Despite being quite old, this is very entertaining and still informative. It’s also very well rounded and that is probably the best reason for watching it, in spite of its age.
It’s a very nice documentary with some retrospective elements, dealing not only with famous holdings at the Louvre, but also historical events associated with it, such as the construction and growth of Paris, revolution, events from Napoleon’s and others’ lives, details of less well-known personages (outside of France), and curious tidbits about the museum itself (I’ve been at the museum several times but didn’t know there were still remains of the underground dungeons/fortress it was built on, for example). Some things you learn are “popular facts” like finding out that Louis XIV had 10,000 attendants in one palace alone, but I don’t regret learning that either.
Lucy Jarvis, the woman mentioned in the description who was the first Westerner to film inside communist China, is only featured on the first five minutes of the film in a quite scripted interview, which may seem a bit awkward (and not indicative of the high quality of the rest of the documentary).
The narration by the French Louis Boyer for the rest of the film is excellent—he’s charismatic and leverages his abilities to convey brief moments of irony or humor, as well as drama, very well.
Has his aged well? Definitely. This does not feel like watching an old BBC 1970’s episode of Civilisation or Ancient Rome documentary, where you need to interpret it through the lens of skepticism or historiographical curiosity. The historiocity is pretty accurate and doesn’t make any wild or edgy claims that haven’t held up to the test of time. Not that it’s a very tame documentary, but somehow, it’s still quite fresh and captivating.
I liked it so much, I watched it a second time the next day after the first viewing. Highly recommended for both its historical and factual value, as well as the entertainment factor.
While it’s still available to watch for free for most people in the U.S. who have a library card, through Hoopla, I’ll definitely be recommending this to friends.
Review by LeonBlockedParent2020-05-27T20:50:13Z
Despite being quite old, this is very entertaining and still informative. It’s also very well rounded and that is probably the best reason for watching it, in spite of its age.
It’s a very nice documentary with some retrospective elements, dealing not only with famous holdings at the Louvre, but also historical events associated with it, such as the construction and growth of Paris, revolution, events from Napoleon’s and others’ lives, details of less well-known personages (outside of France), and curious tidbits about the museum itself (I’ve been at the museum several times but didn’t know there were still remains of the underground dungeons/fortress it was built on, for example). Some things you learn are “popular facts” like finding out that Louis XIV had 10,000 attendants in one palace alone, but I don’t regret learning that either.
Lucy Jarvis, the woman mentioned in the description who was the first Westerner to film inside communist China, is only featured on the first five minutes of the film in a quite scripted interview, which may seem a bit awkward (and not indicative of the high quality of the rest of the documentary).
The narration by the French Louis Boyer for the rest of the film is excellent—he’s charismatic and leverages his abilities to convey brief moments of irony or humor, as well as drama, very well.
Has his aged well? Definitely. This does not feel like watching an old BBC 1970’s episode of Civilisation or Ancient Rome documentary, where you need to interpret it through the lens of skepticism or historiographical curiosity. The historiocity is pretty accurate and doesn’t make any wild or edgy claims that haven’t held up to the test of time. Not that it’s a very tame documentary, but somehow, it’s still quite fresh and captivating.
I liked it so much, I watched it a second time the next day after the first viewing. Highly recommended for both its historical and factual value, as well as the entertainment factor.
While it’s still available to watch for free for most people in the U.S. who have a library card, through Hoopla, I’ll definitely be recommending this to friends.
9/10