Product Details

• Format: Color, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Nat'l Geographic Vid
• DVD Release Date: June 24, 2008
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0015XHR5W
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,887 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

BIRTH OF CIVILIZATION - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique portrait of evolution of social organisation and mindset, March 1, 2010

By 

Diana A. Maciel Hjørungnes - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Birth of Civilization (DVD)

This item contains an interestingly presented history of the evolution of mindset of humanity from the first men to the first civilizations. Didatic, simple, informative and pleasurous watching. A whow DVD, despite its short duration. It can be used in schools for informative and easy language.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars entertaining look at the start of civilization, August 27, 2009

By 

C. B. "onemanarmy" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Birth of Civilization (DVD)

This was a very entertaining and thought provoking show I don't see the reason for other harsh reviews. I think some people are looking a little to much into this. The fact of matter is it told three stories about mans earliest breakthroughs that linked together in an interesting way.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accurate historical fiction that kids love!, August 20, 2009

By 

Peter G Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Birth of Civilization (DVD)

I am flummoxed as to why the other reviews on this movie are so poor.

I can tell you why I think it was a great movie:

My two children age 7 and 9, giving up a bit of summer vacation, watched the whole thing, were engaged and even a bit frightened. This movie encouraged them to think outside the "Pokémon/Wii" box and for days afterwards they asked me questions about the movie. Big questions.

I work in clinical research that is specific to stroke and stroke recovery. For years I have been trying to imagine what it would be like prehistoric individuals to have had a stroke. I have written about it in articles and in my book Stronger After Stroke, and I talk about it in seminars and lectures I do around the country. In this movie, there is the fictional story of a prehistoric man who was brain damaged but managed to make the connection between seed, soil, water and crop growing. This portrayal of a hemiparetic brain-damaged person is by far the best I've seen in movies. This is no easy feat. Sir Anthony Hopkins struggled with it in Legends of the Fall.

I am no expert, but this movie seems to be based on hunter gatherer culture, practices and philosophies that are still evident today. It is not very difficult to determine how little importance prehistoric man placed in ownership. It is also not difficult to understand how prehistoric man saw himself as no more important than anything else in nature. It's the same with the Yanomamö, some aboriginal tribes, Eskimo tribes, etc. etc.

All in all this was a thought provoking bit of historical fiction.