Washington (2020)
Director: Matthew Ginsburg, Roel Reiné
Starring: Nicholas Rowe, Jeff Daniels, Hainsley Lloyd Bennett
Episodes: 3
Synopsis:
A look at the life of George Washington, from his early military career during the French and Indian War to his retirement to Mount Vernon after his presidency.
Impressions:
With this year's release of Young Washington, this documentary happened to catch my eye as I was scrolling through the available in-flight entertainment. I used to be an avid viewer of documentaries and such, so I was happy to dedicate a decent chunk of my flight to this. We cover over 40 years of Washington's life divided into three parts: his younger years seeking to make a name for himself in the British Army, his time in the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and then his time as President up to his death. I really do think at least two actors should have portrayed Washington to make Part 1 more believable, but Nicholas Rowe does well. It's something similar to Nigel Terry in Excalibur playing Arthur from the Sword in the Stone to the Battle of Camlann. I particularly like the intense glare he has in tense moments. He's not much of a physical resemblance to Washington, but his performance does a good job of carrying the dramatizations. Speaking of the dramatizations, the production values are quite good for a documentary and the battle scenes surprisingly gory when you would normally expect it to be a little more sanitized. The commentators range in quality, but we get fairly even-handed treatment, even when you might expect people who have axes to grind. Whichever side of the aisle you're on, you're not likely to take too much offense unless it's over the fact that they don't go hard enough in your direction of choice.
Overall, I found this to be rather good and worth a watch for anyone with an interest in the person of Washington himself and/or this particular period of American history. There may be an odd tidbit or two that even someone who considers themselves fairly well-versed may be surprised to discover.
Rating:Watch It