Well, Wes Britton is out on a limb again . . . I very much enjoyed the
two-part biography so disliked here. I confess I got misty eyed during the
Elmira discussion--knowing what was to come--and heart broken all over again
when the last 15 years were reviewed. Perhaps the tragedy of those years
would affect me in any means I encounter them, but it seemed to me the story
was told well, at an appropriate pace, and all most should ask from a four
hour biography of such a complex life.

Clearly, it was not perfect.  It seemed to me many quotations were modified
for no good reason.  Most crimes seemed to be sins of omission, leaving out
not only people in MT's life, but his works as well. For example, no JOAN OF
ARC. I can't comment on the visuals, but perhaps someone else can determine
if Burns was close in spirit if not the letter of pictorial representations.

Nonetheless, this is a project I'd use in the classroom (probably in
excerpts) and would show non-experts seeking a short introduction to the
life and works of Mark Twain.  Sure, they could have dumped the
self-congratulatory "making of" bits and spent that time tracing the
importance of Mark Twain after his death. (The actor they chose for Twain's
voice wasn't THAT good--I thought he was rather undramatic myself.) But if
the film and its money-maker spin-offs encourage the unwashed to go out and
read Twain, encourage some to rethink their feelings about him, well, the
intention was met.  WE get so few Twain audio-visual material worth viewing
a second time, it's perhaps a good idea to put up caution signs but still
acknowledge the better efforts when they come.  It deserves a passing grade
if not accolades, faint praise rather than damnation, and ought to be in
your local library for new generations of folks meeting Our Man for the
first time.

While I'm thinking of it, if not Burns' effort, what videos do others
recommend instead?