The Untold History of the United States
- Oliver Stone
- Peter Kuznick
- Matt Graham
Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
- Budd Carr
- Craig Armstrong
United States
English
12
- Oliver Stone
- Tara Tremaine
- Rob Wilson
- Carlos Guillermo
- Chris Hanley
- José Ibáñez
- Serge Lobo
- Fernando Sulichin
- Michael Klaumann
- Alex Márquez
November 12, 2012 –
October 15, 2013
Production and release[edit]
Oliver Stone and historian Peter Kuznick[4] (director of American University's Nuclear Studies Institute) began working on the project in 2008. Stone, Kuznick and British screenwriter Matt Graham co-wrote the script.[5] The documentary miniseries for Showtime had a working title Oliver Stone's Secret History of America. Kuznick objected to the working title "Secret History", claiming that "the truth is that many of our 'secrets' have been hidden on the front page of The New York Times. If people think the secrets will be deep, dark conspiracies, they'll be disappointed. We'll be drawing on the best recent scholarship".[6] It was subsequently retitled The Untold History of the United States.[7]
The series covers "the reasons behind the Cold War with the Soviet Union, U.S. President Harry Truman's decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan, and changes in America's global role since the fall of Communism."[8] Stone is the director and narrator of ten regular episodes and two prologue episodes. The series is a reexamination of some of the underreported and darkest parts of American modern history, using little-known documents and newly uncovered archival material. The series looks beyond official versions of events to the deeper causes and implications and explores how events from the past still have resonant themes for the present day. Stone said, "From the outset I've looked at this project as a legacy to my children and a way to understand the times I've lived through. I hope it can contribute to a more global insight into our American history."[9]
The first three episodes of the series premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 6, 2012, with Indiewire describing them as "extremely compelling" and "daring."[10] The series was personally presented by Stone at the Subversive Festival on May 4, 2013, in Zagreb, Croatia, which next to film screenings also included debates and public lectures by prominent intellectuals such as Slavoj Žižek and Tariq Ali.[11]
Stone described the project as "the most ambitious thing I've ever done. Certainly in documentary form, and perhaps in fiction, feature form."[12] Production took four years to complete. Stone confessed, "It was supposed to take two years, but it's way over schedule".[13] The premiere was finally set for November 12, 2012.[14] Stone spent $1 million of his own money on the film as the budget inflated from $3 million to $5 million.[15]
Regarding the program's accuracy, Stone told TV host Tavis Smiley: "This has been fact checked by corporate fact checkers, by our own fact checkers, and fact checkers [hired] by Showtime. It's been thoroughly vetted... these are facts, our interpretation may be different than orthodox, but it definitely holds up."[16]
The series premiered on Showtime in November 2012. The executive producers were Oliver Stone, Tara Tremaine and Rob Wilson.
The Untold History of the United States was released on Blu-ray on October 15, 2013. All ten episodes of the show are featured on four discs, and the Blu-ray release also includes various bonus content, as well as two prologue episodes. The first prologue episode deals with World War I, the Russian Revolution and Woodrow Wilson. The second prologue episode highlights the pre-World War II era of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin.[17][18] The series was released on DVD on March 4, 2014.[19]
Companion book[edit]
The ten-part series is supplemented by a 750-page companion book, The Untold History of the United States, also written by Stone and Kuznick, released on Oct 30, 2012 by Simon & Schuster.[20]
Audiobook[edit]
The audiobook was released by Brilliance Publishing on June 4, 2013.[21] The Untold History of the United States audiobook was also written by Stone and Kuznick, narrated by Peter Berkrot. It runs 36 hours and 25 minutes.
Style and format[edit]
The series has been said to be reminiscent of the famed British Thames Television series The World at War (1973–74).[22] With the exception of an on-camera introduction and conclusion by Oliver Stone, the series contains no interview subjects. Instead, each episode consists of archival material: stock film, photographs, video and audio recordings, computer generated maps and diagrams, clips from fictional movies, and Stone's voiceover narration. Historical quotations and writings from various figures are read by voice actors.
Usage of movies and TV shows[edit]
Oliver Stone used clips from about 60 fictional movies and TV shows over the course of The Untold History of the United States. He used them as a vehicle for telling stories of specific topics during given episodes.
Untold History Education Project[edit]
In October 2013, Stone and Kuznick launched the Untold History Education Project to expand upon the narratives and events discussed in the Untold History documentary series and book. The project is devoted to fostering critical thinking and debate amongst students and teachers in high schools and universities. With the input of educators and historians, Stone and Kuznick also designed a curriculum guide for the series and primary source-based lesson plans for each episode.