History Channel Movies

 

Modern Marvels: Sugar, a documentary that appeared originally on The History Channel, showcases how the sweet spice came to fuel one of the most profitable industries in the world. The film shows how the product has been produced throughout the years. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

This program is part of a series that examines some of humanity's most outstanding technological achievements. This episode provides a survey of some of the inventions upon which modern society depends. From the printing press to the Internet, the steam engine to the jet airplane, our world owes a debt to the men and women who labored over their visions until they became reality. The program takes the viewer to the laboratories of inventors, from Tesla to Madame Curie, for a firsthand look at the creative process that produced the products of today's world. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi

Amazingly, although her name once held historians captive, Boudicca -- a Celtic queen born around the time of Christ, who assembled one of the most formidable forces ever to counter the Roman Empire -- has since fallen through the cracks of ancient history. Beaten senseless, her daughters raped by the brutish Romans, Boudicca somehow managed to assemble a vanguard against her oppressors, and thus became a symbol of British resistance for millennia. Classical scholars are less certain of how this one poor and tortured woman realized such an impressive feat. By reconstructing the period in which she lived and fought, the documentary Decisive Battles: Boudicca -- Warrior Queen goes behind the myth and the legend to investigate the historical truths surrounding this strange and enigmatic symbol of heroism. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

This documentary from The History Channel tells of the Navajo Indians' contribution to the United States and the Allied Forces during World War II. Even though the U.S. military had been less than fair to the American Indians, these Navajo tribes were more than willing to enlist after the U.S. entered World War II in 1941. For communications between military personnel, the Navajo Indians used an ancient language that was unbreakable to enemies. This video shows interviews with military historians and surviving World War II veterans who talk about the Indians impact on the war. Some Navajo veterans also discuss their experiences in the Armed Forces and answer questions about the code that is so sophisticated, it is still used today. ~ Cecilia Cygnar, Rovi

 

The History Channel's illuminating documentary Scourge of the Black Death carries audiences back to that terrifying year of 542 A.D.: the year of the plague, when the grim reaper swept his scythe across the ruddy European landscape, decimating the hundred million who fell into his path and inaugurating an endless reign of misery. The horror was not unique to that era: it mirrors our postmodern age, when the plague has astonishingly reappeared, threatening mankind anew. With nearly fifteen hundred years of hindsight and the advantage of ancient art, on-location footage, and unearthed testimonies, the historians in this program trace the black death's path in those early years, as it wormed its way from one side on the European continent to another. Scientists also appear in interviews, detailing with contemporary insights how the disease spreads itself, biologically, from one individual to another, and exactly what today's physicians are doing (and can do) to halt its progress. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

For centuries the highly advanced society of the Aztecs has fascinated history scholars. In this documentary exploring the origins, cultural aspects, and ultimate downfall of the once-mighty civilization, filmmakers not only offer a guided tour of the great temple of Tenochtitlan, but also speak with noted scholars to find out just how a band of over 1,000 Aztecs gathered to assemble a powerful nation in just under 400 years, only to fall to the Spanish in a matter of months. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Journey to the peak of Mount Olympus to explore the fascinating mythology of every Greek god from Aphrodite to Zeus as filmmakers set out to explore the cultural and artistic importance of the ancient deities throughout history. In speaking with world renowned classicists and historians, this documentary aims to reveal both the significance of Greek mythology and the reasons that the ancient gods were endowed with a series of all-too-human shortcomings. A look at the magnificent artwork inspired by the timeless tales offers an even more compelling view of just how these ancient deities continue to inspire even into the 21st Century. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Few warriors could strike such terror into the hearts of their enemies as the dreaded Knights Templar. Blessed with a seemingly bottomless wealth that gave them absolute power over all of Europe and sworn to secrecy in regards to their mysterious rites and ceremonies, the sword brandishing band of fearsome monks were eventually captured and burned at the stake in the later days of the Crusades. With this release, The History Channel spirits viewers into the dark heart of the middle ages though interviews with noted historians, and re-enactments of central events in the history of the Knights Templar. With numerous questions still unanswered even after centuries of research, documentary filmmakers unearth numerous documents and artifacts in hopes of finding answers to one of history's greatest enigmas while attempting to find out if any trace of the order can be found within modern politics and society. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Few would deny that the modern computer has changed the face of the human race, and in this technologically-minded installment of The History Channel's Modern Marvels series, documentary filmmakers explore just how the remarkable machines helped the information age soar to historical new heights. From the Victorian "counting machine" of Charles Babbage to the punch-card counting machine that helped to launch IBM during the 1890 census, the room-sized behemoths of the early 20th Century, and the desktop machines that revolutionized life during the millennial crossover, this compelling look at the history of the computer is sure to capture the imagination of devoted techies pondering just what wonders lie ahead on the road to technological nirvana. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi