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Reviews
60 Years of Carols from King's (2014)
Wonderful look behind the scenes at the King's College boys choir
Charming documentary about the amazing love, talent, and determination that explain the success of the King's College boys choir.
Here the focus is on the TV coverage (once in 1954, and then 1964-present) -- and there is mention of the previous radio-only version since 1928. (I've got a radio recording from 1951.)
We get to meet former choristers (some now in or near retirement) and visit with the current boys (age 8-13) who board at the prep school. Typical lads with great senses of humour and a true desire to do their best to honour the Christmas tradition. They were all admitted via an audition process at age 7 or 8.
Along with the beautiful Christmas music, we see how the program is put together technically.
A lovely treat to watch during the holidays. Especially for those of us who grew up singing in choirs, or admiring the angelic talent of the King's College boys choir.
España, la primera globalización (2021)
85% fascinating facts + 15% over-simplification
Beautiful documentary. Bravo! Interesting interviews with historical experts from around the globe.
Spain has truly suffered -- and very unjustly -- due to a distorted public image of Spanish history. Despite some individual excesses over the centuries, Spaniards are not a cruel or condescending people by nature.
The problem, in my view, is that Spain has not historically focused on "selling itself" -- which is something the French, Italians, Dutch and British do extremely well.
A bit of background here: For hundreds of years during the Middle Ages, Spain was known as a culture of learning and religious tolerance. Jewish and Muslim and Christian leaders would meet in Córdoba (largest city in Spain for many centuries) and also in Toledo (the Spanish capital prior to 1560s). Besides having one of Europe's oldest universities (Salamanca, 1218) the Spaniards later established numerous universities worldwide in the 1500s-1700s. Culturally and intellectually, Spain was an extremely advanced country at this time -- and this includes physics, medicine, science, art, theatre, music.
OK, the strong points of this documentary:
-- Gorgeously filmed around the world. Full of interesting facts and profiles of fascinating historical characters. A pleasure to watch.
-- Finally, a documentary that puts the Inquisition into context! Spain and Portugal were the last 2 European countries to officially expel their Jews in the 1490s. Everyone else did it much sooner. In both countries, Jewish citizens were given the option to either convert or leave. It was not an immediate expulsion. The documentary clarifies that the monarchs (Isabel and Fernando) and elites of the era were strongly against this expulsion. (Interestingly, in 2015 both Spain and Portugal announced that any Jewish person worldwide who could prove Sephardic ancestry would be fast-tracked for citizenship.)
-- The Ottomans conquered Constantinople in 1453 and within decades began expanding into North Africa, just across from the Spanish mainland. After 800 years of Reconquista, and now faced with this new Muslim threat, it is fully understandable that Spain took a strong position against its Muslim citizens -- and, as with the Jews, they offered them the option of either converting or leaving.
OK, now on to the negative. There are some exaggerations and missed opportunities in this documentary, and the "persecution complex" goes a bit too far at times:
-- There is great confusion between "anti-Catholic" propaganda and "anti-Spanish" feeling. The two might overlap in many cases, but it is far too simplistic and misleading to state they are identical.
-- There is hardly any mention of Rome (seat of the Catholic Church) and its impact on Spain's global expansion.
-- There is hardly any mention of Portugal. Most historians would consider Portugal to be a superpower on the same level as Spain in the 1500s. In fact Portugal started even earlier (mid-1400s) -- although Spain's eventual impact was arguably greater and longer-lasting.
-- Does Portugal suffer from a "leyenda negra" too? Why or why not? The documentary should have spent a couple minutes on the differences between the modern perceptions of the 2 countries.
-- Elizabeth I (daughter of Henry VIII) did not have a visceral hatred of Catholics. This is a lazy misconception -- as lazy as the "leyenda negra" that the film is attempting to criticise. Elizabeth was a pragmatic ruler in turbulent times and was simply competing with Spain for maritime dominance. She had Catholic friends in England, and during her reign she allowed Catholics to practice their faith. She was not a tyrant who "used" religion as a political tool in order to decapitate her enemies, like her father had.
-- Martin Luther did not hate Spain. He detested the corruption and excesses of the Papacy, and the opaque practices of the Catholic Church. His criticism was focused solidly on Rome.
-- The scene (26:40) showing Luther next to the Nazi svastika is simply ridiculous. They lived more than 400 years apart. And what do the Nazis have to do with Spain's globalization? This image immediately discredits the documentary. In fact, many people believe that the Spanish Catholic Church in the 1930s was aligned with the dictator Franco, who was ideologically aligned with Hitler. So by association, Luther and Hitler's "svastika" would also be pro-Catholic. For your own credibility, you should avoid mentioning the Nazis in this documentary.
Overall, this was a beautifully filmed and informative documentary. I deeply love Spain and am glad it is finally getting the respect it deserves for its rich global history. As the title says, Spain was indeed the 1st country (along with Portugal) to practice what we now call "globalization". They were absolutely ahead of their time.