The Plow That Broke the Plains and The River

Pare Lorentz's titular pair of documentaries from 1936 and 1938—the first a historical overview of the Great Plains, culminating in the tragedy of the Dust Bowl; the second a paean to the Mississippi River emphasizing the destruction that follows flooding—were essentially government propaganda films promoting the policies of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. But like the works of Leni Riefenstahl (though on a much smaller scale), the films transcend their “official” purpose, featuring carefully composed and edited shots and almost songlike narration that elevate them into impressionistic cinematic poems, backed by notable scores from Virgil Thomson, who used source music—folk themes, hymns, anthems, and traditional tunes—to create virtual suites of Americana. This DVD offers fine full-screen transfers of both films, but the particular value lies with the Thomson scores, which have been newly recorded for the soundtrack (along with the narration) and are presented in crisp and clean DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo (with the option to listen to the original 1930s soundtracks). DVD extras include discussions of the films by filmmaker and scholar George Stoney, an assessment of Thomson by musicologist Charles Fussell, an audio excerpt of Thomson speaking about his scores, and The Plow's original beginning and ending (the latter unabashedly promoting Roosevelt administration programs, excised shortly after the original release). A major release that does these two historically and artistically significant films—and an important American composer—proud, this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)