Pompeii: Back from the Dead (2011 TV Movie) User Reviews

They discovered syphilis!

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 6 December 2011]

I've seen quite a few documentaries about Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii. And, while this isn't the best of them, it is certainly well made. It also has a bit of a bombshell for historians, anthropologists and scientists. It seems that only recently have they discovered some new skeletons. And, when they tested them in a variety of ways, they learned that some of them appeared to be suffering from the effects of syphilis. Why is this so important? Well, because until now, most historians assumed this STD was brought to Europe from the New World, as the earliest recorded cases originated about 1500 AD. But, since some from Pompeii seemed to have the disease, blaming the Caribbean natives for bringing this disease to Europe is a mistake. Rarely do you learn brand new stuff about topics in historical documentaries--usually it's just repackaging what's been in earlier films on the same topic.

In addition to this bombshell, the show describes the steps that occurred leading to the eventual destruction of the city. It did not just happen immediately but in stages--beginning with earthquakes. And, the steps such as clouds of ash, total blackness and choking gas were to follow. It's all very morbid--but also very, very fascinating. As are the portraits of the sort of lives that slaves, the average folk and the rich had. This would make a great documentary to see after you see "Pompeii: The Last Day"--probably the best of the films on this fated city. What makes "Pompeii: The Last Day" a bit different is that it recreated these events with actors--and really, really made the horror of the destruction all the more realistic.

Intriguing Attempt at Ancient Historical Reconstruction

[l_rawjalaurence · 6/10 · 8 September 2015]

Andrew Wallace-Hadrill has made quite a niche for himself as a presenter of programs on ancient history. As well as a slew of documentaries about Pompeii - of which this is a good example - he has also fronted material on Ancient Greece and Rome, most recently in BUILDING THE ANCIENT CITY (BBC Four, 2015).

The structure of these programs takes a familiar form. The presenter is seen in a variety of situations talking direct to camera, trying his best not to sound like a university lecturer but actually failing to escape his academic shackles. The camera-work focuses on the ancient sites, often in close-ups or panning shots, trying to bring out its essence while desperately avoiding the hordes of tourists taking selfies or listening to their guides giving potted histories of the sites. The presenter enlists the help of a variety of experts, most of them originating from the Anglo-American academic context - as it is easier to communicate with them rather than the locals. If locals are interviewed, they are frequently seen in two-shots with the presenter in a rather forced conversational exchange where each speaks their own language. The off-screen presence of an interpreter is conveniently ignored. Add to that some stirring music to emphasize the importance of the subject, and you have a serio-populist work.

BACK FROM THE DEAD, like BUILDING THE ANCIENT CITY, offers some valuable information as to the history of the site. We are given introductions to the principles of democracy - that elusive concept known as government by the people for the people - and Wallace- Hadrill emphasizes how it worked reasonably effectively at that time, unlike today. Then we are given some idea of how cataclysmic events destroyed that apparent peace: in the case of Pompeii, it was a natural disaster. Nothing was ever the same afterwards, which helps to explain why life in ancient times is so often represented in idealistic terms, especially in television documentaries.

I am not criticizing the form in which the material has been presented; to a large extent, it makes for fascinating television, even if Wallace-Hadrill's narration becomes somewhat difficult to follow. On the other hand, the structure does become a little over- familiar at times.