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A beautifully made film about the Great Plains, which doesn’t gloss over the over-farming (and greed) that turned this ecologically fragile landscape into the Dust Bowl in the 1930’s. This film was made by the U.S. Resettlement Administration, which helped the farmers wiped out by the drought. Even though it’s in black and white, the film captures the beauty and desolation of the prairie landscape—and the tragedy of the settlers overwhelmed by both the forces of nature and the marketplace. Virgil Thomson’s superb score complements the film perfectly.

Cinematography by Leo Hurwitz, Ralph Steiner, Paul Ivano and Paul Strand. Selected for the 1999 National Film Registry of "artistically, culturally, and socially significant" films.

This outstanding documentary on the Tennessee Valley Authority traces the horrors faced by those living in the Tennessee River Valley prior to the construction of a series of Dams constructed to relieve not only the flooding but to provide proper irrigation for crops. The run-offs from rains and over-flowing rivers and their tributaries caused major havoc prior to the TVA coming in and fixing this problem. Many homes and farms were lost not to mention lives. This remarkable documentary traces the trials, tribulations and final success of all those involved. The narration is melancholy and low keyed and at no time over-dramatic. The music is outstanding. This entire production is a masterpiece of film-making at its very best.

There are films such as 'Rural Holidays' that come from nowhere and catch you off guard and rivet you throughout it's playtime. 'Rural Holidays' takes an idea and just goes with it, in this case it's farmland owners converting their land into recreational tourist spots! No mention of hard farmer labor though, which would have made this film that much more interesting. Another thing that fascinates me about this film is that it wasn't made by a tourist bureau, but by the USDA soil enrichment program! So while there's this "Give your land over!" spiel going on, the soil meisters are also getting a word in talking about the type of soil that is appropriate for these activities. Early 60s vacation activities featured.

The River was documentary filmmaker Pare Lorentz's masterful follow-up to his 1937 classic The Plow That Broke the Plains. Produced on behalf of the Tennessee Valley Authority, The River details the history of the flood-prone Mississippi basin from prehistoric times to the Depression era. Special attention is given the efforts by the TVA to control floods and conserve soil in the area. Many of the beautifully composed shots in The River--notably the distance shots of a huge dam under construction are spectacular. This Depression-era documentary describes the importance of the Mississippi River to the United States. It laments the environmental destruction committed in the name of progress, particularly farming and timber practices which cause massive erosion and result in vast amounts of top soil being washed down the river into the Gulf of Mexico. The film focuses especially on the impact this has had on impoverished farmers. It ends on a very upbeat note, however, with a celebration of the TVA, "modern" farming technology, and the use of dams to control the river and prevent flooding. Also shows the massive Mississippi flood of 1937.

Marvelous movie. Wonderful photos, grand background music and blank verse narration. Presents environmental problems of the Mississippi valley. The pictures of poor southern sharecroppers are especially moving. A highly recommended historical documentary.