The Machine That Made Us

Stephen Fry takes us through the world of Gutenberg. And we have fun watching how much fun he is having in telling the tale and recreating the art of movable type. In the re-creating Stephen gets to try his skills at making type and paper.

Reminds me of my school days where we made paper and set type on a proof press. We learned why two of the letters were at the end of the type box.

Even if you know the story it is fun to go to the places Gutenberg lived in and re-createing what looks like his original press.

It is a tad depressing to find that after all his work he lost his press to a financer.

I hope there are more Stephen Fry documentaries out there.

An interesting and well informed documentary about Gutenberg's first press and the efforts involved in building a replica.

The researchers have done their best but there are a number of areas where they can only say 'We don't know.' Despite this there is no end of factual material covered.

There is a certain irony, perhaps hypocrisy, in Fry narrating the tale as he has been publicly, and bitterly, critical of Christianity. The Bible is of course what the subject matter has at its core.

Even so Fry is entertaining and presents the researchers' efforts confidently and with a smattering of genuine self-effacing humour.

A very worthwhile watch if you stumble across a copy.