Customer Reviews

Civilisation (Civilization) - Program 5: The Hero as Artist & Program 6: Protest and Comunication (BBC Production) [VHS]

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Lucid, engaging, and comprehensive does not adequately describe Sir Kenneth Clark's magnificent survey into Western Civilization. For a series over 40 years old, the audio is remastered, the transfers are remarkably clean, and the content and opinions of the host hardly seem dated. Clark effectively interweaves music, art, science and architecture into a broad sweeping portrait that defines Western thought. For those critics who find Clark's praise for Western art either superficial or superfluous have probably been watching and listening to the typical PBS tripe directed to an audience with a junior high vocabulary with an attention span to match.

Clark is a splendid presenter and teacher whose enthusiasm for his work clearly shows. It's all here, from the ancient Greeks to the modern age (well actually, circa 1969 when the series was made), while "Civilization" is a wonderful introduction to the "humanities"--something that they used to teach in college, but now supplanted by courses and programs of dubious relevance and replete with politically correct content.

If you snoozed during your mandatory art or humanities courses in college or just found them as an opportunity to catch up on some other homework during lecture, let Sir Kenneth Clark explain to you why these things still matter today and help to define our culture and our lives. For slightly more than what you would pay for one class at a local community college, you can enjoy a most superlative achievement in truly "higher education."

Unlike the virtually unletterd commentators and hosts on the "History Channel" who apparently utter a profound "Wow, cool!" every time they are confronted with some architectual wonder or historical artifact, Clark's presentation, scholarly but never "stuffy," is a refreshing and welcome antidote.

Clark's remarks and insight are as on target as they are illuminating--see the installment featuring Michaelangelo and the Renaissance and you will understand why. Now, if only the BBC would release Alistair Cooke's "America" with Region 1 encoding for all of us to enjoy on this side of the pond...

If you have never seen this series before and are interested in art history, you just landed in a honey jar. Clark takes us on a 1,500 year journey through Western Civilization starting roughly at the end of the Roman Empire and ending in mid 20th century. He tells us straight out that his aim was to follow the history of Western European civilization as seen through the eyes of its artists. Why the limitation to only Western European civilization? Apparently, Lord Clark wanted to keep the series to a manageable length. The series is over 13 hours long as it is, and one can only wonder what it would have gone on to become had he included the Egyptian, Greco-Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, Asian, African and Pre-Columbian cultures. The mind boggles. With Civilisation, Clark has done an incredible job of showing us the amazing cultural legacy left by our European forebears. And at the end he reminds us that this is only a fraction of what was actually achieved. You will recognize many of these works. Others will not be so familiar. But they carry the weight of historical significance, and everyone with at least a four year college education should be aware of the general drift of Clark's presentation. He finished this program for the BBC in 1969. It was an immediate success and you can also find the book of the same name which was a popular spinoff of the series. I recommend it also. The series came along in the midst of some of the most tumultuous scenes of civic strife of the last 50 years. Against this background, Clark laid out his thesis that Western civilization has consisted of a series of catastrophes and rebirths. He indicates that our depression over the events of the twentieth century should not lead us into abandoning the cultural legacy which has been bequeathed to us. For example, if the Black Plague of the 14th century were to strike us with the same force it did before, over a hundred million Americans would die. The Thirty Years war devastated parts of Europe even worse than World War 2. And yet, the will to survive and rebuild society was always there. It is a prescient reminder for the current generation of thoughtful people.

In March 2001 I reviewed the VHS version of this classic. In recent years, I have lobbied for its release in the US in DVD. I joined Steve Lubetkin's blog last year to lobby the BBC, and now it is here. It is remarkable that this work of art about works of art has stood tall all these years against the plethora of programming that has sought unsuccessfully to surpass it. For all of us who know this series so well, it is not just a program; it is a document that families should pass on as necessary for a liberal education. Since it first came to America in the late '60's, nothing has married art, music, literature and a literate world view in the way Lord Clark showed us it was possible to do. That you may not share all his "personal views" is irrelevant. What matters is that what he puts before you will change and enlarge you. This must not be missed.

"Civilisation, A Personal View" by Kenneth Clark
Created in the 1960,s, this series continues to be a classic television series for those who want to be informed and entertained by a highly, knowledgeable and respected art historian, Kenneth Clark.

Mr. Clark does assume that he is talking to a viewer, who is educated, well-read, and has passionate interest in the history, issues, and flow of western civilization from the end of ancient Rome until the 1960's. As the subtitle, "A Personal View" and his commentary makes perfectly clear, he is presenting his knowledgeable view of the history of western civilization. Drawing upon his years of study and experience, his presentations are carefully crafted to have balance as well as clearly presenting his own personal analysis and conclusions as others. It is obvious that he is not in the entertainment business, but his manner is one of a learned host who is presenting an overview of western of civilization from the point of view of its art. The breath and depth of the subject matter is excellent and is highly recommended today as it was 30 years ago.

