I started watching this series with the apprehension that they may focus too much on happened to Native Americans and portray them solely as innocent victims and portray all whites as evil perpetrators, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a pretty good balance. Yes, whites did do some terrible things to innocent people, but the native tribes also did terrible things to each other. This allowed me to enjoy the series, that is, until the last third. At that point, it seems 80% of the focus was on Native Americans and their plight, and many of the commentators became annoying by trying to wax too poetically in their analyses. It's a shame because some parts, especially the part about the building of the Transcontinental Railroad (episode 5) was very good.

I'm a huge American history buff and the westward movement is one of my favorite subjects, so when I came across this film at my local library, I checked the DVD out and watched it at home and I found it to be too generic and preachy in parts.I lost interest in it after the railroad episode. The events that are talked about in this documentary: Lewis and Clark, Texas, The Mormons, The Oregon Trail, and so on are events that I've heard about and seen countless times before in my middle and high school US history classes, on TV and through reading books on the Westward Movement.There are so many other fascinating events in the history of the West that decisive to be talked about in this documentary, but they're just overlooked. Also, people like Doc Holiday, Jessie James, Billy The Kid, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid and Geronimo weren't ever talked about. This documentary's message while moving, seemed a little too preachy to me. Look, I understand that the Native Americans went through terrible hardships during the westward movement, but don't people in Africa suffer hardships at the hands of their leaders as well? Of course, there are positives to this documentary. The voice actors are great particularly Peter Coyote. The camera work is also very impressive, especially during the opening credits to each episode. The biggest thing that I like about this show is how as always with his films, Ken Burns focuses not just the famous people, but also on the ordinary people who lived through it.If you like US history and want to learn about the American West, then this show is a good place to start. Otherwise, if you're not a fan of learning about American history that you already learned in your high school history class, then give this one a pass.

This series could have been so much more. Instead it seemed like they focused on the same story line (strife between settlers and native Americans) and drug it out for 9 episodes. Sure that deserves a lot of attention, but I found events and story lines I was hoping for missing completely. Where was the 'Wild West?' The gunslingers, the train robbers? So many criminals not even mentioned. Butch Cassidey, Sundance Kid, Jesse James, Doc Holiday. That list could go on forever. Also the only focused on two Indians: Sitting Bull and Chief Joseph. How about Geronimo? Crazy Horse gets barely a mention. So many events just glossed over and the viewer is left with mostly boring stories. Donner party barely gets a mention also. Oil is never even mentioned!I lost all interest after the railroad episode. Love letters? Mormons? I kept holding out for stories I wanted to hear about but soon realized we were into the 1880's and they passed over most of what I wanted to hear.

Unique, amazing, massive project thoroughly documenting the expansion of the United States into the vast territories of the American WEST. Brutally honest, sympathetic insight into the fall of the many Native American peoples... some of the material is painful, sometimes bleak, but an absolute MUST SEE for any feeling person with even a passing interest in the history of America. Outstanding photography and the classic Ken Burns look & feel (executive & senior producer), but with director Stephen Ives' own insightful point-of-view. This series ranks right along side Burns' "Civil War" in scope and depth, IMHO. See it anyway you can, then demand the set on DVD! (DVD not available at this writing).