David Grubin Movies

Emmy award-winning filmmaker David Grubin explores the struggle of a tiny minority to integrate itself into the American mainstream while remaining true to their roots in this documentary that begins as 17th Century Jews arrive in New Amsterdam, and traces their journey as they contend with racism and suspicion in a fledgling republic. Ever since the first Jews arrived in America, their efforts to embrace the new culture while simultaneously maintaining tradition has often found them frequently branded as outsiders. When the first Jews landed on American shores in 1654, New Amsterdam governor Peter Stuyvesant attempted to reject them to no avail. Overruled by his superiors in the Netherlands - who claimed that Jews could contribute to the growth of the newly founded colony as well as anyone else - Stuyvesant relented, and a new era was underway. Over the course of the next few centuries, the Jews would play prominent roles in such important phases of United States history as the Civil War and westward expansion. From politics to entertainment, the Jews would continue to display their unique talent for innovation and adaptation in a wide variety of arenas. Yet despite the fact that the separation of church and state would open up a wide world of opportunities for them, the American Jew continued to endure anti-Semitism at the behest of such powerful figures as automotive magnate Henry Ford. Through it all, however, their spirits remained eternally hopeful, and forever unbroken. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Explore the live of the woman whose name has become synonymous with the French monarchy as filmmakers explore just how one wanton sovereign set into motion the wheels of the French Revolution. From her early childhood in the powerful Austro-Hungarian Empire to her grim final hours in a French prison cell, this two-hour portrait of Marie Antoinette paints a vivid portrait of a historical figure that was as tragic as she was courageous. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

This documentary explores Robert Kennedy's life and his search for a purpose to devote it to both before and after his legendary brother's death. Sympathetic and tragic, the perspective of this program is that Robert Kennedy's true voice was suppressed over and over again until it was silenced forever with an assassin's bullet. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide

With its billions of cells linked by trillions of connections, the human brain is the most complex thing in the universe. Within weeks of conception, fetal brain cells develop at the rate of 500,000 per minute. From birth to age one an infant's brain is most easily molded by external influences and experiences. The first hour of "The Baby's Brain," volume one in a series on The Secret Life of the Brain, focuses on the formation of the infant brain, examining such factors as brain organization and the roles of genetics and environment on brain development. ~ Kathryn Tamms, All Movie Guide

This is the final part of a three-video, six-hour program that originally aired February 19-21, 2001, as a presentation of the acclaimed PBS series The American Experience. The program focuses on the marriage of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln, and is one of the first documentaries to do so. In the third part, a series of tragedies overwhelms Mary. Lincoln's urgent need to manage the war hurts the marriage, leaving Mary feeling isolated, especially in light of the death of their son Willie. Often accused of being a Confederate sympathizer, Mary ultimately loses three brothers in battle against the Union. After the president is assassinated, she's devastated. Six years later, after her son Tad dies young of tuberculosis, she loses her sanity and spends the last 17 years of her life institutionalized. Narrated by David McCullough, the program also features interviews with scholars and readings by actors David Morse and Holly Hunter. Highlights include period photographs. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide

This PBS documentary is in four episodes, which look at the life and achievements of Napoleon Bonaparte, who at one time ruled over more than 70 million people in Europe. The historic drama by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker David Grubin follows Napoleon from his early days in Corsica through his rise and subsequent loss of power. Narrated by David McCullough, the series uses period paintings and images, costumes, and re-enactments on location in the beautiful Italian and French countryside to tell the story. The first episode traces Napoleon's beginnings in a farmhouse in Corsica and his rise through the ranks as a soldier, which convinced him he was destined to become ruler of all. His affair of the heart with Josephine de Beauharnais, who became his first wife, is also covered. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide

This is the second episode in a four-part PBS documentary by filmmaker David Grubin. The film tells the story of one of the most fascinating characters in the history of the world: Napoleon Bonaparte. The film traces Napoleon's steps through school in Paris, and his subsequent meteoric rise through the ranks of the French military. With period images and re-enactments, the viewer sees his campaigns in Italy and Egypt, his love affair and marriage to Josephine, and his assumption to the French throne in 1805. His achievements, including the Napoleonic Code and the Bank of France, are highlighted. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide

The 19th century saw technological, industrial, and cultural advancements in America beyond the imagination. This four-part program documents America in the year 1900 where a series of tragic events would test the richness and optimism symbolic of its time: a deadly explosion in a coal mine in Utah; a devastating hurricane in Texas; two brutal wars overseas; and all year, assassins would plot to murder the president of the United States. It was a year of dichotomy, where inventions and expansion brought material and industrial richness while at the same time, the struggle for racial justice, worker's rights, and a growing immigrant population created shifts in power structures and change in our cultural landscape. From President William McKinley's fight for reelection and the sensation of his running mate Theodore Roosevelt to social campaigns on the environment and public morality, America struggled with its national identity as well as positioning itself as a world power. It was at the turn of the 20th century that America's prosperity and optimism seemed unstoppable. ~ Brooke Hodess, All Movie Guide