Terry Jones' Barbarians DVD Credits:

Region: 1

Terry Jones' Barbarians DVD Release Date: 8th January 2008

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Terry Jones' Barbarians DVD Review:

Everyone knows that Rome was one of the premiere empires in history and that their ambition and social acceleration were comparable to few if not none. What Terry Jones’ Barbarians attempts to propose is that perhaps the “savages,” as the Romans saw them, were more sophisticated and advanced than some of the writers of history have allowed us to know. It’s a thoughtful documentary mini-series that enlightens and entertains on a balanced level.

Terry Jones, best known for his involvement with Monty Python, hosts a journey into ancient Rome when its social order and prolific advancements were at the peak height of civilization. History would have us believe that the “barbarians” that challenged Rome were nothing more than mindless beasts of the earth that would stop at nothing to confront the ruling empire but the reality that Jones uncovers is quite contrary. With a rich blend of scholarly research and surprising archeological evidence, we get a chance to see that these non-Romans were not exactly as the history books have portrayed them. They were smart, organized, and had no aspirations of overthrowing the unstoppable Roman powerhouse.

In this 2-Disc set, Jones presents four individual parts: “The Primitive Celts,” “The Savage Goths,” “The Brainy Barbarians,” and “The End of the World.” In each you will find that some of these barbarian societies had technology that not only exceeded that of the Romans but also took researchers and scientists up until the twentieth century to fully comprehend. Terry Jones does an excellent job of uncovering the truth while not discrediting the Romans by any stretch of the imagination. His sole purpose is to show how history has misinterpreted certain events and buried societies worthy of praise, or at least a more dignified profile, in the shadows of giant empires such as that of Rome.

This presentation has a very similar feel to things you might see on the History Channel. The cameras follow Terry Jones around numerous sites of modern Rome while intercutting with dramatized scenes of ancient Roman situations. The cinematography is much richer and more beautiful than the standard historical documentary though. This is just one more reason why this production stands out.

There are no Special Features included with this set, which is somewhat disappointing. But at the same time, Barbarians is so informational and full that you wonder what any additional footage might include. However, a featurette on why Terry Jones is so interested in the subject and how he came to be involved with the project might have added a little bit of insight because there tends to not be so much emphasis on the genesis of these types of documentary projects.

I must say that knowing of Terry Jones’ previous work (Monty Python, Erik the Viking, etc.), I expected some more of the “irreverent humor” that the synopsis tries to sell. Yes, Terry Jones is Terry Jones throughout but he’s Terry Jones geared toward presenting important information rather than Terry Jones geared toward making you laugh. I enjoy both versions but I don’t like the branding being used to try and exploit Jones’ hilarious persona and past. While watching this, I felt more that Terry Jones wanted the focus to be on the societies that were tainted by Rome rather than himself as a mediator.

Barbarians is a solid documentary mini-series. It’s more educational and fairly balanced than the majority of similar expeditions into the past. You’re guaranteed to learn something new that will solidify in your mind that history, no matter how twisted it might be, can find a way to be truthfully uncovered and displayed to the masses.

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Terry Jones' Barbarians DVD review written by: Bryce Carlson