The American Buffalo

Matt Roush says...

No bull, Ken Burns has done it again. With tragic grandeur yet unquenchable optimism, TV’s most eloquent historian honors the mammoth buffalo, symbolizing the freedom and fragility of the American West, in a compelling four-hour documentary (concluding Tuesday). The first night chronicles the symbiotic relationship that evolved over 10,000 years between Native American and the buffalo, and how it was devastated in a single century, as 1800s westward expansion and a relentless greed for hides reduced herds numbering in the millions to near extinction by 1900. But “this is a story of persevering,” says a Comanche commentator in Night 2, which shows efforts to save the species. “You don’t get a lot of chances to correct history’s mistakes,” notes historian Dan Flores. The still-mighty buffalo is a rare exception.

What's Worth Watching (Oct 16)