Finally, this excellent series is now available on DVD. On the technical side, the image quality DVD is in general very good but it is unfortunate that there are some scenes that do not have the quality that this series deserves.

(At bit of trivia - One of the supporting actors in a brief scene from Hamlet is none other than Patrick Stuart.)

I loved the series when it was first shown on PBS. It is the view of an Upper Class "Brit", but his bias is the one that formed my education. Lord Kenneth Clark was a brillian art historian (see Wickapedia).
I have watched the series numerous times, and still love it. Clark's ideas continue to challenge my changing views. I have visited most of the sites, several times. The buildings are now cleaner than shown on the DVD, but their timeless beauty is unchanged. I would have gladly purchased the DVDs for a far higher price.

I first saw this series when it was released by the BBC to Public Television over thirty years ago, and would beg my local station, WHYY, to keep running it until their money ran out. Why? Quite simply, to my mind, it is the most superior series ever seen on television, public or not. Lord Clark was not only brilliant, witty and engaging, but he was a teacher and, surprisingly, a most charming television presence. He has become my lifetime companion, and if this series ever comes out on DVD, I will buy it again. Also, were it not for this groundbreaking series, we would never have seen its many imitators - The Ascent of Man, America, Cosmos, Life on Earth, The Living Planet. Need I go on? Do not wait for this video to become unavailable. For anyone with a need to know about the visual arts, history, music and how they all should share space in our lives, let this program be your companion as well.

This maybe a little dated, but it is still very well worth seeing - I can see the images of Aachen cathedral, the mosaics at Ravenna and the Viking dragon's head prow from the series even now in my mind's eye.

I can't recommend it highly enough to anyone interested in a general personal view of European civilisation. This series - along with The Ascent of Man - was one of my formative TV experiences.

I've always considered Clark's series the best of this kind, though--spread out over 26 hours--the late '80s set of Weber lectures entitled *THE WESTERN TRADITION* is equally fine. The photography and music are particularly pleasing, and Clark's claim about halfway through that "civilisation" is measured by the capacity of a culture to preserve itself (implying explicitly that "primitive societies" plowed under by the West don't count) may be shocking but also presents with disturbing candor the rationalization with which Western colonialists have bruted their values onto other lands. A couple years back, I shared an excerpt of the Clark series with a gathering of tenured "Cultural Studies" faculty, only to witness their disapproval at Clark's allegedly "dated," pre-feminist rhetoric. The fault, I fear, lay not in Clark but in themselves, for his commentary is uniformly witty and bracing, and never pretends to be other than a personal perspective. This is definitely an item I want on DVD, even though I already have it on tape.

Kenneth Clark's Civilisation is important because without this format there would not have been Jacob Bronowski's The Ascent of Man, or any of David Attenboroughs nature programs or Carl Sagan's Cosmos. This is the brand that started them all however the subject matter is very different from those science-orientated programs.

Clark believed that he could encapsulate the development of European civilization (he does a little bit on America too) through its art. It is a very audacious project and to some extent Clark is making television history by doing something that has never been done before. Throughout the 13 episodes Clark picks an era and discusses the main mood, expressed through art and how it progresses civilization or how civilization advances art. Art history is a feedback system with one adding to the other.

Clark discusses the historical context and the impact it has on the art which eventually leads to the art having an impact on history that starts up the historical context of the next episode. Sometimes keeping his comments to a minimum, he hopes that the artwork will express itself although Clark does speak at length about their central themes. This is very much a scholarly effort with a lecturer brimming with his life's work experience. The vastness of his knowledge on the topic of art history is incredible and he presents us with the very best of what art has to offer.

Here are some examples of what you can expect to learn about...

Episode 1: "The Skin of Our Teeth"
The collapse of civilizations. Works of art in civilization. The Viking ships. The Apollo. Status of civilizations by their art. Expressions of an ideal. The aqueduct. Gibbon's The History Of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire. Enemies of civilization such as fear, the supernatural and boredom. Confidence. The exhaustion of the Greek and Roman empire. Barbarian invaders. Christian Roman Empire. Islam. Christianity in Ireland. Pagans. Dark ages. Anglo-Saxons. Gold. Craftsmanship. Iona. Celtic designs for the illiterate. Book of Kells. The Norsemen. The Vikings. Vikings in Persia. The Franks. Charlemagne. Writing and reading. Byzantine Empire. Holy Roman Empire. The problem of static absolute power such as Egypt. Lothar Cross. The crucifixion as a new 10th century symbol.

