Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Oliver Stone charts the history of the United States from the Second World War to the present.
Oliver Stone's sprawling documentary series presents a revisionist, left-leaning counter-narrative to mainstream American historical accounts, tracing U.S. foreign and domestic policy from WWII through Obama. Its novelty lies in Stone's unapologetically polemical perspective and ambitious scope — synthesizing archival footage, rarely-seen material, and Peter Kuznick's scholarship into a singular, provocative thesis rarely attempted at this scale. Cinematography is competent but relies heavily on archival footage, limiting visual distinction. As a documentary, 'acting' is largely irrelevant but Stone's narration is earnest if occasionally didactic. The ending, covering recent decades, feels rushed compared to the richer WWII-era episodes. Its genuine distinctiveness and counter-historical ambition earn a high novelty score.