Empires - The Medici, Godfathers of the Renaissance

Starring:Pip Torrens, Peter Guinness, Massimo Marinoni
Director: Justin Hardy
Studio: PBS
Product Type: DVD

Description

From a small Italian community in 15th-century Florence, the Medici family would rise to rule Europe in many ways. Using charm, patronage, skill, duplicity and ruthlessness, they would amass unparalleled wealth and unprecedented power. They would also ignite the most important cultural and artistic revolution in Western history--the European Renaissance. But the forces of change the Medici helped unleash would one day topple their ordered world. An epic drama played out in the courts, cathedrals and palaces of Europe, this series is both the tale of one family's powerful ambition and of Europe's tortured struggle to emerge from the ravages of the dark ages.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing.......2007-05-23

There is some pretty photography here, and the portraits of the relationships between the Medicis and their artist proteges are engaging. But I must agree with other reviewers that there is a woeful lack of true biographical material about the Medicis themselves. Why were they hated? What were the feuds about? Why did they have to leave Florence? How do they compare to the Borgias? The explanations are vague or absent. I suspect that what we have is a chamber of commerce history, with sumptuous sets and costumes and heavily accented narration, designed to make you want to visit Florence, but with very little elucidation and no insight. I think you can get a better perspective on Renaissance Italy from Hollywood's historical fiction The Prince of Foxes, starring Tyrone Power, than with this documentary.

Great art history lesson.......2007-05-15

If you are planning a trip to Italy--especially Florence, this is a must view. I watched it before I went and again after I came back--Knowing the story behind the Duomo, Pope's and Micheangelo made my trip to Florence and Rome more personal (and reduced the need for a guide). On return when watching, I could picture myself in the streets and remember standing before the paintings and sculptures captured on this video.

passable.......2007-05-03

Look, you gotta admit that there ain't many DVDs about the Medicis out there, so how can you gripe?

Unfortunately, I am tempted to quip that there still isn't a DVD out there about the Medicis, because this offering is largely concerned with other things.

True, the subject matter of each of the four episodes on this DVD is structured around broad happenings in the Medici family, but really this is just a springboard for the series's larger concern: the Renaissance and how it signalled the beginning of the modern world. To the extent that the activiies of Michelangelo, Da Vinci, and others were either influenced or directly bankrolled by this rich Florentine family, the series does hold together.

But what disappointed me was that the series seemed a bit skimpy on hard, good information about the Medicis, instead happily digressing into areas that supposedly were not the chief concern of the film. There are extensive detours into architecture, art, religion, sculpture, etc. Not that this is unwelcome: it's just that the title of the DVD seems to promise something else entirely.

Another annoying thing is that the entire narration is read in a kind of "Tales of the Crypt"-type intonation that gets old really fast, and cannot handle the range of emotion and analysis that the documentary calls for.

The film alternates between interviews with historians and scenes with costumed actors and a voiceover.

One thing I did like was the extented visualization of Brunelleschi's creation of his beloved duomo. This was a welcome experience, although much of the analysis (i.e., the details about the dome's construction) is only tangentially related to the Medicis.

I should also warn you it's quite bloody.

A Visual Supplement to Medici History.......2007-03-02

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many words does a film get you? In the case of this installment of the PBS Empires series, the answer is likely "not enough." While many other reviewers here rightly note that this four-part series is a little light on its history of the Medici (and places perhaps too much focus on the artists and others of note whom the family patronized), it nevertheless presents the key Medici family members in vibrant visual detail.

Rich historical recreation is something PBS has typically done well, and they don't let us down here. Fantastic costumes, wonderful sets and on-location filming, fade-ins to the finest examples of Medici-sponsored art, and an excellent computer-generated recreation of the construction of the Duomo in Florence all provide visual compliments to the history of the Medici's contributions to the era of the Renaissance that written studies simply cannot. Thus "The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance" video series is an excellent way to supplement one's understanding of the history of this family and the political and artistic world they helped to create.

History made interesting.......2007-01-09

I thoroughly enjoyed this DVD. It brings Florence and it's history to life, and the narrator's Italian-accented English makes it more riveting. If history were taught this way, the world would be more knowledgeable.

The costumes and computer depiction of the construction of the dome on the Duomo were excellent.

Empires Collection - The Dynasties (Egypt's Golden Empire / The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance / Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire / The Roman Empire in the First Century / The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization)

Average customer rating:

A really good review of the 5 civilizations covered
Excellent collection

Empires Collection - The Dynasties (Egypt's Golden Empire / The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance / Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire / The Roman Empire in the First Century / The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization)
Starring: Empires-Dynasties
Manufacturer: PBS Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Documentary | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

All | PBS | Specialty Stores | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000ANVQ6Y
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Description

Empires Collection: The Dynasties (5 Disc Gift Set) - Empires Collection: The Dynasties is a compilation of five outstanding stories of some of histories greatest dynasties.

