Although Terry Jones is best known as a Monty Python troupe member, this four-part series made for the BBC and the History Channel is no Mel Brooks-style parody. Although Jones' narration features some witty jibes, the episodes here are intended to be serious revisionist pieces that challenge the common perception that both the peoples conquered by the ancient Romans and the Germanic tribes who eventually took command of the Western empire, were uncultured brutes. During the first two hours, Jones argues that the Celts (subdued by Julius Caesar) and the Goths (later brought under Roman dominion in Dacia) possessed flourishing societies that were in some aspects superior to Rome's, suggesting that the conquests were economically motivated. In the third episode, Jones points out that many of the advances often attributed to the Romans were actually appropriated from others, and in the fourth he argues that the amount of destruction supposedly perpetrated by groups like the Vandals during the fifth century has been wildly exaggerated and their purposes misrepresented. None of this will be new to scholars, but Jones makes his case well with a lively mixture of erudition and travelogue, drawing on both archaeological evidence and literary sources. There are occasional lapses—such as the suggestion that the Romans would have included the Greeks in the category of “barbarians” (they did not, and indeed the very word was of Greek origin)—but overall this is a handsomely produced, informative, and entertaining historical survey. Warmly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)
Terry Jones' Barbarians
(2006) 2 discs. 205 min. DVD: $29.98. Koch Vision (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 1-4172-2993-4. Volume 23, Issue 2
Terry Jones' Barbarians
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: