Ever wonder what it was like to live the life of a Barbarian? Perhaps even considered trading in your nine to five job for an opportunity to live only to eat, drink, pillage and dominate? Well, you certainly can’t make a life choice like that without knowing all the facts. Earlier this year, the History Channel presented a four part documentary all about the Vikings, Goths, Mongols and Huns. Entitled (oddly enough) “Barbarians”, this series utilized modern filmmaking techniques, actors and locations in Lithuania to bring you as realistic a look at the lives and battles of these people. This was a perfect series to watch if you wanted all the questions answered that would help you make your lifestyle choice. Each of the four parts focused on one of the groups I mentioned before. The production value of the series was incredibly high. Produced and directed by Emmy Award winning documentarian Robert Gardner, “Barbarians” leaves little to the imagination as to what daily life was like back in the day.

And considering daily life included battles and conquering, the fight sequences are amongst the highlights of the series. The camera gets right in the middle of the re-enactors and delivers an in-your-face look at the weapons of choice and the sheer ferocity of the aggressors. From time to time, we also hear from noted historians who fill in the gaps with details that were not captured on screen in the interest of time.

The series is narrated by actor Clancy Brown, who is probably best remembered as the evil Kurgen from the original “Highlander” film. Since that time, Brown has proven himself as a strong character actor whose face you’ve seen a hundred times, even if the name is not familiar. In recent years, he has also become somewhat of an accomplished voiceover artist for various animated series. Chances are, you’ve probably heard him as Lex Luthor on “Justice League”, or surprisingly (at least to me) as the cantankerous Mr. Krabs on the wildly popular “Spongebob Squarepants.” Here he once again shows talent as a narrator, as his voice seems perfectly suited to the task and somehow slightly appropriate in light of his aforementioned role in “Highlander.”

If you missed the series when it first aired, take heart. A&E Home Entertainment is releasing it on a 2 disc set this month, complete with a few notable (and certainly interesting) extras. I’m a big fan of the series Biography, and the creators of this DVD set saw fit to include an episode that focused on the life of one of the most famous barbarians, Genghis Kahn. As is expected from the high quality this series delivers, this particular episode will be of particular interest to history buffs.

The other main extra is a lengthy featurette that mixes some clips from the series mixed in with some really good behind the scenes footage. Here we get to see how the cameramen were set up (and protected) as they made their way through the hordes of warriors as they waged their battles and sacked villages. There’s also a bit of goofing around in the snow and the like thrown in for good measure. The most unusual part of this featurette was the introduction of Thor and Munnin, two ‘modern day’ barbarian entertainers who also claim to live a true barbarian lifestyle. They are brought to the John Robert Powers School of Modeling and Etiquette to see if they could be taught the ways of civilization. Some viewers might be taken aback by their appearance, but I’ve spent so much time at local Renaissance Festivals and even had a Medieval Wedding a few years ago, so I’ve been known to hang out with people like this. As such, I found the bit to be quite hysterical, though it seemed as though it should have been a separate feature.

“Barbarians” is a terrific documentary feature, as educational as it is entertaining. Separating each of the subjects into their own segment of the four part series was a really good idea, as it allowed Gardner to really focus his attention (as well as ours) on one group at a time as opposed to giving us one long overview. The DVD release, with it’s extras in tow, certainly has its place in the collection of any avid history buff.

Directed by: Robert Gardner
Narrated by: Clancy Brown
Extras: Behind the Scenes Featurette, “Genghis Khan: Terror and Conquest” Episode of A&E’s Biography
Specifications: Widescreen
Studio: A&E Home Video
Release Date: 2/24/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Barbarians an A.