO HE IS.
MAN: HIS ABILITY TO TREAT
EVERYONE THE SAME,
THAT EVERYONE HE'S SPEAKING TO
HAS HIS ATTENTION,
WHETHER IT'S THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES
OR SOMEONE OPERATING
AN ELEVATOR.
EVERYONE IS SPECIAL,
EVERYONE'S STORY COUNTS,
AND THAT MAKES HIM
AN EXTRAORDINARY GUY, AND I
THINK THAT'S THE LESSON THAT
COMES FROM A KEN BURNS FILM,
IS THAT WE ALL STEP BACK
AND WE LISTEN TO THE STORIES.
AND OFTEN, IN OUR LIVES,
WE DON'T LISTEN ENOUGH, AND YET,
DURING THAT TWO HOURS
OR THAT 18 HOURS,
WE'RE LISTENING TO THE STORIES
OF ORDINARY PEOPLE WHO ARE
LIKE OURSELVES... AS KEN SAYS,
THEY'RE PEOPLE WE WOULD LIKE
TO HAVE OVER FOR THANKSGIVING
DINNER... BUT WE REALIZE
WHEN WE'RE LISTENING TO THEIR
STORIES THAT THEY'RE NOT
ORDINARY AT ALL,
THEY'RE EXTRAORDINARY, AND BY
ASSOCIATING WITH THESE
EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE,
WE FEEL EXTRAORDINARY
OURSELVES.
♪
BURNS:
COME HERE. LET'S GO.
♪
HEY, BABY,
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
ARE YOU UP?
GIRL ON PHONE: YES.
OK, JUST WANTED TO WISH YOU
HAVE A GREAT DAY AT SCHOOL,
AND I'LL TALK TO YOU AT THE END.
HAVE YOU EATEN ALREADY?
NO, I'M ABOUT TO EAT.
OK.
I LOVE YOU, SWEET GIRL.
HAVE A GREAT DAY.
IT'S RIGHT
IN FRONT OF ME.
OK, WELL, IF IT'S
IN FRONT OF YOU, EAT IT.
MY HANDS ARE FALLING OFF
'CAUSE IT'S SO COLD.
I'M WALKING CHESTER
INTO TOWN SO... OH.
NICE. COULD I HAVE
THAT PIECE OF TOAST?
ARHH! OOPS, I ATE
YOUR BREAKFAST.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
OK, LOVE.
I SEE YOU. I LOVE YOU.
HAVE A GOOD DAY.
ALL RIGHT.
OK. BYE.
BURNS:
I AM RICH IN DAUGHTERS.
I HAVE 4 DAUGHTERS: SARAH,
LILY, OLIVIA, AND WILLA.
S-L-O-W: THE OPPOSITE
OF MY LIFE.
THEY ARE MY LIFE.
I LOVE THEM MORE THAN I COULD
POSSIBLY EXPLAIN.
EACH ONE OF THEM...
I THINK MY OLDEST DAUGHTER IS
ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY
PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET, PERIOD,
AND I'VE MET LOTS AND LOTS
OF PRESIDENTS, I'VE MET
THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND, I'VE MET
NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS
AND PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS,
AND SHE'S THE BEE'S KNEES.
AND MY SECOND DAUGHTER, LILY,
I'M AS CLOSE TO HER
AS ANYBODY
THAT I KNOW IN THE UNIVERSE.
AND I'VE GOT THESE TWO LITTLE,
DEVELOPING HUMAN BEINGS:
OLIVIA,
WHO IS JUST...
HAS SO MUCH PROMISE;
AND WILLA, WHO IS
MY LOVE CHILD, THIS ENERGY.
I MEAN, THEY FINALLY
GOT AROUND TO GETTING IT
AND THEY NAMED
A HURRICANE AFTER WILLA,
AND IT'S, LIKE, BATTERING
OUTSIDE THE WINDOWS RIGHT NOW
AND WE GO,
"YEP, THAT'S HER."
♪
BURNS: SO THIS IS
A MYTHIC HOME FOR ME.
I DON'T THINK I WOULD BE
WHO I AM WITHOUT IT.
YOU KNOW PEOPLE COME HERE
AND, TO A PERSON, THEY GO,
"WHAT DO PEOPLE DO
HERE," YOU KNOW?
AND I GO,
"EVERYTHING THEY DO
IN NEW YORK,
PLUS FARMING."
ALEXANDER, VOICE-OVER:
THE IDEA THAT A PLACE
IS PART OF WHO YOU ARE
HAS BECOME
A RARE SENTIMENT
IN THE 21st CENTURY.
I THINK WE ARE VERY DIVIDED
ON A NUMBER OF LINES.
A BIG CHASM UNDERLYING
THOSE DIVISIONS
IS A LACK OF
A SENSE OF PLACE.
THIS IS TRUE
ALL OVER THE WORLD.
OTHER NATIONS HAVE
SMALL TOWNS, TOO:
RURAL PLACES,
AGRARIAN PLACES,
LITTLE VILLAGES.
