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Review:
"The Crusades"--most recently depicted in the epic "Kingdom of
Heaven"--is the focus of yet another documentary in the History
Channel's sprawling documentary epic called "The Crusades: The
Crescent and the Cross". The Crusades was the ultimate holy war, one
the world is experiencing now, but it was less a war of religion,
but more a journey to prove their religion wasn't in vain. As an
interviewee declares, it was less of a search and more to prove
their love of their religion, and ultimately futile effort that
would prove later on. "The Crusades" is a very thorough account of
the crusades that goes from The Pope Urban the II's call for the
Crusades, to the battle of Doryleaum, right down to the Battle of
the Horns of Hattin, the History Channel creates one of the most
elaborate examinations of the largest war ever to take place. Much
of the material here, shown by dramatizations and exciting battle
sequences prove through its interviews that the crusades were less a
journey to prove their religion and more a journey to increase power
within the church, and shows that it wasn't a romanticized war and a
swift political move. With often fascinating inteviews with scholars
and philosophers, we're led through different sights where the wars
and battles took place within the confines of this war that would
set two nations against one another, and presents some rather
amazing imagery. With often beautiful direction by Stuart Elliot and
Mark Lewis, "The Crusades" ends up as infotainment depicting many of
the events in often Ridley Scott-esque sequences.
People often ask why
"Cinema Crazed" reviews documentaries, but one of the beauties of
watching the History Channel docs are the great filmed sequences
that make the documentary more appealing, and it works well here
more than many Hollywood films attempt at trying. Though, in spite
of being more of a historical account and less a documentary, it
never offers any opposing insight or view in to the psychology of
the war, nor does it really question the full intentions. It fails
to challenge the concept of the crusades and more so tends to depict
it as a heroic fervor rather than a political war that could only
reward those in power and damage the families whom were being
controlled by their obligations to the church. Regardless, for a
truly fascinating glimpse in to this historic account, this would be
the best more thorough documentary for any history buff. |
