The Hittites, A Film Review
A Review Of The Documentary Produced On Location In Anatolia
Mar 5, 2009
With their film The Hittites: A Civilization That Changed The World, Ekip Films and Cinema Epoch Studios have produced a high quality documentary that can serve as a standard for all future movies about Near Eastern history. Beginning with a flash forward to the Battle of Kadesh, the film immediately harnesses enough of the drama inherent in the Hittite story to captivate the viewer.
Jeremy Irons provides a perfect narration that takes the viewer back to the beginnings of Hittite scholarship. The cinematography and graphics that accompany the opening quickly give an impression of the homeland and architecture of the Hittites, and provides a backdrop for the entire film.
Accompanying the narration is a wide variety of interviews that allow an international perspective on the Hittites provided by experts from around the world. The documentary uses maps and illustrations, but also relies heavily on actual footage of Hittite artifacts and archaeological sites. Carefully reconstructed scenery and costumes also add to the visual re-enactments that are well placed throughout the film.
Hittite History
Each of the major characters in Hittite history are recreated and brought to life in a tasteful way that augments the documentaries outline of the historical facts. The viewer is allowed to experience the high drama of the turmoil that surrounded the Hittite monarchy for centuries, without feeling like they are being sold a piece of tabloid journalism as so often happens when attempts are made to market history.
The documentary does its greatest service to the subject by comprehensively reviewing the history of the Hittites, accompanied by readings from the primary historical source material. Even students of Ancient Near Eastern history stand a good chance of hearing something new as ancient documents and texts are brought to life. As an added benefit, actors read aloud some of these ancient words in the original Hittite, allowing for an immersive learning experience.
Hittite Culture
In addition to the history of the Hittite Kingdom, this film gives careful consideration to the people of this ancient land. The contributions of the indigenous Hattian people to the religion, art, and culture of the Hittite Empire is explained, along with the crucial role these people played in transmitting the culture of the Near East to Ancient Europe. Of particular note is the treatment given to the Hittite legal system, which is demonstrated to be one most advanced found among Bronze Age societies.
However, one potential oversight in the film's content is that the narrative does not mention the theory that the Hittites were themselves indigenous to Anatolia. The film represents the theory that depicts the Hittites as invading Indo-European warrior elites. Although this theory has persisted, there is no archaeological evidence to support it. The presentation of the alternate, and equally accepted origin theory would have completed what is, overall, a very well rounded view of these ancient peoples.
Aside from the barely noticeable absence of the Anatolian origins theory, this film is highly recommendable to all audiences. Viewers will find that it is not overly scholarly for those uninitiated in the finer points of ancient history, while at the same time it will offer something to those that have a focused interest in the period. In all, the film is a worthy compliment to any DVD collection and should perhaps be seen as a standard by which future historical documentaries are judged.
Sources:
The Hittites: A Civilization that Changed The World, Cinema Epoch, 2004
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