Building the Great Pyramid

Starring:Omar Sharif, Christian BrÃ¼ckner, Mohamed Awad (II), Marc Bator, Tom Hewitt, Hisham Abdullah, Michael Pennington
Director: Jonathan Stamp
Studio: BBC Warner
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Not quite documentary, not quite drama, this reenactment of a fictional conscript's life building the Great Pyramid of Giza is best described as docudrama. Omar Sharif voices the thoughts of the aged Nakht remembering the moment Egyptian soldiers drafted him into the king's service. The 57-minute film re-creates the boat trip up the Nile and his ascent through the ranks, from delivering water to helping haul 2.5-ton blocks up ramps for the king's tomb. Interspersed are narrator Michael Pennington's historical assertions, along with contrasting footage of what the pyramid looks like today. Pennington's comments are not substantiated during the film, although a list of academic and museum consultants is part of the credits. Almost as interesting as the actual film is the DVD's 14-minute making-of featurette, which explains what shots were real, what were visual effects, and how they used a real Egyptian village to stand in for Giza, now a well-developed suburb. --Kimberly Heinrichs

Description

For four thousand years men have marvelled at the Great Pyramid of Giza and asked two questions: how was it built and why? To answer those questions we will travel back in time. By combining the latest archaeological research with the most up-to-date visual technology we can for the first time see the Pyramid through the eyes of the men who built it.

Customer Reviews:

Stunningly realistic.......2007-02-21

I've come to expect generally good fare from the BBC, and this was no exception. The visual richness of Egytian life and scenery along the Nile was unbelievably real - it looks like a film crew was transported back to 2400 BC to make this engrossing saga. The main character was marvelously genuine and real, as were the many supporting people. I appreciated that the answer to "Why were the pyramids built?" was artfully woven into the unfolding story, letting us glimpse something of the political and spiritual beliefs of these amazing people.

I highly recommend spending an hour 4,500 years in the past, watching the remaining Wonder of the World being built, and glimpsing the lives of those who accomplished this.

A very good overview of life in Egypt.......2004-06-21

There are actually two versions of this film. One was shown on the Discovery Channel with about 5 minutes or so cut from it and with a different narrator and this one. Of the two, this one is a bit better. The DVD says it has a "making of" part and it does but this part is quite lacking. It is like they slapped it together.

Historical points. Overall they were quite good in their presentation but they made a few errors. One of which was saying "Egypt had no need of slaves." This is absolutely historically false. Egypt had slaves like every nation in the area. Their slaves, though, would not have built the pyramids or holy places. They were doing other tasks. Also their portrayal of the copper smithing is off. A book called "Technology in the Ancient World" does a better job of describing metal working/discovery in detail.

Outside of these minor points, the story is engaging. It follows the life of one man from anonymous villager to a foreman over a work gang on the great pyramid. Some of the shots are quite beautiful and the reconstructions are well made. The actors, overall, did a good job. They didn't overdo their roles nor look like stiffs. This is a great DVD for people who are casually interested in ancient Egypt or for classroom activities.

More please.......2003-03-26

i don't know who wrote the review giving this show 1 star ... Watching it i was just pleased to see someone trying to visualise Ancient Egypt rather than go through the various (constantly repeated) mysterious , multi-million dollar book selling,... (atlantean) theories. It seemed to be based on the latest conventional archaeology and gave a broad view of how the workers would have lived and the pyramid erected. A visual treat set against a plethora of acedemic documentaries that abound in this field.

This is a JOKE, right?.......2003-03-10

People, do your Self a favor and spend your money on something else. The decision to buy a "product" like this one strangely enables the producers and the companies who finance such things TO MAKE MORE OF THEM. Who needs that?

Why support the claims and "findings" of a bunch of people who are simply out to make a buck by selling you their version of "the truth behind the mystery"?

Description

Colosseum: A Gladiators Story: Travel back in time to the glamour and bloodshed of ancient Rome's gladiatorial world, where men fought for their lives to satisfy the whims of emperors and a bloodthirsty populace. Combining compelling narrative with state-of-the-art computer graphics and high-quality drama reconstruction, this production throws new light on the way gladiators really fought and trained, and reveals that many of them were the superstars of their age. Colosseum: A Gladiator's Story revolves around the true story of Verus, who rises from slave to star gladiator, but who faces the ultimate challenge in one of the very few gladiatorial fights that was recorded and described by contemporary writers. Discover Verus' story, live his journey and experience his quest for freedom. Building the Great Pyramid: For four thousand years men have marvelled at the Great Pyramid of Giza and asked two questions: how was it built and why? To answer those questions we will travel back in time. By combining the latest archaeological research with the most up-to-date visual technology we can for the first time see the Pyramid through the eyes of the men who built it.

Customer Reviews:

Great historical re-creations.......2006-05-29

The documentary on the Colosseum (not quite a docu-drama, but done in a dramatic fashion that makes things a bit more interesting than a straight lecture piece) follows the story of Verus, one of the most famous gladiators in Roman history, and his friend (and occasional rival) Priscus. Verus and Priscus date from the inaugural games of the Colosseum, at that time known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, built by the Emperor Vespasian and opened by his son, Titus. Verus and Priscus were both slaves, caught in different parts of the empire during different wars, but ended up in the same quarry and had the same fate, to be selected and trained as gladiators for Rome.

The documentary works to dispel many of the false notions about gladiators and similar entertainments of the time. Many gladiators were not slaves, but rather willing participants after fame and fortune. Most gladiators did not die in the arena - in fact, survival chances were as high as ninety percent, and those who were injured got the best medical care in Rome. While animals were used as entertainment, often they would cower at the sound of the crowd and the overwhelming sense of being surrounded, which surely must have affected the human participants, too.

The match between Verus and Priscus is one of the few recorded in detail in Roman literature, and the words and situations shown in this documentary come from the records of the time. The poet Martial wrote an extensive description of their match during the inaugural games; other archaeological and historical research provided insight to filling out the rest of the story. The acting is well done, and the sets and effects are convincing, with high production values.

The documentary on the pyramids also shares high production values, and draws on archaeological evidence as well as interpretation. Again, preconceptions and misperceptions are dispelled - the majority of workers were most likely not slaves. However, the purpose of the pyramids remains a mystery, for even if the obvious intention is that of a pharoah's burial site, the ideas leading to pyramids (as well as the abandonment of such structures in favour of other kinds of burial sites) remains a matter of speculation and debate.

Both of these documentaries give insight into worlds far removed from our modern times, and yet make sense in many ways - human nature and aspiration continues to share many common threads, even with people thousands of years ago. This is part of our own history.

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