A BBC docu-drama on Atlantis mixes fact with computer-generated imagery. Aabhas Sharma is not convinced
If learning about ancient civilisations is something for which you tune in to your television, then BBC Entertainment’s docu-drama Atlantis: End of the World, Birth of a Legend is a show you should not miss. Set in 1620 BCE, the show is about a volcano in the Aegean Sea which violently erupted for the first time in 15,000 years. The show captures how an island was completely destroyed and how the first great European civilisation, the Minoan, was wiped out.
This apocalyptic event, many experts believe, led to the downfall of the Minoans and provided the inspiration for Plato when he later wrote about the people of a mighty island, Atlantis, which sank beneath the waves and was lost forever.
Visually, it’s fascinating, and the people behind the show were clearly inspired by the movie 300 and used the same computer-generated imagery. So the look and feel of the show is very movie-like and gets you hooked. The problem with the show, however, is that it falls between a documentary and a drama. Had it been just a documentary on how the whole disaster took place, it would have been an intriguing watch. But when you have a little bit of melodrama surrounding the disaster then the show disappoints. The main characters of the show are briefly introduced and don’t have much to do as the focus is on how the disaster unfolded.
The concept of mixing CGI-led drama alongside documentary fact is clearly a good one, if supported by a great script and good characters. Atlantis lacks both. The documentary bit is let down by the narration, which is done in a matter-of-fact tone and takes away from the events unfolding on the screen. So while you slowly are getting into the Minoans, at the back of your head it feels as if you are listening to somebody reading out of a history book. The lack of good script in the drama portion is obvious.
If the idea was to get people interested in ancient civilisation, then the show does the trick. It tells you a lot of interesting facts about the Minoan civilisation, although the volcanic explosion could have been explained better. You get the feeling that the makers of the show assumed that the audience knows quite a bit about volcanoes and the legend of Atlantis.
With superbly-shot sequences of earthquakes and tsunamis, however, there’s no dearth of quality sequences. But it won’t appeal to the mass audience that wants to watch something entertaining. The show could have been far more interesting if divided into two parts. After 88 minutes of viewing, you know that a volcano erupted somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea and that an island was completely lost. In between, there are a lot of visual effects and some melodrama. It intrigues you, but you are left with a lot of unanswered questions — something a good documentary should not do.
Atlantis: End of the World, Birth of a Legend premieres on BBC Entertainment on June 29, 8 pm
