Civilisation : Complete BBC Series (4 Disc Box Set) [DVD]

Kenneth Clark (1903-83) was a distinguished English art historian, and very much a member of the old school. Patrician, cultured, privileged, he saw art as somehow pure, as untouched by the corruption of politics and materialism. 'Civilisation' is not so much a television series as a lecture series, one which represents a fascinating watershed in the history of mass communication ... and an ironic statement about civilisation itself.

Clark admits to influence by the Victorian historian and art critic, John Ruskin: the latter argued that history is written by the victors, literature by the partisan, but that art and architecture alone convey the soul of the age and thereby speak a truth which is inaccessible in the written word. Art, therefore, is an eternal truth which offers a window into the heart and soul of mankind. Clark says he couldn't define 'civilisation', but that he could recognise it when he saw it - consciously echoing the "I don't know much about art but I know what I like" cliché ... in precisely the same way that King's College Chapel echoes the sounds of bubblegum bursting.

'Civilisation' took three years to make, and was released in 1969, only two years after the BBC had ventured into colour broadcasting. Itself made in colour, the series was seen as a taking a huge risk. The BBC had - still has - a responsibility to produce educational and informative work, to stimulate and uplift, but the 1960's was a transitional era. On the one hand there was the tradition of high art, of Oxbridge dons delivering lectures on arcane subjects or broadcasting intellectual debates, on the other hand, the universities were being occupied, popular culture had suddenly become fashionable, and America's Vietnam war was throwing into question the very nature of culture, civilisation, and the power of any one class or country to impose its will and its definitions on others.

Clark fell very definitely into the old school. His 13 programmes looked at 'high art', at the respectable, at the reputable. There was little controversial about his material ... other than the absence of controversy in an era rich in satire and iconoclasm. Clark talks us through what he sees as eternal wisdoms and the core values of civilisation and art. He takes us from the so-called 'Dark Ages', looking at the light of religious experience cast upon Scottish shores in Iona, and following up with evidence of how the expansive energy and passion of the intellect can banish darkness. He celebrates the vaulting ambition of Chartres cathedral, the conspicuous consumption of the Italian city states and the Renaissance, the radicalism of the Reformation, the Age of Reason, the 19th century Romantic era, and carries on through into the materialism of the 20th century.

Each episode hangs upon the shoulders of one of the great men of the age - Michelangelo, Beethoven. Clark explores Western civilisation ... and selectively. There are elements of his presentation which seem a little dated today, yet the overall theme is optimistic - the barbarism of the 20th century did not destroy civilisation or crush the spirit of man. Art gives us hope, gives us reassurance, says Clark.

But the lasting strength of 'Civilisation' is in its own contribution to civilisation. A vast undertaking, a huge gamble, the series set the tone for television broadcasting. Clark was not only a renowned art historian, he had worked in television from its earliest days and knew that a lecture could not simply deliver words, could not talk down to its audience, but must inform. The key to any successful programme lays in its ability to communicate, to stimulate, to inform, uplift, and capture the imagination and attention of its audience.

Clark achieves this with aplomb. 'Civilisation' was a revolutionary series despite the intrinsic conservatism of its message. It demonstrated what television was capable of achieving and its seeds and tendrils have reached down the television decades ever since. Clark unites visual image, music, and language, achieving a balance in the production and delivery which became the benchmark for future productions (Bronowski's 'Ascent of Man' would follow it and bring to the understanding of science and history a more emotional dimension, but Bronowski carried forward Clark's message of informing, inspiring, engaging his audience, uniting the visual with the audio and the commentary).

'Civilisation' is an epic piece of television and cultural history and a lesson in the art of communication. Clark is a gentleman, a man with an honest passion and quiet authority, but he is also the consummate professional, master of the television art, and a man who will justifiably be recognised as one of the pioneering geniuses of television. Only 5 stars is a churlish assessment!

From time to time you hear the name Civilisation dropped whenever the great days of TV are being discussed, so I felt it was about time I had a look at it myself.

Have you ever watched some soap opera or drama series where some twit yells "Don't lecture me!" when their interlocutor offers some well meaning advice? Well, here is the proof of how empty that usage of the word 'lecture' is.

In Civilisation: A Personal View, Lord Clark offers the viewer 13 lectures on civilisation as it is expressed through fine art, architecture, literature and music. Thousands go to university every year in the sincere hope of hearing some brilliant mind lecture in such a way as to warm, invigorate and inspire the listener to want to acquire further knowledge. In the late '60s the BBC was the kind of corp to invite just such a wise man to offer anyone and everyone a guided tour round the great churches, palaces, relics, ornaments and art works of western civilisation, all 'filmed' in glorious colour.

Nowadays, we get some celebrity, some egotistical familiar face for our history and culture shows. Watch this and you'll realise what a falling off there has been. Really, it is the kind of enterprise to return to again and again, because so much is packed into it. They wanted to commission a series about civilisation: they hired an expert to write and present it. So what if he's a lord and not some pleb with a regional accent. So what if he's a dapper gent with a richer command of the language than the kind of vain industry parasites we endure week on week in the new century. Fact is, he's obviously the real thing, obviously passionate about his subject, in possession of a vast knowledge which he communicates candidly, humbly and charismatically.

Have the good fortune to CHOOSE THIS opportunity for yourself. Nowadays they give the people what they want, so forget about civilisation, erudition, fascination. Instead, it's talent shows for the talentless and David Dimbleby wandering in the Brit Mus going "Wow, look a' that!"

We don't deserve Civilisation.

Kenneth Clark starts, right at the beginning of episode 1, by admitting that he can't define "civilisation". Then he goes on to give his very personal view of what it is, how it came about and was almost obliterated in the "dark ages" and how it was re-established and could again be destroyed by lack of confidence, cynicism, hopelessness and the destructive technology that dominates the modern (1960s) age. It's a wonderful series of programmes that held my attention from beginning to end. Mostly, I completely agreed but occasionally, passionately disagreed with the narrator - almost as though we were engaged in a 2-way discussion all the way through. That's the beauty of a 'personal' view: you don't need to accept anything Lord Clark says but you have to accept that his opinion is backed up by a huge amount of knowledge so he's likely to be right. So, although I happily accepted most of what he said, his account of Roman civilisation and the 'barbarians' that destroyed it seemed slightly skewed. He gave a rather rosier view of the 'civilised' Romans than seems justified and possibly an exaggerated notion of the barbarism of the barbarians. After all, how much more barbarous than the Romans did an enemy of Rome need to be, to be considered a barbarian? And his glowing account of the positive influence of the catholic church on civilisation, completely glossing over the horrors of the inquisition, caused me to chunter with discontent. Even so, over 13 episodes, each of 50 minutes, reasons for disagreement were few and far between. This is an enthralling series, full of beautiful images and accompanied by a fascinating narration.

Highly recommended.