Ken Burns: 'Best Cast in Cinema' for Revolution Epic

Veteran documentarian Ken Burns recently discussed his filmmaking philosophy at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. He described his latest work, the six-part, 12-hour series "The American Revolution," as featuring the "best cast in cinema." This epic utilizes approximately 400 first-person accounts voiced by 61 actors, including notable figures like Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hanks, and Meryl Streep.

Burns explained his method as "emotional archaeology," which involves treating still photographs with the grammar of feature filmmaking, complete with surrounding sounds. He views sentimentality and nostalgia as detrimental to his craft, seeking instead to animate historical images and make historical words feel dimensional. His approach is rooted in a desire to 'wake the dead,' a concept shared by his late father-in-law.

The filmmaker expressed a preference for exploring complex questions over providing definitive answers, particularly regarding national identity, summarizing this with the mantra "it's complicated." Burns also touched upon literary and biblical influences, citing Ecclesiastes and the concept of history rhyming. He champions "negative capability," allowing historical contradictions to coexist without forcing a simple moral interpretation.