WHEN THAT ALL GOES AWAY,
A LOT OF WHAT WE ARE AND WERE
AS A COUNTRY ALSO GOES AWAY.
WE DO, ALL OF US,
SEEK A PLACE OF REPAIR.
WE DO LOOK FOR
THOSE PLACES AND MOMENTS
THAT PERMIT US
TO THROTTLE BACK ON LIFE,
TO BE ABLE TO SEE
THESE KIND OF DEEP QUESTIONS
IN A LESS URGENT
OR A LESS ANXIOUS WAY,
AND I FIND,
FOR ME, WALPOLE IS
PART OF THAT.
THERE'S A KIND OF BREATHING
THAT HAPPENS HERE...
NOT JUST PERSONALLY
AND INTIMATELY, BUT KIND OF
PROFESSIONALLY, AS WELL...
THAT I THINK PERMITS ME
TO DO MY BEST WORK AND,
I HOPE, BE MY BEST SELF,
BUT OTHER PEOPLE WILL HAVE
TO BE THE JUDGE OF THAT.
YOU CAN GO OUT INTO THE WORLD
AND YOU CAN DO YOUR STRUGGLES.
WHEN YOU COME BACK
TO THAT SMALL TOWN, I THINK
A LOT OF THAT PRESSURE
LEAVES YOU
AND HELPS YOU
RECHARGE YOURSELF.
BELLINI: IN THE QUIET
MOMENTS, WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT STUFF, YOU THINK
ABOUT, LIKE, THIS...
BURNS: YEAH.
WHAT'S HAPPENING INSIDE YOU?
WHEN YOU PLACE
YOURSELF IN NATURE,
IF YOU PUT YOURSELF
IN FRONT OF THIS,
WHICH IS WHAT
EMILY DICKINSON CALLS
"SUNRISES AND SUNSETS,
THE FAR THEATRICALS
OF DAY," WHICH...
I JUST LOVE THAT...
IF YOU PUT YOURSELF
IN THIS, YOU ARE
IMMEDIATELY REMINDED
OF YOUR OWN
INSIGNIFICANCE.
LIVING CLOSER
RELATIONSHIP TO NATURE,
THAT PERMITS YOU
TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP
WITH SOMETHING BIGGER
THAN YOURSELF.
OLIVIA: WILL WE GO
DOWN TO THE DOCK?
WELL, ACTUALLY,
THE DOCK'S BACK THERE.
WE'RE JUST GONNA GO
AND LOOK FOR A PLACE TO FILM.
YOU SEE, A GOOD PLACE
WHERE WE CAN SEE THE MOUNTAINS.
THIS IS A VERY GOOD...
THIS IS A REALLY GOOD PLACE,
AND OLIVIA IS GONNA
HOLD THE SLATE.
NOW YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT...
BUDDY HAS TO SEE YOUR FACE.
OTHERWISE WE CAN'T GET
STARTED, AND JUST HOLD IT.
CAN YOU CLICK IT
FOR ME, OLIVIA?
JUST TO... DON'T MOVE.
HE'S GONNA...
OK, LOOK BACK AT BUD.
BURNS, VOICE-OVER: I THINK
WE'RE ALWAYS FOND OF SAYING
THAT HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF...
IT DOES NOT...
OR "WE'RE CONDEMNED TO REPEAT
WHAT WE DON'T REMEMBER,"
A WONDERFUL PHRASE;
IMPORTANT TO AT LEAST
THINK ABOUT THAT,
BUT IT'S NOT TRUE.
EVERYTHING'S NEW,
EVERYTHING'S NEW, BUT
WE DO PERCEIVE PATTERNS,
WE DO PERCEIVE REPETITIONS,
WE DO PERCEIVE MOTIFS,
AND THOSE ARE NOT EVENTS,
THOSE ARE HUMAN BEINGS
REMAINING THE SAME.
ECCLESIASTES SAYS,
"WHAT HAS BEEN WILL BE AGAIN,
"WHAT HAS BEEN DONE
WILL BE DONE AGAIN.
THERE'S NOTHING NEW
UNDER THE SUN."
AND THEN WE SEE
THESE REPETITIONS, AND I LIKE
WHAT TWAIN SAID: "IT DOESN'T
REPEAT ITSELF, BUT IT RHYMES."
EVERY TIME WE FINISH A FILM,
WE NEVER SPEND A SECOND
DURING THE FILM WORRIED ABOUT
THE RHYME, AND THEN WE LIFT UP
AND GO, "WOW, ISN'T THAT
SO MUCH LIKE TODAY?"
AND IT ALWAYS IS, BUT I CAN
DO THAT OF ANY FILM.
IT ISN'T JUST "VIETNAM" WITH
THE TOPICALITY OF THE PROTESTS,
AND "THE PRESIDENTS"
AND IN "THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE."
IT'S IN "THE SHAKERS"
AND IT'S IN "THE ROOSEVELTS,"
IT'S IN "PROHIBITION,"
IT'S IN EVERY FILM WE'VE DONE.