Episode 2: "The Great Thaw"
Periods of intensification of existence. Canterbury cathedral. Durham cathedral. Confidence in construction. Ecclesiastical power and internationality. Cluny Abbey. Bernard of Clairvaux. Cistercian style. Monasticism. Pilgramages to Jerusalem. The crusades. Sainte-Foy of Conques. Romanesque art. Peter Abalard. Vézelay Abbey. The Basilica of Saint Denis. Abbot Suger and the concept that the dull mind rises to the absolute through sensing the material world. Gothic architecture. Cathedral of Chartres. Cult of the virgin. Chartres sculptures based on Greek influence. Flying buttress. Stained glass.

Episode 3: "Romance and Reality"
Medieval times (Middle ages). Lady of the unicorn tapestry. Cathedral of Chartres. Courtly love. Feudalism. The Madonnas. Roman de la Rose. Boethius. Tristan und Isolde. Duke of Berry. Nature in art. Francis of Assisi. Giotto. Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi. Rejection of the cult of poverty. Church banking. Capitalism. Palazzo Pubblico, the town hall of Siena. Giotto and spacial dimensions in paintings. Dante. Baptistry of Pisa.

Episode 4: "Man the Measure of All Things"
Florence. Protagoras. Pazzi Chapel. Brunelleschi. The architecture of humanism. Dawn of the Renaissance architecture. Leonardo Bruni. Francesco Petrarca. San Marco. Perspective. Open air markets. The spirit of criticism. The statue of David by Donatello. Busts. Death masks. Leone Battista Alberti. Donatello's equestrian statue of Gattamelata. Realistic portraits. Jan van Eyck. Selling our labour and goods just transferred. Lorenzo de medici. Birth of Venus. Neoplatonism. Urbino. Raphael. The Prince by Machiavelli. The Book of the Courtier (Il Cortegiano). Mantua. Adoration of the lamb. Venetian painting. Giorgione. Hamlet. The problem of social separation during the Renaissance.

Episode 5: "The Hero as Artist"
Rome. Vatican. Popes and civilization. Pope Julius II. Old Saint Peters. Apollo Belvedere. Andrea Mantegna. Triumphs of Caesar. Verrocchio. Michelangelo. Sistine Chapel ceiling. Raphael. The School of Athens. Leonardo da Vinci.

In later episodes Clark discusses the reformation, Shakespeare, the counter-reformation, St. Peter's, the telescope, the microscope, Dutch paintings, music from Bach, Handel, Mozart, the age of enlightenment, Voltaire, Jefferson, the worship of nature, romanticism, the Alps, Turner, Constable, the French revolution Napoleon, Beethoven, Byron, Delacroix, Rodin before rounding up with modern materialism, cities, skyscrapers, New York, science, Brunel, Rutherford, Wilberforce, Shaftsbury and space exploration.

This show was developed specifically to show the power of color television (which had failed in America) and which was reinvented for BBC2 in the UK with a new technical color system. Every episode also flourished with music. K. Clark was really doing something very new. It was more than just a glorified lecture. This was television history in the making.

However it is a very personal view and this show is just as much about Clark as it is about his subject matter. He had to omit Spain because he didn't know how to deal with the inquisition and bull fighting but the achievement is still remarkable none-the-less.

It does have some other weaknesses. The presentation of Civilisation is a bit of a hybrid and a title is a little bit misleading. "A European History of Art" is really what it is. It is not exactly a well rounded history of Europe but it is of European art. In fact it leans so much in the direction of art for its presentation that it often leaves its historical context far behind. For this reason many people who want a presentation on Civilisation but may not like art will find it, quite simply, frustrating. It is so heavy on art throughout the ages that there are bound to be episodes that one prefers over the others. Even the best of art appreciators may find it challenging. It is hard to relax to it.

There is also so much more (like science) that could have gone into it but alas Clark couldn't do everything and the producers made other shows, like Jacob Bronowski's The Ascent of Man, based on the same program design to make up for it. Still if it is a presentation of art or history you are looking for then Civilisation is probably where it all started and to be honest you could not be in any better hands than K. Clark. There is nothing like it really.

Pros:
History through art must be seen
K. Clark scholarly presentation
The widest range of European art ever presented
Cinematography is splendid
Art direction is top class

Cons:
Very heavy on art as the medium for presenting history
May not be something you can watch from start to end quickly (personally took me over a year to view it all).

Saw this at St. John's college in the 60's. It was my dad's idea to drum some "culture" into his teen-age children's heads. We fussed, we rebelled, we may have even cried, but he dragged us to a weekly showing of episodes of this presentation. We did everything we could to not pay attention, but thankfully some of it sunk in. I especially liked the architecture parts, but remember some of the fantastic paintings and sculptures too. Now i want to own it, and watch it again with a better formed mind, and a longer attention span. The joy of owning it, is you can take it all in small doses, and absorb these wonders of man in all their glory. Don't be put off by the fact that it was presented in the 60's. The art and culture are still very real, even if not as inclusive as we now know it should have been.