Lafayette: The Lost Hero

Mostly forgotten Revolutionary War hero Marquis Gilbert de Lafayette is profiled in this PBS documentary that combines dramatic re-enactments with testimony from scholars to offer a detailed look at his life. Born into a French aristocratic military family but orphaned at an early age, Lafayette pictured himself as a gallant knight, becoming entranced with America's fledgling democracy as the colonies struggled to win independence from Britain. Just shy of 20, Lafayette left his bride to cross the Atlantic and offer his services to America, where he was commissioned as a major general in the Continental Army. Wounded at the Battle of Brandywine and witness to the hardships at Valley Forge, Lafayette quickly fell into a father-son type relationship with George Washington. Lafayette's battlefield skill—notably the ability to adapt and improve military maneuvers in unfamiliar terrain—was matched by his passionate belief in democratic ideals and goals, including the gradual emancipation of slaves and the establishment of rule of law. Unfortunately, back in France, Lafayette was unable to establish the voice of reason during the French Revolution, as many Frenchmen turned against him, and he would spend several years in prison. Narrated by actor John Cullum, writer-director Oren Jacoby's Lafayette: The Lost Hero offers a stirring record of Lafayette's enduring popularity in 19th-century America, where in late life he enjoyed a “victory lap” around the young nation, visiting many states half a century after the Revolution in which he participated. DVD extras include deleted scenes. A lucid and informative biography, this is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)