Historical Documentaries: Boring No More

Historical documentaries are never as popular as Star Wars or Harry Potter. But Alexander: The Making of a God proves that the boring videos we sat through in history class are a thing of the past. Netflix has produced a six-episode miniseries about the life and conquests of the great man that elevates the historical documentary to an entirely new level.

The raw material they had to work with was exceptional. The man generally considered responsible for the birth of western civilization was born in northern Greece during a period of great upheaval. The personal student of Aristotle and heir to Philip II of Macedon, Alexander inhabited a world under constant threat. When not battling court intrigues and plots against him hatched by political rivals, he faced the growing danger of the Persian Empire in the east. The Persians, having eyed Greece for some time, intended to add the city-states to their growing empire.

A multi-layered narrative introduces this mixture of personal, political and military intrigue . The first layer consists of the standard narration of most historical documentaries. But the producers of Alexander took the unusual step of embodying the narrator as a character in the film– n aged Egyptian priestess whose mystical outlook perfectly suits commenting on events during a period of political uncertainty. “The Gods,” she intones at one point, “will decide.” Appropriate, as Alexander–along with others of his time–considered himself to be a living God.

The second layer of narrative addresses this very conceit via a series of vignettes presenting Alexander at numerous pivotal moments of his life. Portrayed by serious actors in scenes replete with dialogue and sumptuous settings, we see the young Alexander recalled to court after a period of exile–a newly installed king picking up the crown of his fallen father, a young man being told by his mother that he is actually the son of Zeus, and a would-be general challenged to win the confidence of Philip’s battle-hardened generals.

The final narrative layer consists of commentary by historians. The Netflix crew did not skimp on this aspect of production. Authors, university professors from Canada and Wales and the Egyptian archaeologist currently unearthing the remains of Alexander’s Egyptian capital at Alexandria all hold court, and they are a lively, opinionated bunch. Far from lisping monotones uttered in some moldering library, these knowledgeable experts express their passion and enthusiasm for the topic with an eager desire to share what they know with laymen. Their respect for the intelligence of the viewers is obvious, and most welcome.

With such an entertaining offering, it’s easy to imagine that the series deploys some whimsy in portraying events. But history has thoroughly documented Alexander’s life, and the series presents it with undeniable veracity. Some of the online feedback about the show underscores the producer’s valuation of truth over myth in no uncertain terms. “One episode in and they already made Alexander gay,” moaned one disappointed viewer. Unfortunately for him, Alexander’s bisexuality and lifelong attachment to his male companion Hephaestion are long established facts. Also established are the incredible ambition and tactical brilliance that informed his military campaigns.

In portraying this, too, the producers took no half-measures. The recreations of the battle scenes are impressive, even by cinematic standards. Alexander presents us with re-enactments of great engagements, complete with cavalry, spearmen and massed hoplite armies. It pays special attention to the battles at Issus and Gaugamela, where Alexander routed the Persian king Darius. It especially excels in its handling of cavalry charge across the river at Issus. Military historians particularly regard that as one of the most pivotal battles in world history.

 Of course, Alexander was more than just a conqueror. He was also a diplomat, an explorer, a mystic and a wily politician. Political marriages were common at the time, and Alexander’s capture of Stateira, the Persian queen, evolved into a marriage that cemented his control over Darius’ empire. It ably portrays Alexander and Stateira’s growing relationship and its practical consequences in dramatic recreations that are as emotionally resonant as they are historically believable.

Alexander’s conquests, achieved through a combination of military prowess, political marriages and skilful maneuvering, led to his forming a sprawling empire that reached form the shores of Greece to the outskirts of India itself. Alas, the series leave out some elements of his story, including his march into the Hindu kush, his brutal subjugation of Afghanistan (the only successful conquest of that nation in history) and his titanic battles against the war elephants of India. But these absences are not so conspicuous, given the care and attention afforded his earlier life. Alexander: The Making Of A God is a superb historical documentary. For fans of the classical world, military and political history or any combination thereof, it is required viewing. Highly recommended.