Search - American Experience: The Rockefellers on DVD

Dynasty

Jeffery Mingo | Homewood, IL USA | 06/19/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This series is lllllloooonnnngggg!!! Still, I enjoyed it. I wonder about how the rich get rich and stay rich. This work illustrates that via one family. Some may feel that the Rockefellers are yesteryear's news, but the topics presented here are very similar to what Bill Gates is facing. This work moves from monopolies to philanthropy to politics. What stood out to me is how ever Rockefeller generation did something differently once the parents died and couldn't chastise them. I think many young people may relate to wanting to free themselves from older authorities.

The first rich Rockefeller lost all his hair. They had an interviewee with no eyebrows. I wonder if they purposely chose her because she was missing hair that most people still possess. One interviewee had really bad teeth that any dentist could have fixed. One Rockefeller descendant interviewed had a Band-Aid on his head. I think that points to his humanity that he was willing to be filmed bandaged when he could have requested an interview after the cut on his head healed.

Several Rockefellers, of various ages and genders, gave interviews for this work. They must have approved of the documentary if they willingly participated. Though the work speaks of condemnation of the Rockefellers by the public, they also just reported the facts. Perhaps the neutrality of the work persuaded the family to get involved in it.

I was going to title my review "For those whom much is given" and then one Rockefeller actually spoke that line himself. Perhaps it's a given that the mega-rich have responsibilities in addition to their numerous advantages."

I couldn't wait to watch this again...

Danielle Norwood | Salina, KS United States | 02/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As someone who is a lover of biographies, especially political biographies, I was thrilled the first time that PBS ran this series on the Rockefellers. I only knew bits and pieces about the family from articles that I read. But, watching the miniseries really sparked my fascination. To see how the family evolved from the patriarch, old "devil" Bill Rockefeller, into the philanthropic dynasty that we know was a particularly interesting journey. I would encourage everyone to buy this series because it combines all the elements of a good story: love, sex, angst, losses and victories. You won't be disappointed."