| Movie Review | The Journal of American History, 92.3

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| Movie Review | The Journal of American History, 92.3 | The History Cooperative

Movie Reviews

The Great Transatlantic Cable. Dir. by Peter Jones. Prod. by David Axelrod. WGBH Productions, 2005. 57 mins. (PBS Video, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314-1698; 800- 344-3337; <shop@pbs.org>; <http://shop.pbs.org/education/> [Sept. 12, 2005])
I have always regarded PBS's show American Experience as an entertaining way to get acquainted with an interesting episode in U.S. history, and not as a comprehensive treatment of an issue. The show bears the strengths and weaknesses of history presented in a video format to a popular audience. This is certainly true of the episode about the laying of the Atlantic telegraph cable.	1
The show successfully conveys the financial and technical challenges that Cyrus Field and the other cable promoters had to overcome and the sense of wonder and accomplishment when the risky venture finally succeeded in putting the two hemispheres in telegraphic communication. The show skillfully integrates the narrative with interviews from prominent historians of the cable, so that the narrative flows with minimal interruption while the viewer also gets needed perspective and detail. As such, the episode provides a good introduction to the history of the Atlantic cable, particularly when coupled with the accompanying Web site <http://www.pbs.org>.	. . .

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