You know, when you sit back and complain about things, about the state of our country and all of the things that need fixing, it does you good to take a step back and say to yourself "well somebody must be doing things right because we have so many things that are the envy of the world!"
The National Parks system is a reminder to us that there are (although it's increasingly rare these days) altruistic people who do enter public life and work for the good of the people! It's not a long list for sure and I'm scratching my head to find any other than Roosevelt who have given as much benefit to the American public.. This documentary shows that there are many heroes whose praise has gone unsung, only because the work they did seemed to be formalizing the natural rights of Americans. Thank goodness these protagonists came together at the right time and the right places. If not, the entire areas would be in the hands of privateers, stripped of any value, whether animal, vegetable or mineral, to be left as vast scarred wastelands for eternity. The story is, as you would expect, masterfully told by Burns, weaving into the political battle the aching beauty and restorative power of our National Parks.
The filming and commentary somehow reawakens the overpowering feelings you experienced when you yourself were standing on a Rockies promontory or walking through a Utah sandstone desert. This is a true tour-de- force of storytelling, history and filmmaking. Burns is every bit as awe-inspiring as the parks themselves
