The American Experience: The Donner Party

This is one of the best American Experience documentaries the series put out. Gripping story, well narrated, extensively researched. It's actually the third copy I've owned. I was an American History teacher and showed it every December to my students. My first copy sprouted legs and disappeared one year. You gotta figure a documentary is GOOD if a student is going to up and lift it from the classroom. The second copy was lent to in-laws who live near Donner Lake and they took so long to give it back (and talked about how often they watched it with visitors) that I just stopped asking for it. And now finally this last copy is going to be marked with my name in Sharpie, never to leave the living room. Great entertainment AND mind candy, all wrapped up into one--you can't go wrong.

I've owned this DVD for many years - but I'll join the other reviews singing their praises on this documentary. It's the most complete presentation of the story, and one really gets to know the people and what happened - and why. It's not presented as a gothic thrill story but as a deep tragedy about human prowess and human frailty. The expertly produced film (with the usual great narration by David McCullough) also includes great music, including the perfectly used Dark Spanish Symphony by Angelo Badalamenti. One of the best documentaries ever - at the end, with Badalamenti's music, I'm just sobbing... As a sidebar, I always preferred Ric's documentaries to Ken's, the Civil War perhaps being an exception...

This is probably the most accurate and compelling account of the Donner Party and the scenery is incredible and the music is by Angelo Badalamenti who often works with David Lynch. he really captures both the amazement at the wide open spaces and the undercurrent of uneasiness. It's probably one of the most dramatic stories ever, how these people set out to literally, walk to California, their trials and misfortunes. Today, many streets in San Francisco are named after members of this party. Donner Lake is now a popular ski resort. Back then, there was no path and they were misled by a con man into taking a "shortcut" and losing their battle with the forests of the Wasatch and most of their cattle and wagons trying to cross the Great Salt Lake (in two days as this man had promised). The snows came early that year, 1846, and they could not get over the pass in the Sierras in time to avoid the terrible blizzards and even by that time they were down to their last sustenance. Some were bad, some were good, some made it and some didn't. It really brought out the best and the worst in everyone. really worth watching -- one of my favorite PBS American Experiences. I should add I have actually been to the museum where the diaries are kept along with other old California historical items, and yes, they are real. Very moving.

Incredible documentary. Although you must be in the right frame of mind to watch this. Brutal circumstances. Perhaps Burns used too much B-roll footage (repeating images of snow falling, repeating images of unfortunates). Would be great if Burns updated this documentary with: I understand researchers MAY have recently found the head of the axe which the "Forelorn Hope" party lost; used an artist to loosely sketch more scenes; and add more maps of 'Starved Camp', Bear Valley, etc

Early Ken Burns look at a defining event in westward expansion. Tis is a good training video on decision making.

The DVD was ok but not the one I expected. I saw a more interesting DVD several years ago and thought this purchase was that 👈 I wasn't but it was good enough for me to keep.

This documentary is a very good one. I would recommend it to all looking for a great documentary.Harold Cooper 07/08/2025

This is a gruesome tale of what goes wrong when greed, incompetence, misguided intentions, poor planning, bad luck, and the veracity of mother nature collide simultaneously. It is truly mindboggling how the events of a seemingly simple objective unfolded into a tragic comedy of errors. I had seen this documentary on PBS many, many years ago and thought it was an excellent depiction about the Donner Party and their plight. I enjoyed it then and still enjoy it now, though I wished the outcome had been one of triumph rather than trial, tribulation, and ultimately death. Yet, the outcome of their journey is what it is and will remain in the annals of history as one of the most horrific and horrifying events of human endeavor. This video is of the same caliber as that of Ken Burns' "The West", "The Civil War", and "Prohibition", and is loaded with plenty of information though not nearly as long. It is one video that will remain among my favorites and one that I will continue to watch over and over again. I encourage you to add it to your collection as a reminder that dreams do not always true and life does not always have happy endings. It should be an inspiration to everyone not to take life for granted. Seize the moment and make the most of your time for you never know when it may be cut short.

Watched this some years ago as a documentary on TV. My daughter watched as a young girl then and was intrigued by this story. She on several occasions asked about "Death of a wagon train" as it was billed all those years ago, so I decided to buy. A piece of American history that was just as intriguing the second time around. A well made piece of film, give it a try.

Great little documentary, shipping took about three weeks as stated and the company was very quick to respond to my shipping inquiry.

Excellent movie, very informative

From the first opening words of De tocqueville,which effectively summarise the central theme of the The Donner Party,Ric Burn's documentary is gripping and compulsive. As in previous films the focus is unflinching, the narrative engaging and the score haunting and evocative. In this age of televisual 'shoddy' the Burns brothers remain a shining sliver of gold.

very good