Truman (1995)

Harry S. Truman had a hard row to hoe as the 33rd president and he never enjoyed popularity while in office. Think about what occurred on Truman's watch: the bombing of Hiroshima, a nationwide railroad strike, the rise of the Southern States' Rights Party, integration of the armed forces, the ascendancy of McCarthyism, the early cold war, and finally the Korean Conflict and Truman's decision to fire General MacArthur. Few American presidents have been faced with more difficult and dangerous times than Truman. It wasn't until some 50 years later that Harry Truman, a farmer from Missouri, got his due appreciation in the history books. Truman follows the man from his beginnings as an artillery officer in WWI through his connections with Missouri's Pendergast political machine and onward to Washington. The always-excellent Gary Sinise is a perfect fit for the Truman character, having obviously studied the President's plainspoken Missouri twang and ramrod-straight bearing at great length. Diana Scarwid is also very good as Truman's long-suffering wife Bess; the film studies the relationship between the two in some depth, and also sheds light on the men who surrounded Truman in Washington. Truman's chief failing is that in its effort to detail 40 years of the man's life, certain historical events are given short shrift in order to fit them all in. Nonetheless, Sinise inhabits the character well; the scene where the President ruminates on dining alone in the White House (while Bess is back in Missouri) is a great, understated comment on the loneliness, isolation, and stress of the job. --Jerry Renshaw Amazon.com

Interesting

I'm not worried about actors and directors. I want to know something new when I view a movie like this, and this was an eye opener!! It is a must see for all of us boys and girls who were raised in homes of FDR haters. Guess there aren't many left today. Not that it is about FDR, but it will open your eyes about Truman, who he was, and his wisdom which most under-estimated. You know a little old haberdasher. August 26, 2008

Humble man who did great things!

This is the story of a humble man who, not of his own choosing, stubbernly was called upon to make one of the most serious decisions of any man: Drop the first nuclear weapons devised by man to save lives. The portrayal by Gary Sinse and others was excellent and noteworthy to see it again, and again! July 14, 2008

Fine Bio-pic

Other productions that have portrayed Harry Truman have presented him as a caricature. Such as the blustering image of him in the feature film "MacArthur" and the one man stage show "Give 'em hell, Harry" This fine tv film projects an air of dignity to a brave and determined man who was probably one of our greatest presidents. July 5, 2008

A good, but incomplete portrait

Let me begin by saying that the acting is first class, and the film does a good job of capturing the basic spirit of Harry S. Truman. However, the filmaker makes a conscious decision not to examine any of the man's lesser qualities or any of his poor political decisisions. I wouldn't say it's propaganda or revisionist, but we are left with the film maker's view of Truman through rose colored glasses. (editorially, I add that a similar positively spinned view of our current pres would never fly past the public.) The film is extremely enjoyable, and Sinise is wonderful. The story moves quicky, and even people who don't care for politics or biopics may still like it. I've watched it a few times and it ages well.It covers some of the hardest times in our history, up to and including Truman's agonizing decision to use nukes, and his choice to fire Doug MacArthur. I recommend this film for entertainment, and if you're interested afterwards, read McCullough's biography for the complete picture. Three and a half stars. Thanks for reading my review. October 17, 2007

Truman This is a Good DVD I took one star off for having no extra's

Truman was a good DVD. It does not go into detail about his personal life much beyond the surface in much of his early life. This story does show in pretty good detail those forces that shaped his life and how they would play out later in life when he was catipulted into the Presidency of the United States by Roosevelt's untimely death.

Truman was thrust into the presidency during the ebbing throws of world war. Even as the War World was ending and this Nations Manhattan Project moving toward success Truman still had some enormous decisions to make. A timid man could not have guided the country as Truman did during his presidency. Truman was the first president to take on the awesome responsibility of the Atomic Warfare. Truman was president at a time when the Cold War threatened to become hot and only his cool paragmatic down home thinking stood between our country perhaps another even bloodier war with an aggresively expansionist Communist Soviet Union.

Truman was not a perfect DVD but the acting is first rate. You get a sense of tension that defined this period in our countries history. While I felt the United States was more than right for dropping both atomic bombs on Japan's homeland I am happy Truman did agonize ever so slightly over the moral issues associated with his decision.

In the end Trumans decision to drop both bombs was a no brainer. Droping both atomic bombs saved more lives than would have been lost by both sides in a bloody death before dishonor battle for Japan's home islands. Truman was a great man and his legacy was shared with great sensitivity in this DVD. I loved it. January 27, 2007

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