Not For Ourselves Alone: The Story Of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony

Director: Ken Burns Ken Burns

Overview

Ken Burns directed this documentary on two of the pioneering figures in the women's rights movement, which has been given a straightforward presentation on DVD. Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Stanton & Anthony has been transferred to disc in the full-frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and the audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Stereo. The narration and interviews are in English, with no multiple language options. As a bonus, this edition includes a featurette on the making of the film, as well as an interview with director Ken Burns and producer Paul Barnes.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/28/2004
UPC:	0841887051361
Original Release:	1999
Rating:	NR
Source:	Pbs (Direct)
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Full Frame]
Time:	3:00:00
Sales rank:	51,703

Special Features

Closed Caption; "The Making of Not for Ourselves Alone"; An interview with Ken Burns and Paul Barnes

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Sally Kellerman	Narrator
Ronnie Gilbert	Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Julie Harris	Susan B. Anthony
Amy Madigan	Voice Only
Adam Arkin	Voice Only
Tim Clark	Voice Only
Kevin Conway	Voice Only
Ann Dowd	Voice Only
Charles Durning	Voice Only
Carolyn McCormick	Voice Only
Kathleen Barry	Voice Only

Technical Credits

Geoffrey C. Ward

Ken Burns	Director,Cinematographer,Producer
Paul Barnes	Producer
Allen Moore	Cinematographer
Buddy Squires	Cinematographer
Geoffrey C. Ward	Screenwriter

Scene Index

Side #1 --
1. Introduction [11:58]
2. I Wish You Were a Boy [7:18]
3. A Drudge Or a Doll [3:38]
4. A New Revelation [3:40]
5. A Reformer [4:54]
6. Mental Hunger [4:55]
7. Seneca Falls, NY (July 19-20, 1848) [11:54]
8. A Caged Lion [10:39]
9. Women's Souls [11:19]
10. Man's Sense of Justice [10:23]
11. The Negro's Hour [10:19]
12. Credits [3:50]
1. Introduction [6:38]
2. Done It!! [10:38]
3. Spreading the Word [6:30]
4. Making History [9:49]
5. Wedded to an Idea [10:50]
6. The Solitude of Self [9:18]
7. An Awful Hush [13:44]
8. A Little Bit of Justice [7:29]
9. Winter Wheat [11:31]
10. Credits [3:47]

Menu

Side #1 --
   Play Movie
   Scene Selections
      Part I - Revolution
      Part II - Failure Is Impossible
   Special Features
      The Making of Not For Ourselves Alone
      Photo Credits
   PBS Online

Editorial Reviews

Between the honest intentions and the overall impact of this portrait of the two most important figures in women's history of the 19th century lies a gap. It's not an enormous one, but it is significant enough to note, and it does highlight the limitations of the Ken Burns style of documentary filmmaking. As always, Burns' film (which he co-produced with Paul Barnes-no director credit is given) is impeccably produced, from the gorgeous cinematography of historical locations, the selection of evocative still photographs, the astute choice of voiceover artists, and the low-key music. The historians selected to comment on the story, all of them women, are uniformly articulate and passionate about this very important subject. It's a great, neglected story, but it finally does not come to life. In some ways, the fact that both women did not live long enough to see their struggle bear real fruit (both had been dead for almost twenty years when the constitutional amendment granting women's suffrage was passed) blunts the impact. But the film has a difficult time portraying the intricate relationship of his leading ladies. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the more philosophical of the two, while Susan B. Anthony was the tireless soldier, riding trains back and forth across the country to speak for their cause wherever a crowd would gather. Some of this comes through in the women's writing, but the serene photographs fall short of conveying the frisson of their friendship and of the movement in general. It's unfair to compare this to Burns's better-known works on the Civil War, baseball, and jazz, but each of those subjects did offer inherently riper visuals (and in one case, audio material), which Burns certainly made full use of. This is not to say that Not for Ourselves isn't a very valuable piece of historical filmmaking, just that its potential for emotional connection isn't fully realized. One could hope that a skilled dramatization might some day be mounted to give flesh to these remarkable women.

All Movie Guide - Tom Wiener