| Rating: | ★★★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Drama |
Adam's is not remembered as well as George Washington; he served as a diplomat to France and England during the American Revolutionary War; unfortunately, poorly. He was too blunt and outspoken to be a good diplomat. Benjamin Franklin wrote to Washington to have him removed.
As President, one of Adam's great acts was to make peace with France - whose privateer warships were attacking American merchant ships. The nation and his own party was clamoring for war.
The writer shows that democracy is quite fickle - one year, the Americans wanted to support Revolutionary France - the next, fight them.
The French demanded a bribe before negotiations which outraged American sensibilities. Adams was furious and pushed for a strong navy - but he preferred negotiation. Why shed blood when you can use ink to stain paper and get the same result? People called him a coward - a traitor - but he saw as folly waging war against another Great Power after having narrowly defeating Britain. His own party hated him for not initiating hostilities against the French - as the war would have been popular and would have gained them the support of voters.
On the other side of the coin, his friend, the idealist Thomas Jefferson criticized Adams for not supporting France against the British which was America's main enemy at the time.
But Adams was "a party of one". He held onto strong Christian morals and believed in the impartiality of office and rule of law. Interestingly, Adams was the defense lawyer for a group of British soldiers who shot a civilian crowd - known as the Boston Massacre. He took on the case despite dreadful public hostility towards the British soldiers who were screaming to have them hanged. All the American lawyers refused to take up the case - but Adams took it on despite threats to his life and family.
The series is not a American propaganda piece or a hero worship fake doco. It also reveals the ugly side of American democratic politics - a British tax agent being tortured by an angry mob is one of the most painful scenes in the series.
Adams is not a saint either - he's unforgiving and relentless in his condemnation of one of his own sons who became an alcoholic and died heart broken.
What I like about the series - is you can see the development of Adam's character. At the start he's obstinate, hard headed, blunt, and too outspoken to be a good politician. But the years and experience crafts him. "Nations and character are forged in the fires of adversity." At the end, he uses tact and diplomacy where lesser men would simply rage and get nowhere.
A true patriot and Christian. He choose what was best for his country as opposed to what was best for himself, his family, and his party.
I highly recommend this movie.
To buy the DVD - go here to amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/John-Adams-Miniseries-Paul-Giamatti/dp/B000WGWQG8
BTW, I like period films like this - a time when good people behaved in a more civil and courteous manner even when they were being ridiculed. lol. no swear words.
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