AllMovie

The newest project from the master of documentaries deals with the life of author Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), one of America's most beloved writers and historical characters from the 19th century. Ken Burns worked for nearly three years and drew from 100 hours of filmed material and hundreds of photos to complete the two-part, four-hour PBS series. Part two deals with Twain's twilight years, which were mired with dwindling success, impending bankruptcy and the deaths of his youngest daughter and his wife. Burns' documentary takes a look at Twain's darkest novel The Mysterious Stranger, and delves into his riff with President Theodore Roosevelt over America's politics of imperialism.