IF YOU DO THE STORY WELL,
CONSCIENTIOUSLY, AUTHENTICALLY,
HONORABLY, THEN IT'S GOT
TO SPEAK TO THE PRESENT
'CAUSE HOW CAN... I MEAN, FAULKNER
SAID MUCH BETTER THAN ME
AND MUCH... HEH! QUICKER THAN ME:
"HISTORY IS NOT WAS, BUT IS."
MAN: OR THE RIGHTEOUSNESS
OF WHAT HE SAYS.
HE IS THE HAPPY WARRIOR
ON THE POLITICAL BATTLEFIELD...
ALFRED E. SMITH!
THAT'S TERRIFIC,
TERRIFIC, TERRIFIC.
VERY, VERY NICE.
AND FOR THE FIRST PART,
WE'RE NOT OUT THERE.
WE'RE NOT PROJECTING, YOU KNOW.
YEAH.
WE'RE NOT SORT OF DOING THAT.
IT STILL HAS THAT...
YES, OK.
INTERIOR, DIARY/LETTER QUALITY.
AS HE GETS
VERY OLDER, YOU KNOW,
AND HE'S LOST HIS SON, I
THINK THERE WILL BE WEARY...
QUALITY OF WHAT...
HIS LIFE CHANGES.
WILL CHANGE, AND YOU'LL
JUST GO INTO THAT
AND WE'LL EITHER QUIET IT
OR LOOSE IT OR...
VOICE OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
PAUL GIAMATTI.
THIS IS VOICE 1.01, TAKE ONE.
FROM THAT TIME,
FOR THE NEXT 7 GENERATIONS,
FROM FATHER TO SON,
EVERY ONE OF US WAS BORN
ON MANHATTAN ISLAND.
- THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
BURNS: SO WE'RE GONNA START
WITH A LITTLE SOUTHERN
AND KIND OF A LITTLE
EUGENE SLEDGE.
I DON'T HAVE HIS MIC
ON YET, SO...
AND THEN WE'LL MOVE BACK
TO SOME STRAIGHT STUFF
THAT WE WANTED TO HAVE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
HAPPILY.
THINGS GOING WELL?
YEAH, GOOD.
GOOD.
IT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL,
WILD YEAR, SO...
GOOD.
YEAH.
THIS IS VOICE 1.34,
TAKE ONE.
DEAR MR. PRESIDENT,
A FEW MINUTES BEFORE MIDNIGHT
ON MONDAY, AUGUST 13...
DEAR MR. PRESIDENT,
IT ALMOST SEEMED
THE OTHER NIGHT,
SITTING IN MY EASY CHAIR
IN THE LIBRARY...
I'M GOING TO BE
ON TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES
COMING UP SOON, AND IN IT,
I HAVE THINGS TO DO.
AND IT SAID, "MONEY COMING,
RESIDUALS ARRIVING."
AND I GOT ALL EXCITED
AND I RAN TO THE THING
AND I OPENED IT, AND I
COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.
I LOOKED DOWN.
IT WAS FOR TWO CENTS.
[LAUGHTER]
TWO [BLEEP] CENTS.
[LAUGHTER]
BURNS: YEAH, I REMEMBER
THE FIRST DAY OF FILM SCHOOL.
WE HAD A BIG, HUGE ARGUMENT, AND
IT WAS, LIKE, NOT FROM SCHOOL,
LIKE, A FILM CLASS
AT HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE.
IT'S SEPTEMBER OF 1971,
AND I VERY NAIVELY SAID,
"OH, YEAH, FILM'S GONNA MAKE YOU
DO SOMETHING," BUT IT WAS
GENERALLY ACCEPTED AT THE END
OF THE DISCUSSION
THAT I WAS NAIVE,
THAT, IN FACT,
FILMS DIDN'T DO ANYTHING,
THEY PREACHED TO THE CONVERTED,
AND THEY JUST, YOU KNOW,
REINFORCED WHAT YOU BELIEVED IN
OR REINFORCED WHAT YOU DIDN'T
BELIEVE IN, BUT THEY DIDN'T
MAKE YOU REALLY DO ANYTHING THAT
YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ALREADY DONE.
SO IT WAS GENERALLY ASSUMED
THAT I WAS WRONG AND NAIVE,
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN
MY FIRST FILM WAS BROADCAST
ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE,
THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE, YOU KNOW,
AROUND THE TIME OF
THE BROADCAST, TURNED 100...
MAY 24, 1983.
AND THERE WAS A FRONT-PAGE
ARTICLE, AND IT SHOWED
A COUPLE AND THEIR KIDS WALKING
ACROSS THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE.
THEY WERE FROM IDAHO,
AND THEY SAID THAT THEY'D SEEN
A DOCUMENTARY ON THE BROOKLYN
BRIDGE ON PUBLIC TELEVISION
AND DECIDED THEY'D ALWAYS
WANTED TO GO TO NEW YORK
AND DECIDED TO TAKE THEIR KIDS
AND TELL THEM HOW IT WAS BUILT.
