And, of course, he releases plenty of shorter docs, like last years two-parter about Jackie Robinson.
His career is a case study proving quality and quantity arent mutually exclusive.
And, as Burns tells EW, the film is suited for Vietnam War neophytes and experts alike.
Credit: Tim Llewellyn
It certainly exploded all my preconceptions and I lived through it.
Adds Burns: It certainly isnt homework.
Read on for EWs full conversation with Burns.
Courtesy of Bettmann/Getty Images
Youve now done documentaries about three of Americas defining military conflicts.
This is what happens when human beings go to war.
But then, of course, theres lots of differences.
Courtesy of AP/Frank C. Curtin
One is that we can find redeeming features in the Civil War and the Second World War.
But theres nothing redeeming, at least initially, in Vietnam.
Thats a blessing, because the former two wars are smothered in sentimentality and nostalgia.
But for the most part, I think theres been a sober realism about the horrors of that war.
Theres no such thing as a good war.
It may have been a necessary war, but it aint a good war.
Thats some public relations after the fact.
Youd say, Oh my goodness, these are all contemporary things!
But theyre only a handful of things that are inVietnam, a film I started in 2006.
There are many, many lessons of Vietnam.
Its the most important event in American history since the Second World War.
What we tried to do was create an environment with lots of different perspectives honored and coexisting.
But when we make these films, we dont ever think about that stuff.
Were only trying to master the narrative.
Believe me, thats hard enough to do.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross wrote original music for this documentary.
What Atticus and Trent do is so remarkable.
Its often harsh and anxiety-producing and metallic, angst-ridden, yet [it] resolves melodically and emotionally.
Thats a rare genius and we feel so privileged to have that from them.
Lets just say, the soundtrack to this series is killer!
