Hawaii's Last Queen
- Episode aired Jan 27, 1997
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
38
YOUR RATING
Photos
Anna Deavere Smith
- Narrator
- (voice)
Tennant Mcwilliams
- Self - Historian
- (as Tennant McWilliams)
Storyline
Did you know
- GoofsThe narrator says that the U.S. Marines came ashore with Gatling Guns and Revolving Cannons. In fact, a Gatling Gun is a Revolving Cannon, so this statement was inadvertently repetitive.
- SoundtracksSongs of Liliuokalani
courtesy of Wa Nui Records
Featured review
Profoundly sad and very informative.
This is an hour-long episode of the PBS show "The American Experience" and aired over a decade ago. Fortunately, many of the episodes are available on DVD. I think it's fascinating that most Americans have no idea how the Hawaiian islands were acquired. And, I must admit I was a bit hazy on this--and I am a retired history teacher! So, when I saw this on DVD, I jumped at a chance to see it in order to learn more about this.
The story of the last queen, Hawaiian monarch, Liliʻuokalani, turned out to be a sad one. In some ways it might be seen as an indictment of American imperialism (as one reviewer talked about at length) but it's also a case of her people simply being outnumbered and the rich and powerful majority forcing her out and pleading to become a part of the United States. Both aspect of the story are essentially correct--the displacement of the original owners of the land and the majority making the rules. Sad, though, that it came to this--and the story makes for, at times, rather heart-wrenching viewing. Overall, a super-informative show that didn't seem to stack the deck too far either way of the argument--and I appreciated that. An exceptional historical show.
The story of the last queen, Hawaiian monarch, Liliʻuokalani, turned out to be a sad one. In some ways it might be seen as an indictment of American imperialism (as one reviewer talked about at length) but it's also a case of her people simply being outnumbered and the rich and powerful majority forcing her out and pleading to become a part of the United States. Both aspect of the story are essentially correct--the displacement of the original owners of the land and the majority making the rules. Sad, though, that it came to this--and the story makes for, at times, rather heart-wrenching viewing. Overall, a super-informative show that didn't seem to stack the deck too far either way of the argument--and I appreciated that. An exceptional historical show.
helpful•30
- planktonrules
- Aug 22, 2011
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