“The Crusades”–most recently depicted in the epic “Kingdom of Heaven”–is the focus of yet another documentary in the History Channel’s sprawling documentary epic called “The Crusades: The Crescent and the Cross”. The Crusades was the ultimate holy war, one the world is experiencing now, but it was less a war of religion, but more a journey to prove their religion wasn’t in vain. As an interviewee declares, it was less of a search and more to prove their love of their religion, and ultimately futile effort that would prove later on.
“The Crusades” is a very thorough account of the crusades that goes from The Pope Urban the II’s call for the Crusades, to the battle of Doryleaum, right down to the Battle of the Horns of Hattin, the History Channel creates one of the most elaborate examinations of the largest war ever to take place. Much of the material here, shown by dramatizations and exciting battle sequences prove through its interviews that the crusades were less a journey to prove their religion and more a journey to increase power within the church, and shows that it wasn’t a romanticized war and a swift political move. With often fascinating inteviews with scholars and philosophers, we’re led through different sights where the wars and battles took place within the confines of this war that would set two nations against one another, and presents some rather amazing imagery. With often beautiful direction by Stuart Elliot and Mark Lewis, “The Crusades” ends up as infotainment depicting many of the events in often Ridley Scott-esque sequences.
People often ask why “Cinema Crazed” reviews documentaries, but one of the beauties of watching the History Channel docs are the great filmed sequences that make the documentary more appealing, and it works well here more than many Hollywood films attempt at trying. Though, in spite of being more of a historical account and less a documentary, it never offers any opposing insight or view in to the psychology of the war, nor does it really question the full intentions. It fails to challenge the concept of the crusades and more so tends to depict it as a heroic fervor rather than a political war that could only reward those in power and damage the families whom were being controlled by their obligations to the church. Regardless, for a truly fascinating glimpse in to this historic account, this would be the best more thorough documentary for any history buff.
Premieres on The History Channel November 6th and 7th at 9pm EST.