As The National Parks: America's Best Idea rolls out this week, it leaves in its wake many, many reviews and critiques. In his assessment, Dan Lenihan finds only a few faults of substance with the 12-hour mini-series on national parks.
A recently retired National Park Service ranger, Mr. Lenihan brings to his critique an insider's eye for analyzing both the cinematography as well as the content. Written for Natural History Magazine, the review immediately notes that a key point of the documentary that can get lost amid the gorgeous landscapes and compelling historical figures is that ...it was in America that the natural landscape was first determined to be a national birthright and set aside for the many rather than the privileged.
And yet, notes Mr. Lenihan, coming to grips with that birthright wasn't without conflict.
Competing elements of the American spirit rubbed sparks throughout the heated growth of the national park system. The film reminds us that besides being the land of the free, America was also the land of Manifest Destiny, with an endless frontier available for the taking by simply heading west and displacing any aboriginal species, including humans, that got in the way. Endless resources were available for target practice from the train, and the same American ethos that permitted the near destruction of the bison and the complete eradication of the passenger pigeon somehow accommodated what became the most enlightened approach to conservation ever conceived.
...The conflict between faith in the ultimate beneficence of the free market and belief in the value of government control takes root early in the story, and as the episodes go by we see those hands played over and over. Western politicians operating nearest to the parks had the greatest stake in seeing the federal government’s protective mantle removed. That the parks should come to be seen as national properties owned by all Americans, rather than as resources to be exploited by those living in closest proximity, was—and still is—of critical importance.
The shortcomings of the series, in Mr. Lenihan's opinion, is that it concentrates only on the 58 "national parks," and that it gives short shrift to units of the National Park System that deal with cultural or historical resources.
At one point the narrator remarks that a certain visitor’s souvenir “passport” indicated he had visited “every one of the fifty-eight National Parks.” But nearly six times that number of units are recognized under other designations—National Monuments, National Seashores, National Historic Sites, and so on. All 391 areas have stamps for the visitor’s passport, and the resources in all of them are treated equally by rangers. The difference is often more one of nomenclature and legalities than of real significance.
Until episode 5, when the series deals with the 1933 reorganization that unified historic, military, and natural monuments under the Park Service, very short shrift is given to archaeological or historical parks. While the Service’s change of focus from scenery to ecosystems is well presented, the melding of human history with natural history is not adeptly handled. The National Park Service operates in a world composed of both natural and cultural values, and more than half the units in the system are primarily archaeological or historical in emphasis— but only one of those (Mesa Verde) is designated a National Park. The film’s approach diminishes the role of cultural sites in the viewer’s eyes.
And yet, in summation, the series is certainly worth your time, Mr. Lenihan concludes.
But on the whole, the series is, in my estimation, not just good but excellent. Although many think of Burns as a pictorial historian, he has eluded the curse of that genre, which is to fall too much in love with available imagery, thereby putting prose in thrall to the splash of color on the screen. The subtext of this series is that the story of the National Parks is the story of America. That gives the film the potential for either true greatness or true overreaching. It does not overreach.
You can find the entire review here: http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/features/041480/enjoy-and-conserve
Comments
Concentrating on only the national "parks" is a huge disservice to the National Park System and Mr. Burns. As we all know, designations are often political whim. Presumably, if this show was made 10 years ago he would have omitted Cuyahoga Vally and Congaree. Yet those parks did not change when their names did! So Dinosaur National Monument, Craters of the Moon National Monument, Pinnacles National Monument, and other outstanding natural areas are not included - not to mention the historical and cultural places. What's worse, the companion book shows a map of the "national parks" and all these other areas are missing. This show could have been a great opportunity to remind people of the national parks in their full representation of America. Instead, it reinforces a misconception about the National Park System, could lead to even more overcrowding in the parks that do get mentioned, further neglect to the parks that do not get noticed, and worst of all, less support for the national parks because they are "not in my state" or "too far away" to visit.
Just finished watching the first episode which I considered excellent. Ken Burns only has 12 hours to deal with the units designated as a "National Park". To deal with all the other types of units with the same level of quality could easily take another 50 hours. Covering all aspects of the National Park System in the limited amount of time would have, in my opinion, led to a lower quality program. I hope Ken Burns does eventually get around to the other units.
Phil
Well, to turn it around, instead of asking why the film doesn't emphasize non-"national parks" you might ask why Mesa Verde and Hot Springs are national parks instead of national historical parks or sites.
I'll let someone else speak to the matter of Hot Springs, but I would like to point out these Mesa Verde facts. Mesa Verde's claim to national park status dates back over a century (Congress designated Mesa Verde a national park in 1906). The park is not only a World Heritage Site with some of the most important cultural artifacts in the Western Hemisphere, it is also huge (nearly 82 square miles) and includes 8,500 acres of federally protected wilderness (there is actually lots more wilderness than that, too). This is not to mention that the scenery is gorgeous. Just what in the heck more would we want a National Park to be?
I've never heard anyone question whether Mesa Verde should be a national park. Even though it protects some of the most significant historic artifacts and dwellings in North America, and even though most of the park's wilderness and backcountry is off-limits to the public, Mesa Verde meets just about anyone's definition of a national park: A place of broad ecological and/or historical significance that protects a wide range of resources. In this case, that's wilderness, Ancestral Puebloan history and much more. Now, if you're looking for a national park that never deserved that designation, you don't even have to cross state lines: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, as astoundingly beautiful as it is, was created in part to be a tourism boon for neighboring Montrose. Really, for Black Canyon to rise to "national park" standards, it needs to be greatly expanded to include neighboring Gunnison Gorge NCA and some nearby private and BLM lands. As it is now, its original national monument status would be quite adequate.
I think most readers of NPT rank one particular National Park as even less deserving of Park status than BLCA.
Episode 1 was obviously dominated by Yosemite & Yellowstone: that's what the narrative was. But, while they don't all get name-checks, I sure saw a lot of images from National Monuments in the eye-candy sequences.
Love the introduction presented by Ken Burns. Quite powerful in how it establishes the historical foundation of the national parks by enriching it with first class historians, writers, poets and painters. Well balanced for the first episode. Very moving in how they establish John Muir as a pilot character in the preservation of Yosemite National Park. Excellent use on historical documents and photos. Very well done!
Hey everyone!
I wanted to spread the word about the National Park Foundation's BEST IDEA TRIVIA. All of the info is on their website http://www.nationalparks.org/bestidea .... but basically, each night after the PBS broadcast, the National Park Foundation will post a trivia question about that night's show. The question will stay posted on the website until the NPF posts a new one before the next day's show.... If you answer the question correctly, your name will be entered into a daily prize drawing. ALL OF THE PRIZES ARE GREAT!! People have a chance to win gifts ranging from Parks Passes to Merrill Gift Cards to Hertz gift certifitcates, ABI stuff etc, etc, etc.
I hope you enjoy the show as much as I do! Happy watching and good luck. :)