AND I JUST... I CUT OUT THAT THING
AND I JUST SAID
TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE,
"I WAS RIGHT. YOU CAN."
THAT'S WHERE THE EMOTIONAL
ARCHEOLOGY COMES IN.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY
MOVE PEOPLE.
WE HAD ATTENDANCE
AT THE NATIONAL PARKS
SKYROCKETING
AFTER WORLD WAR II,
AND EVERYBODY WAS PUTTING
PEOPLE AND THE KIDS
IN THE STATION WAGON,
OR LATER THE MINIVAN, AND MAKING
THAT ICONIC 6-WEEK TRIP,
BUT AS WE GOT BUSIER AND BUSIER,
AS THE INTERNET INTRUDED
IN OUR LIVES, AND, YOU KNOW,
THAT KIND OF LEVELED OFF
IN THE NINETIES,
TOWARDS THE LATE NINETIES, AND
BEGAN TO EVEN DIP A LITTLE BIT
IN THE MID-AUGHTS,
AND OUR SERIES CAME OUT TOO LATE
FOR THE SUMMER SEASON OF '09
AND SEPTEMBER OF '09,
BUT THE NEXT YEAR,
THE ATTENDANCE WENT UP
15 MILLION PEOPLE,
AND THE SECRETARY
OF THE INTERIOR CALLED ME UP
AND HE SAID,
"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT."
I JUST WENT, "YAY," YOU KNOW.
THAT MEANT...
THAT WAS MORE THAN A THIRD
OF OUR AUDIENCE, THE FIRST TIME
IT WAS SHOWN,
GOT UP OFF THEIR DUFFS
AND WENT OUT
AND DID SOMETHING.
LOTS OF PEOPLE, AFTER OUR
"NATIONAL PARKS" FILM CAME OUT,
DECIDED, "WE NEED TO GET
OUR FAMILY IN THE CAR
OR ON AN AIRPLANE AND GO SEE
THESE THINGS OURSELVES."
AND WE HEAR ALL THE TIME
FROM PEOPLE WHO DID THAT
OR FROM PARK SERVICE PEOPLE
THAT SAY THAT PEOPLE ARE SHOWING
UP, AND ONE OF THE THINGS
THEY'RE MENTIONING
IS OUR FILM.
HEH! I MEAN, UH...
THAT'S WHAT YOU
DO IT FOR, RIGHT?
WE CARE ABOUT THE...
THIS IS... THIS IS
HONEYSUCKLE,
WHICH PUTS... I THINK,
OR A VARIATION...
PUTS US IN BEAR FOOD.
YEAH.
OH, THAT'S NICE.
LOOK AT THAT.
LOOK STRAIGHT UP.
I JUST LOVE THESE...
CASCADE.
FEELING IT RIGHT NOW.
IT'S VERY NICE.
[WATER SLOSHING]
♪
OH, YEAH.
LET'S CLIMB UP THERE, BUD.
I WOULD DO IT.
DUNCAN, VOICE-OVER:
BOY, MY FRIENDSHIP WITH HIM
HAS NOW GONE ON
FOR MANY YEARS
AND TAKEN US
TO WONDERFUL PLACES
AND MAKING FILMS THAT WE WERE
BOTH PASSIONATE ABOUT,
AND IT'S BROUGHT US BACK HERE
TO THIS ROOM SO MANY TIMES
WHEN WE WORKED TOGETHER TO TRY
TO DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN
TO TELL THE STORY THAT WE'VE
GONE OUT AND DISCOVERED.
HE LOVES TO TAKE ON A TOPIC AND
LEARN EVERYTHING HE CAN ABOUT IT
AND HE LOVES THEN THE PROCESS
OF REFINING WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED
TO TRY TO TELL A STORY,
AND TO TRY TO TELL A STORY
THAT WILL BE ACCURATE,
BE COMPELLING,
MAY INCLUDE THE...
WHAT HE CALLS
EMOTIONAL ARCHEOLOGY
TO REMIND US THAT ALL THE PEOPLE
IN HISTORY THAT WE LEARN ABOUT
WERE NOT CARDBOARD FIGURES,
THEY WERE REAL HUMAN BEINGS.
DAYTON DUNCAN IS,
YOU KNOW...
I MEAN, WE'RE BROTHERS,
YOU KNOW, SO COMPLETELY
WEDDED TOGETHER.
WE COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER,
WE'RE FIERCELY DEVOTED
TO WHAT WE KNOW AND WE FEEL,
AND WE ALSO HAVE A DEEP RESPECT,
WHEN THAT THING THAT WE FEEL
ISN'T EXACTLY WHAT
THE OTHER FEELS, TO PERMIT
THE OTHER TO HAVE THAT FEELING
AND REALIZE THAT THE OTHER
MIGHT BE RIGHT IN THE END.
AND SO WE... IT'S JUST BEEN
THIS EXTRAORDINARY PARTNERSHIP
ALMOST FROM THE FIRST TIME
I MET HIM.
WE DIDN'T START WORKING
FOR ANOTHER 10 YEARS TOGETHER,
BUT WHEN WE DID START WORKING,
WE HAVEN'T STOPPED.
