East and West: Movies Set in the Same Time Period | Video Essay

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Did you know that Confucius and Socrates lived less than a century apart?

That means a mere 80 years after Confucius philosophied with the greatest minds of the East,

Socrates did the same with the greatest of the West.

"All we are is dust in the wind, dude."

Excellent.

This sort of parallel fascinates me,

as it breaks how we usually see history.

Instead of a vertical chronology,

we see a horizontal view of the world in time.

What was happening in Rome when China saw the battle of Red Cliff?

What was India like when Sherlock Holmes walked the streets of Victorian London?

Today, let's check out some of the most famous historical films from around the world.

movies you likely have seen, but didn't know are set in the same period.

Let's examine their themes and stories,

and find out how we see the past in ways different or similar.

[ Part One ]

To answer one of the questions raised:

Red Cliff was set in 208 AD,

28 years after the events of Gladiator.

"Are you not entertained?"

Interestingly, Han China and the Roman Empire

came out of their golden ages at similar times.

The two films depict the respective aftermath.

Admittedly, the latter story is a Hollywood invention,

but the film's setting remains historical.

Contrast the two films, and we can see the difference between culture,

but also the similarities between technology.

If the two forces were to meet, it's not hard to imagine the battle being a tie.

Warfare is a common topic for films set in ancient times.

Naturally, the spectacle makes for great entertainment.

But the profound ways war affect history and culture

are also a factor in why we remember them.

Movies about Alexander the Great and his conquest,

is paralleled by Emperor Asoka who conquered much of the Indian subcontinent,

before renouncing war and embracing Buddhism.

A century later, a similar figure, Qin Shi Huang,

would unite China through his conquest.

All three movies depict their rulers in similar tones,