Genre: History [nf]
Release Date: 08/26/2003
SubTitles: English
Dubbed: English
Sound: DD5.1
Run Time: 84 min
Distributor/Studio: Inecom Entertainment Corporation

Narrated by Richard Dreyfuss and directed by Mark Bussler, Johnstown Flood, tells the story of the massive flood that destroyed the town of Johnstown, PA, on May 31, 1889. Using old photos, etchings, recreated footage, and dramatic readings of first-hand accounts, this black-and-white film explores the history of the town, which, at the time of the flood, had become a major center of steel production in the U.S. Dreyfuss describes how the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, a resort for the wealthy (one of its patrons was Andrew Carnegie) allowed the dam to fall into disrepair and the reservoir to fill far higher than the engineers who built the dam had ever intended. Heavy rains contributed to the problem, and, on the day of the flood, the water overflowed and the dam collapsed, sending a huge gusher of water coursing through the Conemaugh River Valley, destroying everything in its path. When the water reached the town, nearly an hour later, the wave was cresting nearly 40 feet high. More than 2000 people were killed -- drowned, crushed by debris, or burned in fires caused by the cataclysm. In the aftermath, people around the country rallied to help the survivors rebuild the town. The DVD release features audio commentary from historian Richard Burkert of the Johnstown Area Heritage Association.

~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

As documentaries about important historical events go, Mark Bussler's Johnstown Flood is fairly amateurish and tedious. The frequent use of generic rushing water footage and cheesy reenactments (including costumed actors unconvincingly relating survivors' written accounts of the disaster) overwhelm the occasionally fascinating narrative. The melodramatic score adds to the problem, attempting to pump up the drama in a transparently artificial way. Richard Dreyfuss does an adequate job with the narration, and things get more interesting in the second half of the film after the flood has destroyed the town. At that point, the filmmakers have genuinely interesting artifacts -- photos of the aftermath -- to enhance their pedestrian telling of the tale. The highlight of the DVD release of the film is actually the "historian's commentary" by Richard Burkert of the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, who engagingly describes the events depicted in the film and even debunks some of the tales stemming from the disaster the filmmakers have related (and in some cases even reenacted) without comment. While the film itself seems like it was produced with junior high history classes in mind, other viewers interested in the history of this event are strongly encouraged to watch the film with Burkert's informative commentary track.

~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

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