AND AS HE'S CONTEMPLATING
RETIREMENT, I'M SORT OF, LIKE,
SAYING, "OK, WELL, HOLD THIS,"
AND HE GOES, "WELL, I'M GONNA
REALLY RETIRE,"
I SAY, "OK, HOLD THIS.
I STILL HAVE HIM INVOLVED, AND I
HOPE TO KEEP HIM SOMEHOW TRICKED
AND, LIKE, "LOOK OVER THERE,
OK, NOW YOU'RE WRITING THIS.
"OK, LOOK OVER THERE.
OK, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PRODUCE.
NO, NO, NO, BUT THIS
REALLY NEEDS YOUR HELP."
THAT HE AND I BOTH BELIEVE
THAT THE WORK YOU DO,
IF YOU LOVE IT
AND YOU THINK
IT HAS A PURPOSE,
THEN THAT IS...
THAT IS WHERE YOUR DESTINY,
IF YOU'RE LUCKY,
ULTIMATELY LEADS YOU.
BURNS: I THINK A LOT OF US
THINK THAT HAPPINESS IS
THIS GOD-GIVEN RIGHT,
WE SHOULD BE HAPPY AND CHEERFUL,
AND THAT, CLEARLY, ONE OF
THE EASY WAYS IS MATERIAL STUFF.
THAT'S NOT IT, AND WE FIND
THAT THE RICHER IS SADDER,
SADDER THAN MOST PEOPLE,
THAT THE POOREST GIVE AWAY MORE
OF THEIR DISPOSABLE...
IF THAT'S EVEN A WORD... INCOME
THAN THE RICH DO,
SO SOMETHING IS OFF HERE,
AND WHAT ACTUALLY JEFFERSON
MEANT BY "HAPPINESS"
AND WHAT THE FOUNDERS MEANT
BY "HAPPINESS" WAS SORT OF
LIFELONG LEARNING, AND THAT
MEANS, AT THE ULTIMATE END
OF THE DAY, YOU'RE ALWAYS
SEEKING TO BE A BETTER PERSON,
"TO BE A BETTER ANGEL,"
LINCOLN WOULD SAY, AND THAT'S
HOW TO BE BETTER...
"PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS,"
YOU KNOW,
"A MORE PERFECT NATION."
THIS IS NOTHING THAT YOU'VE
SAID WE'VE ARRIVED AT,
IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE TILTING
TOWARDS, AND IF YOU'RE HEADING
IN THAT DIRECTION,
THINGS ARE USUALLY GOOD.
IF YOU'RE NOT, THEN WE'RE
WRINGING OUR HANDS AND SAYING,
LIKE CHICKEN LITTLE,
"OH, THE SKY IS FALLING."
IT'S NOT, BUT WE DO HAVE
TO BE HEADING FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE TO BE
GETTING BETTER.
♪
BURNS: THIS IS ONE
OF MY FAVORITE SPOTS
BECAUSE EVERYTHING
YOU SEE
IS VERMONT THAT ISN'T
IN THE FOREGROUND
TREE LINE.
BURNS: WHEN I WAS MAKING
"THE CIVIL WAR" SERIES,
I WOULD GO OUT AND FILM
WALPOLE FROM THIS VANTAGE.
YOU CAN GO IN AND FIND,
IN "THE CIVIL WAR" SERIES,
WALPOLE IN ABOUT 5
OR 6 DIFFERENT PLACES.
I THINK THAT OUR MEMORIES ARE,
IN SOME WAYS, LITTLE FILM CLIPS,
AND THEN SOMETIMES WE
TELL ENOUGH STORIES
AND THEY GET SORT OF SO ENDOWED
THAT THEY DON'T BECOME... THEY'RE
NOT THE ACTUAL PHOTOGRAPHIC
OR FILM-CLIP MEMORIES,
BUT THEY GET...
THEY GET SORT OF...
THEY GET TURNED INTO STORIES
AND THEY GET PRACTICED, AND I'M
AS SUSCEPTIBLE TO ANY OF THAT
AS ANYBODY, BUT I ALSO
REMEMBER STUFF.
THERE WAS A GREAT MOMENT
WHEN I TAUGHT MY BIG KIDS,
WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE, BACK TO
MY TOWN IN DELAWARE, WHERE I HAD
GROWN UP AND PLAYED
LITTLE LEAGUE, AND IN THE BACK
OF MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,
WEST PARK PLACE ELEMENTARY,
I WENT TO THE PLACE
WHERE WE PLAYED BASEBALL,
AND I PLAYED OUT... THEY SAT THERE
WITH THEIR MOUTHS OPEN
AS I PLAYED BACK OR I REENACTED
LITTLE FILM CLIPS
OF WHEN I MADE A SPECTACULAR,
THROUGH-THE-LEGS PLAY,
FOR THAT SHORTSTOP TO THE SECOND
BASEMAN FOR A FORCE OUT,
OR WHEN I MADE A DIVING CATCH
IN RIGHT FIELD.
