|
Further
to the monumental success of Civilisation in 1969,
BBC Two controller Sir David Attenborough was keen to commission
a similar series that focused on science and technology, rather
than the arts. The result was the landmark 1973 series The
Ascent of Man, in which Dr Jacob Bronowski traces the history
of mankind's advancements from primitive times to the present
day, around the world...
Unlike
Civilisations,
The Ascent of Man took a themed approach to its subject
matter rather than a chronological one, exploring the impact
and importance of such themes as chemistry, mathematics, astronomy,
Newtonian mechanics, the industrial revolution, Darwinism
and atomic physics. Dr Bronowski's personal presentational
style reinforces his emphasis on the democratising potential
of technology and the responsibility which knowledge brings.
This
13 part series repeated the success of Civilisation
and again received a number of international awards including
an RTS Silver Medal and a Writers Guild Award, and was nominated
for an Emmy.
Dr
Bronowski's presentation skills take a little time to get
used to. Firstly he has a slight speech impediment and secondly
his delivery can be painfully slow. However, after watching
the entire collection I would say that he is like a good teacher
ensuring that he gets the message across in as clear a way
as possible to his students.
This
series also backs up all those complaints from media critics
that slate the BBC for dumming down it's programme content
in recent years. The Ascent of Man never patronises
its audience like recent programmes including Walking With
Dinosaurs ("This was the biggest dinosaur ever";
"this was a time when birds ate horses"; "this
was the biggest egg ever"; etc.) have been accused of
doing. The Ascent of Man assumes the viewer wants to
learn without tabloid style sensationalism being employed
to keep them glued to the screen.
You do feel like a student of Dr Bronowski's. It's heavy going
in places, but incredibly interesting and rewarding. And,
by the end of the 13 episodes, you do feel as though Dr Bronowski
has managed to get his message across. As this is a personal
view by Dr Bronowski it is open to criticism. In fact there
are numerous examples were he gives his view without really
backing up what he is saying.
And
it has aged quite badly. Dr Bronowski's dress sense may have
been acceptable in the early '70s, but they look a little
comical today. And don't even get me started on how funny
the old computers looked.
This
series is also backed with images of art and classical music
- giving the viewer a cultural treat. What I also liked about
this collection was the fact that the subtitles also tell
you the composers name as well as the title for each piece
of music played - which is helpful if you wanted to search
out that piece of music.
By
far the most powerful episode is Knowledge or Certainty
in which Dr Bronowski, a Polish Jew, goes back to Auswitch
to examine the atrocities that can befall man at the hand
of his own kind. This episode also comes full circle and has
a very poignant conclusion. This is certainly one episode
you need to watch again in order to get the full benefit of
why a blind woman is trying to describe the characteristics
of an old man through touching his face.
The
final episode is also interesting, as this gives us an insight
into Dr Bronowski's home life, as it was. The last programme
in this collection is conducted in his home and is more intimate
than the other episodes.
The
music for the opening credits sounded not dissimilar to the
theme tune to Blake's 7 - so it was no surprise to
discover that it was written by Dudley Simpson (Blake's
7 and Doctor Who).
Because
we don't really get a lot of time in the offices at Sci-fi-online
Towers to sit and review the entire series of a box set like
this, it is customary for us to take home large collections
to watch at our leisure. And it is a testament to Dr Bronowski's
presentation that not only did he have glued to the screen
a 34-year-old male, but also a 14-year-old boy who found it
really interesting. Proof, if proof were needed, that today's
broadcasters don't need to patronise their young viewers.
While
the picture quality is not fantastic, it's quality is not
annoyingly distracting. The only extra is a recent interview
with David Attenborough on the making of the series.
While
some of the theories put forward here will no doubt be out
of date now, The Ascent of Man is an enlightening collection
of essays on the history of mankind from the point of view
of one very well informed and articulate individual.
 
Darren
Rea
Buy
this item online
We
compare prices online so you get the cheapest
deal!
Click on the logo of the desired store below
to purchase this item.
|
|
|
£34.99
(Amazon.co.uk) |
| |
|
|
|
£45.99
(MVC.co.uk) |
| |
|
|
|
£44.99
(Moviemail-online.co.uk) |
All prices correct at time of going to press.
|
|
