The Massachusetts 54th
Colored Infantry (American Experience)
Picture: C
Sound: C+ Extras: C- Main Program: B-
In a poignant and powerful installment of the great
WGBH/PBS series The American Experience, Morgan Freeman narrates the
story of The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry. Encompassing the many moral dilemmas and
ugly truths of The Civil War in general and how they have affected the U.S. to
this day in particular, the tale is told of how African Americans slowly began
to see a thaw in the country when the North/South war was breaking out. Many of them decided to fight, despite all
the terrible inequities (no money, no citizenship, no respect, no real break in
racism) and disgusting realities that faced them. Though it would only make a nominal difference at the time, they
had nothing to loose and wanted change, even at the cost of their own lives.
The high number who fought and died is shocking, and to
this date, they still have not received the credit they deserve for being
groundbreakers in ways they could have not have begun to imagine in their
time. The only thing that stops this
from being a greater show is that it is not long enough, running just under an
hour. It is still plenty powerful and
vital, so be sure to see it.
The 1.33 X 1 image is a mix of film, stills and video, but
is a little noisier than usual. Is it
grain or a transfer noise issue? Either
way, it is not as clear as WGBH titles like this in The American Experience
series as usual, especially considering it was first broadcast in 2005. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has no
surrounds, but sounds fine, including with Freeman’s narration. Once again, the only extras are the usual
weblink and DVD-ROM document you can download.
- Nicholas Sheffo