AND THEY WERE JUST IN AMAZEMENT,
AND I WAS AMAZED, TOO, THAT I
COULD, IN MY ADULT LIFE,
CATCH UP AND SORT OF REPLICATE
AND SORT OF MOVE
IN PARALLEL UNIVERSE
WITH WHAT HAD HAPPENED
WHEN I WAS 7 AND 8 AND 9.
IT WAS THRILLING.
♪
I HAVE THESE MOMENTS
WHERE I FEEL CONNECTED
TO THE YOUNG ME.
A LOT OF IT IS CONNECTED
WITH THE TRAGEDY
OF THE LOSS OF MY MOM.
IN FACT, I MADE A FILM
ABOUT A PAINTER NAMED
WILLIAM SEGAL AND WHEN WE WERE...
THE CAMERA WAS OFF, HE STARTED
TALKING TO ME, AND HE STARTED
SKETCHING ME WITHOUT LOOKING
DOWN, AND I TALKED TO HIM
AND I WAS MEETING HIS EYE,
AND SUDDENLY HE LOOKED DOWN
AND HE SAID, "OH, MY GOODNESS.
I'VE PAINTED A CHILD."
AND HE'D PAINTED ME AT AGE 8,
AND I'VE KEPT THAT
IN MY BEDROOM EVER SINCE.
HE LOOKED AT ME,
AND HE SAW EXACTLY
WHERE I WAS BOTH ARRESTED,
AND WHERE I... MEANING THE BOY
THAT HOPED THAT THE TRAGEDY
THAT WAS ABOUT TO OVERTAKE
HIS FAMILY WOULDN'T HAPPEN,
BUT HE'S STILL THERE, AND I
REMEMBER, JUST SHORTLY AFTER
MY 65th BIRTHDAY, AND I WAS
GOING TO SEE MY OLDEST DAUGHTER
AND MY SON-IN-LAW
AND MY GRANDKIDS,
AND I WAS BOUNDING UP THE SUBWAY
STAIRS, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,
I FELT THE 8-YEAR-OLD
BOUNDING ALONG WITH ME, TOO.
I MEAN, IT WAS LIKE I HAD
A MEMORY OF BOUNDING UP STAIRS
WITH A SIMILAR ABANDON, AND I
THOUGHT, "YEAH, IT'S JUST...
YOU KNOW, AGE IS JUST A NUMBER,"
AND THEN, OF COURSE,
EVERYTHING STARTED FAILING.
♪
MAN: MY JOB WAS TO GET SHOT AT.
MY JOB WAS DRAW ENEMY FIRE.
I WAS A DUCK DECOY.
I GOT SHOT AT A LOT.
I ENGAGED THE ENEMY A LOT.
♪
MAN: UH, YOU FOUND
IN MUSGRAVE
THE IDEAL PERSON, I THINK,
TO BE REPRESENTATIVE
OF SO MANY OF US
AND OUR... HURT
AND IN OUR...
THAT... THERE'S A LINE HE SAYS
NEAR THE END, "WHEN THE CHINOOKS
CAME DOWN AND TOOK US
AWAY, FOR WHAT?"
AND I, IN MY TIME
IN VIETNAM,
I THOUGHT THAT
EVERY DAY, VIRTUALLY.
WE'D GO IN SOMEWHERE,
AND SOMEONE MIGHT DIE,
AND HELICOPTERS WOULD TAKE US
AWAY AND WE'D THINK, "FOR WHAT?"
YOU CAPTURED THAT
THROUGH THAT
VERY COMPELLING FACE OF HIS.
SO EXPRESSIVE.
IT'S NOT JUST WHAT HE SAYS.
IT'S THE MOVEMENT
OF HIS EYES,
AND IT SHOWS
WHAT FILM CAN DO
THAT I'M NOT SURE
CAN BE DONE JUST WITH AUDIO.
IT'S A MIXTURE OF THAT GUY'S
EYES, AS CARL SAID,
LOOKING FOR
"WHAT SHOULD I SAY?"
♪
BURNS: THERE IS
A CERTAIN ARROGANCE TO PRESUME
THAT WE SOMEHOW CONTROL
OUR LIVES.
WE CAN.
WE CAN EXERT WILL
AT PARTICULAR TIMES
THAT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE,
CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
A MODESTLY TALENTED FILMMAKER
COMPLETING A FILM AND SOMEBODY
WHO MAYBE HAD MORE TALENT,
BUT DIDN'T HAVE
THE PERSEVERANCE, AND SO
THE PERSEVERANCE WINS
AND THE FILM IS MADE,
THE PERSEVERANCE FAILS
AND THE FILM DIDN'T GET MADE,
AND WE NEVER GET TO KNOW THAT
THAT WAS ANOTHER ORSON WELLES
OR ANOTHER WHATEVER, SO WE
CAN DO IT, BUT AT THE MOST PART,
WE SORT OF FEEL THAT
LARGER THINGS ARE HAPPENING,
AND THAT'S WHERE HUMILITY HAS TO
BE A HUGE PART OF WHO WE ARE.
