THE MOVIE

Another episode in the excellent Empires series produced by North American PBS network, Peter and Paul and the Christian Revolution tells the story of the two men whom history identifies as being most responsible for the development and dissemination of the Jesus movement that developed after crucifixion of Christ.

Continuing the theme of the Empires series, which centres on the lives of people and passions that changed the world throughout history, Peter and Paul and the Christian Revolution shows how the movement referred to as The Way by its followers became the foundation of what today is the Christian movement. Narrated by Star Trek's, Salome Jens, and produced and directed by Empires series team Patricia Aste and Margaret Koval, what is presented is not ground-breaking new information, but the re-establishment of accepted historical facts. The information is presented in a narrative that can be followed with ease, and re-enacted to relay the facts it choses to give.

That said, the information it chooses to present is very selective, and by no means definitive of the subject matter it is adressing. This is a problem with the program because a viewer unfamiliar with the subject manner would not think otherwise. Important issues such as Saul’s persecution of the Jesus movement in the early days are quickly passed over in favour of the reformed Paul. Adding to this while Peter, and Paul are responsible for the foundations of the Christian movement, it was not achieved alone; a fact the program fails to acknowledge very well other then a passing reference. What is presented are selected experts in the field of theology, restating and confirming the information presented with out any disseminating, or alternative view.

Understandably the program's audience, as with the Empires series, is directed at those who want to be basically informed about the subject manner - in this case Peter & Paul - but to present the information as definitive is simply wrong. In doing so, it indicates a lack of understanding by the producers of the program, and displays the failure of its responsibility to its audience.

THE TRANSFER

Video:

As with the rest of the series, the program is presented in the standard 16:9 anamorphic ratio.

Audio:

Nothing special but the standard 2.0 mix

THE EXTRAS

None to speak of but here is a hint: go online to the Empires series site, and some great information and reading suggestions are available there to discover.

SUMMARY

The historian Christopher Tyerman wrote “To look at a subject from a particular vantage point is to adopt a position in order to clearly inspect a view. It does not mean taking sides”. Keeping this approach to history in mind, Peter and Paul and the Christian Revolution is a well-structured and informative program. What are its strengths ironically can also be identified as its weakness. While providing a strong narrative structure that produces its information as facts, Peter and Paul and the Christian Revolution leaves no room for discussion or contemplation, and it is in this approach to its subject manner that it sadly fails.