Castles of War (2000)
Review by Doc Ezra
Film:
DVD:

Directed by Mark Verkerk, André Janse, and Oscar de Waard

Features:

• Double-feature documentary Castles of Fear
  
• Interactive siege weapon glossary
  

Rating: NR

Anamorphic: Nope.

My Advice: Borrow it, if you care enough to find somebody with a copy.

Originally presented as an episode of the Travel Channel series Secrets, Castles of War details the rise of the castle as a fortification and instrument of war. It focuses primarily on the Norman castles built during their conquest of Anglo-Saxon Britain (and subsequently Ireland), with a brief detour into southern France, where the English later turned this trick against their French conquerors. The three example castles discussed at length are Warwick Castle, Bunratty Castle, and Carcasonne. Each is discussed in the historical context of their construction, the military applications for which they were built, and whether or not said military endeavors were successful.

If you're a fan of medieval European history, it's likely this news is mostly old hat to you. If you're not, there's enough info to whet your whistle, but you'll be off to the library or in search of a more thorough documentary as soon as this one ends. Castles of War is basically an appetizer for knowledge of historical strongholds, when the idea could have supported a longer analysis and discussion. The fact that the larger part of Europe, as well as the Far East or the Muslim world, is entirely ignored in a discussion of military fortifications seems a bit short-sighted. Many cultures produced innovative designs for castle fortifications and siege weapons, but to hear the narrator talk, the English and French were the only ones to ever build castles.

The second documentary on this disc (which is equal in length to the titular episode, so I'm not sure why it doesn't share top billing) is Castles of Fear, a discussion of the more notorious castles of Europe. Infamous dungeons, rumored torture chambers, or simply ingenious defense mechanisms all can make a castle worthy of the Castles of Fear moniker. Like the first episode, its focus is quite narrow, and distinctly Anglo-European, but it's an interesting introduction to the subject. It's not like we expect a great deal from Travel Channel shows, mind you, but if your scope is going to be narrow--at least state so up front so expectations are set appropriately.

The DVD treatment is pretty minimal, including only the two episodes themselves and a siege weapon glossary, which amounts to little more than a half-dozen short excerpts from the documentaries detailing a particular weapon of castle defense or assault. Had they bothered to make the glossary more comprehensive and include siege weapons not seen in the documentary, it might be worthwhile. As is, it's pretty chintzy. And if you're hurting for extras, find a history professor and ask for his or her input. I'm sure there's plenty of them looking to make a quick buck on the side that could add great value to such a disc.