WE HAVE TO FEEL THE FACT THAT
WE'RE JUST PART OF SOMETHING,
AND THE FACT THAT NONE OF US
GET OUT OF THIS ALIVE
HAS GOT TO BE,
YOU KNOW, HUMBLING.
WE SPEND ALMOST ALL OF OUR LIVES
TRYING TO AVOID THAT FACT,
WHICH IS WHY I'M SO DRAWN
TO ERNEST HEMINGWAY, A FILM
I'M WORKING ON RIGHT NOW,
IS 'CAUSE HE DIDN'T JUST
COURT DEATH IN A PHYSICAL SENSE,
BUT HE UNDERSTOOD
THAT THIS WAS AS BIG
A PART OF LIFE
AS LIFE WAS,
AND HE MOVED TOWARDS IT.
[STRINGS PLAYING]
♪
BURNS, VOICE-OVER:
THEY'RE WATCHING YOUR PROCESS,
JUST GATHERING A PIECE OF MUSIC,
SORT OF FUSSING WITH IT,
PLAYING WITH IT, TALKING
AMONG YOURSELVES OR FINDING IT,
AND THEN LAYING IT DOWN;
JUST IT FEELS SO SIMILAR,
LIKE THERE'S A KINSHIP,
YOU KNOW.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE THING...
IS THERE'S A KINSHIP.
WOMAN: IT'S CREATIVE.
WELL, LISTEN,
YOU KNOW WHAT WE THINK OF YOU.
HEH!
WE KNOW WHAT WE THINK
OF WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING
FOR DECADES
AND YOUR PROCESS OF DOING
VERY, VERY LARGE TOPICS
AND YOU GO REALLY DEEP INTO IT.
REALLY DEEP.
AND YOU REALLY FAN OUT
AND YOU TRY AND TELL
THE MULTI-PERSPECTIVE,
YOU KNOW, STORY,
AND FROM MANY,
MANY SIDES AND...
THAT IS
MULTI-PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT?
YES.
HA HA HA!
JUST WANTED
TO CHECK ON THAT.
YOU'RE GOOD.
YOU'RE GOOD.
HA HA! AND THAT'S HOW
INCREDIBLY RARE THAT IS,
AND WE'RE JUST KIND OF,
"WOW, THANK GOD YOU EXIST."
OH, WELL, IT'S FUNNY
BECAUSE I DON'T THINK
YOU'RE ABLE TO EVEN DO
AS DEEP A DIVE AS YOU'D
WANT TO DO UNLESS YOU
CAN BRING PEOPLE ALONG.
AND THE VEHICLE FOR
DOING THAT, THE FASTEST
WAY TO A PERSON'S
HEART, WHICH IS
THE SOUL OF THIS, IS
OPEN-HEART SURGERY,
IS MUSIC.
BURNS, VOICE-OVER: SO WE WERE
IN CONSULTANT'S MEETINGS
FOR "THE CIVIL WAR."
WE HADN'T EVEN STARTED EDITING,
BUT THE SCRIPTS WEREN'T DONE,
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'D ENGAGED
SCHOLARS AT THE BEGINNING,
TWO DOZEN OF THEM,
SOME PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS,
REALLY AMAZING PEOPLE.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE
OF THEM, VERY FEW HAD SENT
FIRST-PERSON QUOTES,
AND WE BEGGED THEM
FOR FIRST-PERSON QUOTES
SO WE COULD POPULATE IT NOT JUST
WITH EXPOSITION, BUT WITH
THE SOUND OF HOW PEOPLE SPOKE.
AND ONE DAY WE GOT A LETTER,
AND MY BROTHER CAME IN
AND SAID, "THIS IS WHAT
ROBERT JOHANSSON HAD SENT US."
HE HANDED IT TO ME, AND I
STARTED TO READ IT OUT LOUD
IN MY OFFICE,
SAME OFFICE I'M IN NOW,
AND BY THE END OF IT,
MY VOICE WAS CRACKING,
AND EVERYONE ELSE WAS IN TEARS.
I HANDED IT TO RICK, AND I SAID,
"MAKE A COPY OF IT AND PUT IT AS
THE LAST THING IN EPISODE ONE."
HE GOES, "BUT IT'S THE BATTLE
OF MANASSAS, WHICH IS ABOUT
20 MINUTES BEFORE THE END
OF EPISODE ONE."
AND I JUST SAID,
"PUT IT AT THE END.
IT'S WHAT THE WHOLE STAKES... IT'S
WHAT THE WHOLE FILM IS ABOUT."
AND, SO EVEN THOUGH WE'D
PASSED THAT BATTLE,
WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED,
HERE'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
AND IT'S ABOUT LOVE, AGAIN.
IT'S ABOUT LOVE OF COUNTRY,
LOVE OF GOVERNMENT,
LOVE OF CAUSE...
STUFF YOU DON'T HEAR
VERY MUCH TODAY...
