The Apostles Collection (1999)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Written by Nancy Gimbrone, Evan Weinstein, Andrew B. Hurvitz, Mark Montgomery, Frank R. Desiderio, C.S.P
Narrated by Martin Sheen

Released by: The History Channel/New Video
Region: 1
Rating: NR, safe for all ages
Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format.

My Advice: Rent it.

The Apostles Collection collects two specials, one devoted to all twelve original Apostles, and the second devoted to an in-depth consideration of Paul. These discs draw upon interviews with archeologists, Biblical scholars, and more to create an authoritative, complete, and interesting look at the lives and world of Christ’s Apostles and early Christianity.

The Story of the Twelve Apostles considers how twelve ordinary, law-abiding (for the most part), and unremarkable men lived to become some of the most famous men in the world, as well as the most historically significant. Transformed by their love for a Jewish rabbi into revolutionaries and dangers to society, the apostles each made their own contribution to history. From Matthew, eventually martyred by cannibals, to the "Sons of Thunder" John and James, each apostle is considered individually, as well as how he fit into the larger scheme of Christ’s life and Roman society.

The Story of Paul the Apostle is even better, showing Paul’s origin as one of the worst persecutors of Christians until his mysterious conversion on the road. From enemy of Christ and Christians to the one who almost single-handedly assured the survival of the small fledgling faith, Paul’s story is told with clarity and fascinating detail.

Both discs do a marvelous job blending politics, literature, history, and legend to weed out provable truth from probable fiction. Scholars, Christian or non-Christian, will appreciate the rigor with which these discs were created, and non-scholars will appreciate how accessible these discs are. Eschewing a pious, overbearing tone in favor of a straight, historical approach, the set avoids being too preachy while also not being too academic or just plain dull. Classicists and history buffs who are not Christian will appreciate this disc as much as those who watch this set out of faith. Martin Sheen’s narration is a fine balance of excitement and calm appreciation--never sensationalized or dull.

The audio and video quality are wonderful, especially considering their made-for-TV origins. The colors of the various beautiful landscapes, ancient buildings, and so on come through clearly, and not as sun-bleached as you would expect from the Middle East. Someone knows how to use camera filters correctly, for once. Documentaries are all too often seen as throwaway films (if not by the directors, then by the production companies), but not so with these History Channel editions, which are quality all the way.

There are no extra features on this set, which is always a shame. Some backup interviews with the scholars involved with creating the shows would have been priceless, as well as what went into filming in these locations--it's never as easy as they make it look.

Still, if you have any interest in the classical Mediterranean world, in Christianity, or in religion and politics, then you will appreciate this set. Geared towards adults, it might be a bit over the head of most children, but I would approach that on a case-by-case basis; some children are educated enough to "get" this set and learn from it. The cinematography and filming are quite good, making this set just plain beautiful to look at, as well as learn from.