Egypt's Golden Empire
In 1570 B.C., when Rome was still a marsh and the Acropolis was an empty rock, Egypt was already 1000 years old. Although the period of the pyramid-builders was long over, Egypt lay on the threshold of its greatest age. The New Kingdom would be an empire forged by conquest, maintained by intimidation and diplomacy, and remembered long after its demise. Led by a dynasty of rich personalities, whose dramatic lives changed the course of civilization, Egypt's Golden Empire presents the most extraordinary period in Egyptian history: from 1570 B.C. to 1070 B.C., when the Egyptian Empire reached its zenith.

The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance
The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance - From a small Italian community in 15th century Florence, the Medici family would rise to rule Europe in many ways. Using charm, patronage, skill, duplicity and ruthlessness, they would amass unparalleled wealth and unprecedented power. They would also ignite the most important cultural and artistic revolution in Western history- the European Renaissance. But the forces of change the Medici helped unleash would one day topple their ordered world. An epic drama played out in the courts, cathedrals and palaces of Europe, this series is both the tale of one family's powerful ambition and of Europe's tortured struggle to emerge from the ravages of the Dark Ages.

Japan: Memoirs Of A Secret Empire
Commanding shoguns and samurai warriors, exotic geisha and exquisite artisans -- all were part of the Japanese "renaissance" -- a period between the 16th and 19th centuries when Japan went from chaos and violence to a land of ritual refinement and peace. But stability came at a price: for nearly 250 years, Japan was a land closed to the Western world, ruled by the Shogun under his absolute power and control. Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire brings to life the unknown story of a mysterious empire, its relationship to the West, and the forging of a nation that would emerge as one of the most important countries in the world.

The Roman Empire in the First Century
Two thousand years ago, at the dawn of the first century, the ancient world was ruled by Rome. Through the experiences, memories and writings of the people who lived it, this series tells the story of that time - the emperors and slaves, poets and plebeians, who wrested order from chaos, built the most cosmopolitan society the world had ever seen and shaped the Roman empire in the first century A.D.

The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization
The Greeks - Classical Greece of the 4th and 5th centuries, B.C. was a magnificent civilization that laid the foundations for modern science, politics, warfare, and philosophy, and produced some of the most breathtaking art and architecture the world has ever known. Through the eyes and words of the great heroes of ancient Greece, this dazzling production charts the rise, triumph, and eventual decline of the world's first democracy. Now, through dramatic storytelling and state-of-the-art computer animation, you witness history, art, and government with giants like Pericles, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

Customer Reviews:

A really good review of the 5 civilizations covered.......2007-03-09

I've been reviewing areas of history that I don't usually cover to balance out my general knowledge. No video can compress into a couple of hours the libraries that have been written on these subjects, but I watched them with a pad nearby and started searching names and topics for further study. Then I added books on those areas to my wish list here on Amazon.

All in all, each disc is a great review if you're rusty or a place to start if you're moving into new areas of history.

Excellent collection.......2007-01-05

I was very impressed with this series. I learned very much, escpecailly about the Medici's. If you enjoy history/documentaries you'll love this collection. I was so impressed I've ordered other Empire series. Props to PBS on this one!

Empires - The Medici, Godfathers of the Renaissance

Average customer rating:

Disappointing
Great art history lesson
passable
A Visual Supplement to Medici History
History made interesting

Empires - The Medici, Godfathers of the Renaissance
Starring: Pip Torrens , Federico Stefanelli , James M. Saslow , Niccolo Cioni (II) , and Ian Bustard
Director: Justin Hardy
Manufacturer: PBS
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

( E ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Empires - The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization
Empires - The Roman Empire in the First Century
The French Revolution (History Channel)
Empires - Islam: Empire of Faith
Empires - The Kingdom of David - The Saga of the Israelites

ASIN: B00015HXCW
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Description

A tale of one family's powerful ambition and of Europe's struggle to emerge from the ravages of the Dark Ages. Beginning in the 14th century, The Medici used charm, skill and ruthlessness to garner unparalleled wealth and power. Standing at the helm of the Renaissance, they ruled Europe for more than 300 years and inspired the great artists, scientists and thinkers who gave birth to the modern world.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing.......2007-05-23

Great art history lesson.......2007-05-15

passable.......2007-05-03

A Visual Supplement to Medici History.......2007-03-02

History made interesting.......2007-01-09

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