This is a fascinating story about the history of Nazism in the United States, from the 1930s through the early 2000s. There is excellent archival footage here, and lots of interviews.
The most rewarding part of the documentary is the first half, which focuses on the 1930s and 1940s. This documentary is also the first I've seen that discusses the American Nazi movement during the war. It is also the only one I've seen that discusses German and Italian internment during World War II.
I have two criticisms. The first is that the documentary should be a half-hour longer. Near the end, several Nazi movements and acts are condensed. These warranted more attention. I understand that two hours is pretty much the upper limit for a television program, but there's so much more to be said about the late 1990s and early 2000s! The release date is 2000, but at one point, the announcer says that one of the interviewees died in 2004. Confusing.
The second criticism is that the documentary painfully points out during almost every story that American freedoms allow Nazis to exist. Okay, we've got it! It felt like an afterthought, like a higher-up said the documentary threatened to make America look bad.
It's a captivating chapter of American history and identity. If you can catch this on the History Channel, it's worth your time.
The most rewarding part of the documentary is the first half, which focuses on the 1930s and 1940s. This documentary is also the first I've seen that discusses the American Nazi movement during the war. It is also the only one I've seen that discusses German and Italian internment during World War II.
I have two criticisms. The first is that the documentary should be a half-hour longer. Near the end, several Nazi movements and acts are condensed. These warranted more attention. I understand that two hours is pretty much the upper limit for a television program, but there's so much more to be said about the late 1990s and early 2000s! The release date is 2000, but at one point, the announcer says that one of the interviewees died in 2004. Confusing.
The second criticism is that the documentary painfully points out during almost every story that American freedoms allow Nazis to exist. Okay, we've got it! It felt like an afterthought, like a higher-up said the documentary threatened to make America look bad.
It's a captivating chapter of American history and identity. If you can catch this on the History Channel, it's worth your time.
