Bill Moyers – In Search Of The Constitution (1987/Athena/Acorn Media DVD Set)
Picture: C Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Episodes: B
In what
is turning out to be a major series of DVD releases from his long and
impressive series of TV specials, Athena has added to box sets of Bill Moyers
materials starting with In Search Of The
Constitution from 1987. This four
DVD set has 11 episodes covering the advent of the document, then moves on to
Mr. Justice Blackmun, Mortimer Adler:
Teaching The Constitution, Mr. Justice Brennan,. Ronald Dworkin: The Changing Story, God & The Constitution, Strictly
Speaking, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, For
The People, 1987 vs. The Constitution
and Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. in a still-timely look at the law of the land.
Since
then, Republican managed to get justices on the U.S. Supreme Court who were
just as far to the Right as the rejected Robert Bork, plus ideas like The
Patriot Act and other unfortunate developments (including many of the
cyber/Internet age not considered as widely as they may have been in 1987) are
also still in the sites of this elongated look at law. We get many great interviews, questions,
facts and history; the kind you rarely see on law anywhere anymore, so despite
being a little dated, the series holds up well.
Though
text on Moyers and updates on those who participated are included on the DVDs,
as well as a 16-page booklet that adds to the shows are included, no
continuation or update on the issues was included. Maybe that will be the basis for a new
special, one that cannot arrive fast enough.
Overall, this is a strong set and very much worth your time, especially
if you have concerns or questions about law and how it works in a free society.
The 1.33
X 1 image was shot on analog NTSC videotape and is on the soft side throughout,
so expect the image to be dated and challenging, with haloing and aliasing
errors, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is simple and can show its age, but
is clean and clear enough to enjoy. It
is not as worn as you might expect from the average image quality.
For more
Moyers DVD releases, try these links:
Joseph Campbell – The Power Of
Myth
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10329/Joseph+Campbell+on+The+Power+of
Genesis: A Living Conversation +
On Faith & Reason
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10579/Bill+Moyers:+On+Faith+and+Reason
A World Of Ideas: Writers
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10786/Bill+Moyers+%E2%80%93+A+World
- Nicholas Sheffo
