This is a documentary of the kind the BBC (or British tv) is rightly praised: knowledge combined with drama. The series depicts the life of Leonardo from early boyhood to his death (and even after). And for once, Leonardo is not shown as the old man with a beard as we all seem to know him. After all, even Leonardo must have been young. We see him, travelling through Italy, fighting against sometimes mighty opponents and against ignorance. Although the acting is bordering on the dramatic at times, the overall atmosphere is very good, giving you a true feeling of a society rising from the middle ages.
The dramatic scenes are interwoven with academic commentary. What's more, in each of the three 60-minute parts the crew tries to recreate and/or analyse one of Leonardo's marvels. Why are his drawings and paintings so special? Would his underwater-suit have worked? Or his tank, or his hang-glider?
This is one of those documentaries of which one can only hope it will appear on dvd. In the meantime, you might want to check out the BBC web site dedicated to the series.
