Advertised as perfect for students and lifelong learners, History's Instant Expert Series is a collective set of full-length documentaries released just in time for the back-to-school season. With six productions varied in content and delivery, it would be quite difficult to judge the sum of the parts. Instead, here's a breakdown of what to expect in this series:
Instant Expert: American History: Ben Franklin
When most people think of Benjamin Franklin, they think of the dangerously inquisitive man with a kite and lightning. Instant Expert: Ben Franklin takes that persona many steps forward by delving into the man behind the legend and inventions that he left behind. In the aesthetically-pleasing signature style of History Channel's productions, viewers are indulged in reenactments of possible scenes from Franklin's life, along with commentary from historians, authors and professors who dish their knowledge and insight on Franklin himself. From this series we learn that not only was Benjamin Franklin a bona fide rock-star, he was also a genius whose contributions continue to influence Americans greatly in the modern age. Narrated in a pragmatic, and slightly spirited manner, Instant Expert focuses mainly on Ben Franklin the man, making it an easy to digest in 94 minutes.
Instant Expert: American History: The Mayflower
With the ominous opening of a historical thriller, Instant Expert: The Mayflower introduces us to the fateful events surrounding the establishment of the Plymouth colony. It's an original perspective, focusing mainly on the characters and temperaments of the Mayflower settlers and those around them. The History Channel describes this account as an epic saga, and yes, epic it does seem at a whopping 138 minutes. Instant Expert: The Mayflower comes across like a really long reenactment, at times seeming a bit dry amidst “the expert” commentary on the personal feelings and motivations of the individual settlers. It seems questionable to take this information as fact, mainly because it was all based off of the writings of one man. He is William Bradford, a Mayflower voyager and eventual governor of Plymouth. Despite his prominence in history, it doesn't seem likely that he would know a large amount of detail about the inner-workings of all characters involved in this event. Despite this, the production does a great job highlighting what is proven fact, both before and after the voyage, laying the groundwork for a pretty interesting history lesson.
Instant Expert: Science and Technology: The Story of Oil
There's no secret that the world has a heroin-like dependency on oil. It is used for almost all aspects of daily life. From the use of petroleum-made CD's, to rubber-soled shoes and the fuel for cars and buses (just to name a few); there's no easy way to decrease this dependency. Instant Expert: The Story of Oil highlights this fact while exploring the emergence of the oil economy, and how it has advanced civilizations while creating detrimental consequences. Never failing on reenactments, this DVD journeys back to the age of the dinosaurs to illustrate the early origins of oil. The CGI in this particular production is a bit cheesy with its interpretations of ancient creatures, but it still possesses the immersive visual quality expected from The History Channel. The Story of Oil is jam-packed with information, illustrating techniques used to find oil, as well as informed opinions about the search for new sources of energy to replace oil dependence. It's definitely a great topic, filled with easy to understand information for viewers across most age brackets.
Instant Expert: World History: The French Revolution
In an elegantly vivid portrayal, topping any high school history lesson, Instant Expert tackles the French Revolution and all its major players. Not to be outdone by the other productions in this series, Instant Expert: The French Revolution comes across so vividly on-screen, that at times you can imagine the faint odor of Marie-Antoinette's expensive perfumes or the salty fumes of death that seemed to permeate the times. Unlike a high school history lesson, Instant Expert does very little to hide the brutality, illustrating the bloodthirsty politics and The Reign of Terror that engulfed the achievements of the Revolution. Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette are approached from a unique angle, highlighting their naiveté and inability to manage a kingdom and their personal lives effectively. Instant Expert: The French Revolution is a thorough overview, exposing the ironies of 'Liberty, Fraternity and Equality' and emphasizing the human aspect of this major event.
Instant Expert: Ancient History: Egypt
The pyramids of ancient Egypt and the civilization that produced these wonders have long held a spell of fascination over many people. Instant Expert: Egypt attempts to demystify this great culture, although by the end of this documentary, it's clear there are many mysteries that still await their own unveiling. Starting from the empire's development in 3000 BC and ending with the reign of Ramses in 1212 BC, Instant Expert explores the major dynasties and their quest for power, along with bigger and better pyramids and burial chambers. While the engineering concepts of this civilization are not yet understood, Instant Expert: Egypt theorizes in detail possible methods of construction, along with the personalities and temperaments of the major players. It's a visually detailed and stunning production that's easy to understand and could easily adapt to a classroom setting.
Instant Expert: Arts and Literature: Beowulf
Instant Expert: Beowulf explores the oldest written story in the English language, The Legend of Beowulf. A Norse mythology, it tells the tale of a super-human Viking warrior that prevailed against terrifying monsters and great armies. Instant Expert attempts to find the truth behind the myth, unearthing ancient artifacts and sites that coincide with the descriptions of the tale. Breaking down this myth in detail, Instant Expert: Beowulf also reveals the sociological aspect of this story and the developing denomination of a culture adapting it's pagan roots to the new tide of Christianity. This DVD is not only the shortest out of the collection at 47 minutes, it's also the most entertaining and brutish. The actors stylishly “ham” for the camera while impressive graphics illustrate the bloody devastation of the narrative. The History Channel recommends this DVD for students in the 8th grade and up, but the blood-soaked depictions seem a bit raunchy for the classroom.
DVD Bonus Features
The Instant Expert Series gets interactive with extra content on each DVD featuring a quiz on the related content, along with discussion questions and various activities that allow each documentary to act as a supplement for further study.
"History: Instant Expert" is on sale July 27, 2010 and is not rated. Documentary, Education. Directed by History. Written by N/A. Starring History.
