Carnuntum: Great Setting for a Roman Documentary or Reenactor's Playground?

By: Marcus Cestius Pullus Salve, When I embarked on this small quest, I had feared that I would have encountered a real dud in documentary filmmaking. Much like the shows Deadliest Warrior, or whatever History Channel put out before the conquest by Ancient Aliens and Pawn Stars. Carnuntum - Metropolis in the Land of the Barbarians was not one of those. It was one of the best offers on Amazon Prime and was a delightful little documentary. Produced in 2013 Carnuntum is part of the long-running German ORF Universum series. Putting out documentaries since 1987, and tells the story of Carnuntum, a Roman fortress turned settlement in the province of Germania. What immediately sets this film apart from others, is how well it is shot. Director Kurt Mundl, who wrote and directed the documentary, really took pains to make a movie that is visually appealing, but also well written and informative for a 50-minute work. Kurt, in my humble opinion, utilized the Carnuntum Museum in Austria, their experts, as well as the reenactors and living historians in the area. What we are presented with is a piece of excellent work both informative, and entertaining. What sets Carnuntum apart from other documentaries, was that it used the museum and living historians to its benefit. Something I always felt lacking in many American made documentaries. Special shout out to Legio XV Apollinaire Coh. I, Legio Savari and Legio XXII Primigenia, along with the Civilian reenactors. Not only did the director and producers use Roman reenactors for the typical "Legionaries marching" scenes or the battle formations and "killing barbarians," but they went the extra mile to demonstrate the daily life in Carnuntum. This documentary now has a special place in my heart because not only did it talk about Garum. But they had scenes of Roman cooking and cuisine, complete with recreated recipes and dish settings. As a foody and culinary historian, this was a great pleasure to see and help offset the typical military activities found among other documentaries. It lent some domestic charm to the film and allowed viewers to see another side of Roman life. Watching this documentary and the craftsmanship of it, makes me want to travel to Austria and to the Carnuntum museum. Hence the title of this blog as it really does feel like a playground for living historians, judging by what was presented. Overall it was a solid work. Surprisingly one of the best ones in this endeavor. It does suffer from some minor issues in historical accuracy. But certainly makes up for it. I would rate this as 4.5 sesterces out of 5. Next time I will discuss the quisquiliae ignis, Metropolis The Power of Cities Rome. Until next time. Vae Victus! Praetor Marcus Cestius Pullus