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Whistle Stopper - Carrier
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List Price: $39.99
Our Price: $29.99
Your Save: $ 10.00 ( 25% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: PBS (DIRECT)
Starring: .
Directed By: Maro Chermayeff
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0841887009461
Format: Color
Label: PBS (DIRECT)
Manufacturer: PBS (DIRECT)
Number Of Items: 3
Publisher: PBS (DIRECT)
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2008-05-06
Running Time: 600
Studio: PBS (DIRECT)
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: American Society in Miniature
Comment: I'm a sucker for documentaries. Even though PBS comes in with lots of ghosting and static, I watched the first five episodes, then bought the DVD to watch the rest. My father was a carrier pilot, but beyond that personal connection, it is interesting to see the different military mindsets up and down the ranks. To some extent, our American class structure replicates itself on board the Nimitz. Non-commissioned support grades are highly integrated while command is still largely, though not entirely, white and male. Command staff are generally gung-ho patriotic; Lower ranks are often just as intense but some express, "It's just a job" or, "We're here for the oil" opinions, too. If Carrier is any indication, the Navy offers full employment, hard work, intense supervision and the sort of camaraderie you don't always find on dry land. That so many of these folk admitted they needed all that is a sad commentary on parenting, schooling and society.
The documentary is definitely character-driven, with some personal revelations drawing gasps from my wife, who identified all too well with the working class element on board. One episode featured a good ol' OK boy that tragically couldn't (or wouldn't) get past his racist upbringing. Another sad moment was the fallout from an inebriated sexual encounter, while on liberty, between two shipmates that barely even knew each other.
Update: I think I can see why some have complained about the personal stories. Whereas the first five or six hours struck a good balance between the requirements of the mission and the personal stories of the crew, the last three or four hours focused almost entirely on personal situations. To some extent this is understandable since the primary mission was completed, but as much as I connected with their stories, all that personal griping did become a bit tedious.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Uninteresting, Off the Mark
Comment: The Nimitz class aircraft carriers are tremendously fascinating and this series managed to make it boring. The focus on the private lives of many of the featured crew members was uninteresting and unnecessary. We don't need an aircraft carrier as the backdrop in order to tell petty stories of personal relationships. On top of that, the filmmakers focused on what appear to be among the least inspired and satisfied crew members. To watch this series, I would be left thinking that pretty much everyone in the Navy hates their job and has issues with the command system that has existed in militaries since the beginning of time. It was not as good as I hoped.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Owner of Actual DVD - Loved It
Comment: I loved it. It seems as real as it can get considering those guys had cameras in their faces. When some guys would ham it up, you could still see their character behind it all.
The quality of the DVD was excellent. And the choice of music fit the mood and character of the film. Even though much of the ship could not be filmed, I was surprised at times by what was allowed.
Highly recommended, award winning material. Thanks PBS. Take all the reality crap TV off the air and let PBS step in with top notch video.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The good and the bad
Comment: Since I served on the Nimitz, maybe Im not objective enough to give it a fair review, but I have to say that I found the 'personal' stories interlaced throughout the documentary to seem too contrived and phony, not to mention uninteresting. None of the conversations seemed real, or even close to real. Too many times I was thoroughly bored by them and wanted to get a better and broader overview of how a carrier works. I think that story is yet to be told. It does work when it concentrates on the various views of the officers and crew, but when it starts to focus on certain sailors, that is when it loses its way, at least for me.
On the positive, there are some great shots of life on the Nimitz, the ones they can show you. There are parts of the ship I know they would not allow cameras. Overall, the cinematography was excellent and so was the camerawork. It does put you on the ship and that is not to be minimized.
If youve never set foot on a carrier, this would be a great introduction. I only wish they had decided to leave the overly melodramatic stuff out.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Unsung Heros Sung at Last
Comment: My father worked on aircraft carriers (including the Nimitz), not as a sailor but as an engineer who worked on the designs. So when I found out this show was airing, I marked my calendar so as not to miss a single episode. I was not disappointed. I remember my father describing life aboard aircraft carriers as being like "a city at sea," but I never fully understood what he meant by that until seeing this series. Of course one of the most exciting, suspense-filled episodes is the one where they show the aircraft taking off and landing. But the real story that's uncovered is just how much manpower it takes to make that happen.
I was literally moved tears to see the sacrifices these young recruits make, and my heart goes out to them. All episodes are good but my least favorite of them is episode 8, "True Believers" which explores the many faiths on board the Nimitz. In place of this episode, I would've preferred to see a visit to the ship's hospital or clinic, with interviews with the ship's doctor, dentist, and nurse, to see how the medical personnel fit into the overall scheme of things. Overall, this series gives an unbiased glimpse into the interworkings of an aircraft carrier that highlights the human element. I highly recommend this series to anyone.
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Editorial Reviews:
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CARRIER is a character driven, edge-of-your-seat, nonfiction drama as well as a total immersion in the high stakes world of a nuclear aircraft carrier. CARRIER follows a core group of film participants aboard the USS Nimitz, from the admiral of the strike group to the fighter pilots to the youngest sailors, as they navigate personal conflicts around their jobs, families, faith, patriotism, love, the rites of passage and the war on terror.
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