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CrusadesRating:
Release Date: 02 January, 2002 Retail Price: $39.95 OUR Price: $35.99 You SAVE: $3.96! Cast: Complete Cast (5 total) |
Crusades Reviews
The good, the bad, and the ugly, portrayed with impish humor
Some people can't look at history objectively, and have to try to find "their" side in struggles that took place thousands of years ago. If they don't see "their" side portrayed in a good light, they cry fowl.
Terry Jones does not suffer from this problem. His history is both accurate and humorous, and how else can one approach the sheer absurdity of many of the events which took place, whether it is the parading of religious figures around the walls of beseiged cities, the military blunders, or the crazed fanatacism of the rank and file. Contrary to some other reviews, the series is not anti-European and looks under the robes of many Islamic heroes just as thoroughly as it does the Crusaders. Sure the Christian armies of the first Crusade are depicted in all their brutal glory (using direct quotations from direct sources, the Crusaders themselves) but so are the Mamelukes. Reynard de Chattillion comes across as the psychotic jerk that he was, but many Muslim leaders including Nur Adin and Baybars are shown warts and all, while other Crusader leaders are much more sympathetic. And while Crusader myths are abolished, so are many Muslim myths, such as when Terry himself simulates an amphibious landing in mail armor contrary to Muslim claims that it was impossible.
From the undiminished mystery of Crusader miracles at the Siege of Antioch, to the strange terror of the Assasins, the sheer wonder of this amazing era comes across, in many cases in beautiful scenery shot on location often in the words of those who lived through it, the Crusaders, the Byzantines, and the Arabs themselves. The delivery is excellent and the history, is accurate... if some people are upset that Terry Jones does not try to rationalize such atrocities as the Massacre of Jerusalem or the Cannibalism in the First Crusade any more than he does massacres by Saladin or Baybers, thats there problem. The facts speak for themselves. My only complaint is that the series while very strong on the first Crusade, somewhat glosses over the other important reiterations of the next 150 years. I for one would like to see more of this type of documentary, showing every aspect history as it really was, good bad and ugly.
A Good Choice
It's difficult to find a documentary that is informative and engaging. This one manages to pull it off. It is filmed partly on location and includes interviews with historians as well as reenactments. Jones, not surprisingly, narrates---and even recreates some incidents---in a witty and entertaining manner.
While attention is paid to the whys and wherefores of the Western perspective, the program is sympathetic to the Muslim perspective. This will not sit well with all viewers. I, however, fail to see how a neutral documentary about a subject as complicated as the Crusades could be anything other than a dull, wish-washy mess. The Muslim slant is sympathetic but not blind or sentimental; this documentary is NOT four hours of Christian-bashing. This program is clearly aimed at Western audiences, and I think that it's important that we learn to see history from a different perspective; learning and questioning are not PC acts.
As other viewers have commented, the program is long and there are a few inaccuracies and some broad generalizations. However, on the balance it is overwhelmingly accurate and certainly engrossing. Obviously, the Crusades could not be fully covered in a four-hour program, but this show gives a good overview. It's a great choice for the amateur historian or for someone who'd just like to know more about the Crusades.
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