The History Channel Presents Washington the Warrior

As one of the nation's most recognizable faces he appears in every American history textbook and graces the dollar bill. Yet although he acts as the iconic figurehead of America little is known about the man behind the myth. Before George Washington became America's first president and an enduring national symbol he was a soldier. In this landmark release THE HISTORY CHANNEL-® presents an intimate chronicle of Washington's little-known military life. Follow him from his first officer's commission in the Virginia militia through the difficult lessons of his youth and his 17-year retirement. Witness his reemergence as the soul of the American Revolution and see how he transformed a ragtag band of men into an army that could battle--and beat--the greatest military in the world. Featuring stunning location footage gripping re-enactments and candid interviews with historical and military experts WASHINGTON THE WARRIOR narrates one man's epic journey to greatness--and the birth of a nation. DVD Features: Behind-the-Scenes "History in the Making"; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

He was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen," and Washington the Warrior puts the emphasis on the beginning of that equation. The military career of George Washington is the well-chosen focus of this History Channel documentary, which will probably surprise the casual history buff. It gives the fascinating story of Washington's youthful ride into the Ohio territory to deliver a message to the French, a defining moment (and one that made Washington a celebrity after his diary of the journey was published). The film strongly suggests that the young Washington was in over his head in the early battles that followed, and that his career might well have ended after he led a British debacle at Fort Necessity, a stumble at the start of the French and Indian War. Glossing lightly over GW's years as a gentleman farmer, the doc picks up again with Washington's takeover of the Revolutionary army (he showed up at the Second Continental Congress dressed in his military uniform, leaving little question about his intentions) and the tenacious years that followed. The approach here is basically an illustrated lecture, with Stacy Keach intoning the story of Washington, and experts (mostly sounding enthralled with Washington's life) providing context. Meanwhile, armies of reenactors march through their paces in pretend battles. Jackson Bolt plays the mature Washington, with Shea Patrick as the younger version--and how refreshing to see the carved-in-marble George Washington as a guy in his twenties. CGI effects are a big boost here, and the location work is often flavorful. The re-creations have the flat, unconvincing quality of many such things--nobody ever gets their uniforms dirty--but the life being described is an important one, and the approach is foursquare. --Robert Horton