Designed by the French as a gift for America's centennial celebration by Frederic Bartholdi, The Statue of Liberty held in wait for nearly ten years as U.S. officials struggled to secure funding for its base. Eventually erected in New York Harbor, it was dedicated in 1886, and has stood as a symbol of freedom ever since. Ken Burns' sophomore documentary features a phenomenal historical presentation for about two thirds of its hours long runnning time, but loses something when it concludes with lengthy expert interpretations (which include James Baldwin and Mario Cuomo) expressing their ideas of liberty.