LOVE OF FAMILY, LOVE OF WIFE,
LOVE OF PARTNER,
LOVE OF CHILDREN,
LOVE OF LOVE,
LOVE OF GOD... ALL OF THOSE THINGS
ARE IN THE LETTER, AND I TOOK
ONE OF THE COPIES AND PUT IT UP
ON MY WALL, AND I TOOK
ANOTHER ONE AND FOLDED IT UP
AND PUT IT IN MY WALLET.
AND FOR MANY YEARS
AFTER "THE CIVIL WAR,"
I CARRIED IT AROUND
AND WOULD READ IT PERIODICALLY
AND, YOU KNOW, "SARAH,
MY LOVE FOR YOU IS DEATHLESS.
"IT SEEMS TO BIND ME
LIKE MIGHTY CABLES THAT NOTHING
"BUT OMNIPOTENCE CAN HOLD,
AND YET MY LOVE OF COUNTRY
"COMES OVER ME LIKE
A STRONG WIND AND BEARS ME
IRRESISTIBLY
TO THE BATTLEFIELD."
YOU KNOW, I MEAN,
IT'S JUST... IT'S AMAZING.
IT'S JUST AN AMAZING LETTER
ABOUT LOVE, AND I THINK
EVERY, YOU KNOW, MAN WISHES
HE COULD SAY THESE THINGS
TO THE WOMAN HE LOVES, OR, MORE
IMPORTANTLY, EVERY WOMAN WISHES
HER MAN COULD SAY
THESE THINGS TO HER.
AND SO IT WAS A PERFECT THING.
IT FELL APART IN MY POCKET.
I USED TO BE ABLE TO PUT IT UP
INTO 8 OR 10 LITTLE PIECES,
AND THEN FINALLY
I JUST RETIRED IT.
AND IT'S FUNNY,
I END UP NOT MEMORIZING,
BUT I END UP REMEMBERING
LOTS OF QUOTES
IN THE COURSE OF WORKING
ON A FILM: YOU KNOW, "BASEBALL,"
THE OPENING NARRATION;
THIS QUOTE FROM WALT WHITMAN;
THIS QUOTE FROM ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
AND I NEVER FELT COMPELLED
TO COMMIT IT TO MEMORY.
IT'S JUST GOING TO BE ORGANIC,
WHAT GETS COMMITTED TO MEMORY,
AND FOR WHATEVER REASON,
THAT'S NOT ON THE HARD DRIVE,
BUT IT'S CERTAINLY
IN MY HEART.
DUNCAN: WE LEAVE HERE
TO GO SOMEPLACE,
BUT IT ALWAYS BRINGS US
BACK TO WALPOLE
BECAUSE IT'S HOME, AND IT'S
BECAUSE IT'S WHERE WE DO
THE WORK THAT WE DO,
AND WE ARE LUCKY.
MAN: CHORUS.
ALL: ♪ I SAW THE LIGHT ♪
♪ I SAW THE LIGHT ♪
♪ NO MORE DARKNESS,
NO MORE NIGHT ♪
♪ NOW I'M SO HAPPY,
NO SORROW IN SIGHT ♪
♪ PRAISE THE LORD,
I SAW THE LIGHT ♪
[PLAYING
A HARMONICA SOLO]
♪
ALL: ♪ NOW I'M SO HAPPY,
NO SORROW IN SIGHT ♪
♪ PRAISE THE LORD ♪
♪ I SAW THE LIGHT ♪
♪
DUNCAN: DON'T GET
ABOVE YOUR RAISING.
YOU'RE REMINDED OF THAT
MORE OFTEN IN A SMALL TOWN,
WHERE YOU'RE MORE LIKELY
TO RUN INTO SOMEBODY
THAT, IF YOU'RE NOT FOLLOWING
THAT GOOD ADVICE,
ARE LIKELY TO... LITTLE MORE
LIKELY TO SAY, YOU KNOW,
"DON'T GET ABOVE
YOUR RAISING THERE, PAL,"
YOU KNOW,
"YOU'RE ONE OF US."
I'M NOT SURE
THAT I EVER WANT
TO PUT MY AUDIENCE
IN MY FILMS,
LET ALONE ANYONE ELSE'S FILMS
THAT MIGHT BE ABOUT ME,
IN A POSITION TO TELL THEM WHAT
TO FEEL OR WHAT TO EXPERIENCE.
I KNOW THAT I WOULD LIKE
MY GRAVESTONE
TO READ...
BESIDES "GOOD FATHER,"
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING,
IF THERE IS ROOM...
THE CHORUS OF A TUNE
THAT I USED
IN THE "WORLD WAR II" FILM,
WRITTEN BY, NOW, A DEAR FRIEND
OF MINE, GENE SCHEER.
IT'S CALLED "AMERICAN ANTHEM,"
AND HE SAID, "LET THEM SAY
OF ME I WAS ONE WHO BELIEVED
"IN SHARING THE BLESSINGS
I HAVE RECEIVED,
"LET ME KNOW IN MY HEART
WHEN MY DAYS ARE THROUGH,
AMERICA, AMERICA,
I DID MY BEST FOR YOU."
♪