Crusades

Many viewers might be surprised to see "Monty Python" alumnus Terry Jones doing a historical documentary, but he has made some wonderfully entertaining film in this genre. My favorite of these is "Medieval Lives" and I used portions of this show back when I was teaching World History. "Crusades" is also exceptionally good as it puts a different spin on the significance of these wars. Unlike conventional wisdom, Jones explains in this lengthy four-part series that the end result of the Crusades was the STRENGTHENING of the Muslim world---uniting the various Islamic kingdoms and the creation of a spirit of Jihad that we still feel today.

To provide this history lesson, Jones uses some amazing visuals--with actors dressed like living mosaics. You just have to see and marvel at them to believe them. Additionally, his anachronistic and droll sense of humor makes the film well worth seeing and enjoyable. Worth your time. The only negative is seeing Jones in a Speedo! I could have done without this.

Terry Jones, Oxford history graduate and former member of the Monty Python team, helms an unromantic and sometimes irreverent look at the political, economic and religious machinations behind the Crusades, with a particular emphasis on the absurdities and atrocities. Travelling along the crusader trail, he uses interviews with historians and traditional weapon-makers, translations of Arab folk tales and medieval letters, clips from old movies and some startling visual effects to create an unforgettable documentary.

This is a great little gem of ancient history that still affects us in modern times. I watched it over several mornings with my coffee so that I could begin the day laughing at human folly (THAT has not changed) and learning some history. One of the few things Marx got right was saying that religion is the opium of the people--if that's an accurate quote. The world still suffers from religious fanaticism. I only hope that the more rational global economy can conquer and behead the religious fanatics in America, the Middle East and elsewhere! Today we send young women and men to war to die for oil: back then it was for "salvation"!!

Big Panda Bear

Terry Jones has previously done a series about the barbarians that uses selective and unrepresentative titbits to "prove" that the classical barbarians were actually a million times more advanced than we commonly think. They weren't, but they can be made to appear to be.

This continues in The Crusades where a few out of context points, a wry look and a bit of tired Monty Python comedy is thrown in to persuade the viewer that Muslims were innocent victims and Christians warmongering monsters.

It's pathetic that people are so keen to have their own bigotry propped up that they'll twist history to suit themselves. If this show did the same thing to malign Muslims instead it would probably have a score of around 2. Tell idiots what they want to hear though and you're set for success. Read about the crusades from a history book and you'll find quite a different story. What really galls me is there is little enough historical content on TV, what's the betting he'll get yet another series where he'll spin similar drivel while proper historians don't get a look in.

Really, this is sad stuff though I'm not at all surprised to see it has such a high rating.

... to quote the great Jack Nicholson. while it is true that in any conflict there are atrocities on both sides, not one of the negative commentators can refute any of the claims made in this series, they can only point out that it is one sided. well yes, that is the point, it is about the Christian crusades, if it was about the side of the muslims it would have been called "jihad" or something. it is very suitable that a python would handle this subject since much of it verges on farcical, if it weren't so utterly horrible. just the fact that when they finally get to to Jerusalem not only is it not occupied by the people that were supposedly oppressing it (the turks were already kicked out) that in fact everybody was getting along quite well. that's a python moment if there ever was one! i can hear the dialogue now

Christian: "We have to come to rescue you from the infidel blasphemers!"

jerusalem resident: "No thank you, we're doing just dandy actually, perhaps you would like to save the next city?"

Christian: "But we have travelled for years through untold hardship and struggle to kick out the infidels! God has willed it!"

jerusalem resident: "Look, it's not my fault we're not being oppressed, what do you want me to do, beat myself over the head?"

and so on .... and of course they end up looting and pillaging the "holy city". and you know, i don't think the Arab world has forgotten this period as much as we have, and we are still paying for those dark and bloody times. i'm glad this series was made, we must face the truths of history, no matter how ugly they are or how much they shatter our fragile myths we have created to shield ourselves from the true horrors of our past.