Ancient Egyptians

The series "Ancient Egyptians" is a marvelous historical docudrama. These are the stories not of Egyptian mummies and tombs, as we are used to, but instead stories from the lives of common Egyptian people, as translated from actual ancient documents that have survived throughout the centuries!

I have seen two episodes of "Ancient Egyptians," and I can't wait to see more! The cinematography and directing is wonderful, as is the recreation of ancient Egyptian settings and the use of the original (as far as I know) language (subtitled in English) instead of trying to transpose the dialogue to English. I am especially grateful for that. I don't think it would have worked at all in English.

The most significant aspect of this drama/documentary series is that each episode, portraying life in ancient Egypt, is based on a surviving text from the period.

Now, I daresay life is too short for each of us to access these texts, let alone decipher the language or separate the wheat from the chaff. So I reckon this series is the closest that most of us will get to experiencing ancient Egyptian life, and there is a real feeling of being a "witness" to events which is a tribute to the program makers.

There has been an incredible degree of care and responsibility in bringing the text to the screen. The stories reveal how the values of this distant civilisation mix with the universals of the human condition. There is no sensationalism, and the intrinsic narrative drive of the stories and their meticulous realisation draw in the viewer.

Where there is uncertainty in the text, this is stated - for once the viewer is given credit for some intelligence. The dialogue is subtitled, and my suspicion is that the actors are REALLY speaking Ancient Egyptian but this is nowhere made clear.

I think it is difficult to create a credible drama with (some) actors in loin cloths, as one thinks "sword and sandal" epics! However, this has been achieved. The cinematography is impressive with a stylish beige and pink hue (the colours of linen and skin) unifying the visuals. The computer graphics are seamless - impressing without intruding.

I find it incredible that a program of such quality has been made in the age of modern television. These programs will work all over the world and for decades to come - because their appeal is timeless.

We have seen in the past a growing convergence between movies on history and documentaries trying to look like movies.

"Ancient Egyptians" takes a step forward, bringing together a scrupulous attention to facts (from language to scenarios) and super production features (careful casting and acting, special effects, musical score, dramatic plot,...) in a way one can hardly argue against.

Maybe the only 'drawback' could be a false assimilation between modern Egyptian actors and ancient Egyptians that producers decided to exploit. Even after the carefully restored ancient language and superb acting, the Arab look and gestures does bias character performance.

Nevertheless, the outcome is a must see. Take every one of the four different tales with time enough to enjoy its delicate features and powerful story telling resources. A more vivid and brighter Egypt will be brought to life for you.

This is a fine production of events that are preserved in ancient documents, letters and hieroglyphs from Ancient Egypt..The sets and costumes are well done and the acting representing these events is quite superb..I am familiar with Ancient Egypt and the representation was as good as you can get with digital enhancement that a novice would appreciate..I recommend this video to anyone with some interest in that period and it was enlightening in it's portrayal of everyday human events from thousands of years ago..The effort made in this video to bring back the events of this period was on a high scale and I sincerely wish that any other portrayal of Ancient Egypt will use this video as a guideline for future quality productions..

4 top-notch 50-minute drama-documentaries about episodes in ancient Egypt with "authentic" Egyptians playing all roles and breathtaking scenery.

Especially the episodes "The Battle of Megiddo" and "Tomb Robbers" are extremely well played and immensely interesting. The episodes are all made almost as short feature films but and apart from being exciting are full of interesting information on everyday life in ancient Egypt.

Note Muhamed Soufi's, (Bakwerel, the corrupt chief of police in the episode "Tomb Robbers") priceless mimic and evil stares at his opponents.........

NOT to be missed - 9 stars out of 10 !!!