I started watching this on Netflix. I stopped watching this about 20 minutes in. Historical blunders everywhere! Just one example: In one scene men are using a two-man saw to cut a tree. They are sawing on the downhill side of the tree, which is NOT the way to do it at all. One would use an axe to cut a wedge out of the down side of the tree, then go uphill of the tree and saw on that side. The tree would lean downhill, and fall in the natural direction. The way the men are depicted trying to do it would only result in a saw stuck in the tree. Some will say, what does it matter? Sawing trees is not critical to the plot. But if the little details of life are wrong, the greater parts of this mini-series are also suspect. I couldn't stand to watch it. Bleh.

This series resided on my DVR for a full year before viewing. I'm confused. Maybe I lost sight of the forest for the trees. This film seems to do nothing more than what Hollywood consistently does to musicians, portray them as a bad cliché. While production standards are well executed, those are the only things I give kudos to on this production. Costner and Paxton are the standouts in the film, as they are the only two that the film /script allows for any real character development. As there are so MANY players in the film, the rest of the performances get a bit muddied from time-to-time. Im amazed how many night sequences were in this film. I am from WV and I can tell you traveling at night in the woods of WV is simply not possible, especially during that time. The pacing of the film is inconsistent, with at least an hour possible to truncate from its length. What sticks out the most to me, aside from the rushed dialog, is the persistent casual murderous intent and reactions to death. Its a wonder our population grew at all, as everyone seems to look for some minuscule reason to kill, and only care about it to exact revenge to kill some more. Its hard for me to believe that just 150 years ago we were such a nation of savages and sociopaths, at least drug dealers kill each other for business reasons. Or is it, we ( West by-God Virginians actually weren't as bad as the film portrays but, once again, are stereotyped for entertainment purposes? Lastly, the still-framed epilogue of the film runs by so fast and is so incomplete, that a lot of the real questions never get answered, in other words 5 hours of film, and then a summarization that last only a few seconds and barely addresses the key points of story, characters, and outcome. I don't need to see this one twice.

Fantastic historical docudrama of an American family feud that began soon after the Civil War continuing for almost three decades. Excellent acting, and research EXCEPT for one fairly strange oversight on the part of the screenwriters -- A congregation is singing "Are You Washed In the Blood?" soon after the War as McCoy and his wife walk arm in arm into church --.. problem is -- this traditionally recognized tune to the lyrics were not set to music until 1888... two decades after McCoy returns from the War. Other than that glitch -- it's a pretty darn good movie and definitively intriguing tragic slice of Americana.Another interesting tidbit about the film is that this very "American" historical story is filmed in Romania. According to commentary about this point, it was because there are apparently no native, unmarked forest or mountain ranges comparable to West Virginia or Kentucky in which it could be filmed due to the extent of power lines, etc. I find it difficult to believe that with all the cinematographic advances enjoyed by movie goers, there wouldn't be a way to edit 'ink over' or erase any possible power lines IF they were to appear in a film sequence. Just a thought.

Apparently, this set a viewing record for cable TV and was nominated for no less than 15 Emmies. On one hand, it is good to know there is a modern audience for westerns, a genre that has largely drowned in the Lucas-noise of the last 30 years. And I fully support the mini-series format, it may just be the right canvas for cinematic narrative these days—indeed, it seems that quality American narrative tradition has largely moved to TV.On the other hand, we get close to 5 hours of the following:1) repetitive bushwacking to the point of complete numbness, and the same dour, one-note mugging throughout by rival family patriarchs Costner and Paxton. (this Deadwood writer ought to have studied Lonesome Dove: you CAN show broken lives in the afterglow of dreams)2) trite soap opera on an emotional level, with a Romeo and Juliet subplot that entirely drags this down like the James subplot does Twin Peaks.3) the same bleached , dishwater look throughout, supposedly in the name of authenticity.4) The story here is of celebrities and all the American violence that fuels and prints the legend. This is so old and familiar by now, it neither exposes nor deconstructs anything. It feels as tacked-on now, as it was once fresh in Liberty Valance.I'd like to think Costner is to fault, who like other megastars Redford and Cruise always has to appear in a streamlined environment that doesn't challenge. But no, I think what really happened was TV executives who conceived this on the lowest common level possible. It worked.