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. In part one, Twain's life is profiled from his birth to age 50. Burns explores his dual personality (the rich, sometimes greedy Clemens and the down-home and humorous Twain) and looks at the effect Twain's masterpiece Huckleberry Finn had on American literature. The era in which Twain flourished is captured through photographs of Twain's New York, and footage of the grand Mississippi River. Novelist Russell Banks and playwright Arthur Miller give insightful commentary.