Customer Reviews

Emperor of the Seas (Discovery HD Theater) [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Emperor of the Seas video is what I have found to be a rare account of the ancient Chinese Treasure Fleet. The video was enlightening entertainment not only suitable viewing but cultural and history knowledge expanding for the entire family.

Western ancient historians have, in my judgment, neglect the ancient Chinese influence on culture and human ancient history. The account of the Treasure Fleet is very well done in this film and raises new historic questions in my mind.

The possible historic parallels between the ancient Chinese Treasure Fleet and the modern day (1968-1972) United States Apollo fleet that travelled to the moon is what drew me into this aspect of Chinese history. Nonetheless, for whatever reason I was drawn to the DVD Blue-ray, I am very pleased to know have the knowledge of it.

AGAIN, this is a MUST for any DVD Library of the 21st Century. I highly recommend it.

Organized well with "ok" digital inhancements or recreations of ships and history of this naval leader

From a Western perspective, it's easy to look at castrated males as inferior or less than. However, this work gives an example of how China differed. This focuses on Zheng-He, a eunuch who was like an Eastern Christopher Columbus.
It's also easy to assume that various people of color did not have contact with people of different regions until Europeans colonized their lands. This work shows East Asians enteracting with South Asians, Arabs, and Africans. If you support person-of-color unity, you'll like seeing this. Islam played an important role in different peoples feeling that they had something in common. People of that faith may really enjoy this work too.
Foucault said power is never absolute. So though Zheng He was instructed to get other rulers to pay tribute to the Chinese emperor, he also had to have additional ships to ward off pirates.
The graphics in this documentary are excellent. The reenactments by actors are done well too. You can see dancers dressed just like the ones in "House of Flying Daggers" here. I liked this work so much better than "Did They Come Before Columbus?"