Customer Reviews

Ring of Fire: An Indonesian Odyssey [VHS]

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I first saw this series when it originally aired on PBS in the late 80's. It opened my eyes to new ways of viewing the world and introduced me to cultures that we in the West are taught to view as "primitive" but are anything but! As the Blair brothers take you on a tour of Indonesia that you will never see in the travelogues, you are introduced to peoples still living as they have for a thousand years, and see many unique views of life and creation that are every bit as valid as the Western belief systems. I have long searched for this set, having lost my copy years ago; as usual, here it is at Amazon, & I couldn't be more pleased!

I first heard about the "Ring of Fire" series from a newspaper review, which described the travel adventure as one of the greatest journeys since Marco Polo. The show really opened my eyes. It made me think about how much the world has changed since the Blair brothers made their film; it also made me relaize how different the world will be in another 20 years. I immediately made it one of missions in life to see as much of the world as possible before ancient cultures are forever changed by Micky Mouse t-shirts and cheap digital watches. I'm buying this series to remind me of the passion for travel that the show instilled in me. Thank you, Blair brothers, for letting us share in your great adventure.

The Blair brothers adventure is really an incredibly interesting story and at times quite deep account of a long years journey through the remotest islands in Indonesia. I wonder if the Blair brothers were aware of how brave he and his brother were to go to the places they went and meet such people as headhunters and come back to tell the story! Not to mention the more subtle metaphysical comments here and there about the various religions they did meet and all of it presented with a very dry mind.As we live in the 21st century, it is fascinating to see the past and discover some of the ancient origins of today's practices, and to discover how those people who has what it is today in Indonesian islands, and how even today's people still worship the spirits of nature.The Islands they visit were fabulous tropical environments. That what make this Island particularly fascinating, beside the scary strange animals that I never saw and even I never thought that there are some animals look like that. When I saw the adventure in this kind nature with this culture. To tell you the truth I really got shocked from what I am saw in their adventure in the Indonesian islands, because it seems that many of the traditional rituals and practices the people do are just as alive today as they ever were.

This is the saga of two adventurous European brothers (with a basic camera crew) who undertook one of the great voyages of the Twentieth Century, discovering peoples and places that had not been studied for the better part of a century, if at all. A great expansion of horizon for most all of us.

So glad to find these videos! Had taped them in the '80s when they first aired & those tapes have deteriorated so badly. Lorne & Lawrence Blair have such a questing sense and carry you right along with them. This summarizes 10 years of exploration in Micronesia -- I only wish they hadn't stopped at only 4 tapes.