"Do you see what your gods have done, Bansabiri?" The question was issued to the high priestess from one of her victims after their Greek island Thera was brutally assaulted by a violent volcano, which viciously wreaked their prosperous Minoan society. The controlling priestess ruler believed 'Shaker' is punishing her people, prompting her to become a blood-thirsty seeker of sacrifices to appease the angry deity.
In truth, Bansabiri (Isadora Verwey) leads a blood-guilty party misleading her citizens in false worship resulting in a significant loss of life. In a time of great peril and natural havoc, the wrong information may place you in grave danger. The UK producers of this successfully dramatic documentary gambled on an ancient, mysterious legend of a lost, advanced civilization of Atlantis mixing factual knowledge with myth and physiological evidence. From my viewpoint, they won their bet, even if all the facts don't tie in with a 4th-century tale coined by the Philosopher Plato.
The film effectively linked the myth generated by surviving accounts of a super, ash-spitting volcano with a terrific fictional story about a young couple Yishhua and Pinaruti (Stephanie Leonidas and Reece Ritchie) experiencing the disaster. The characters are well developed and expertly performed by capable actors, aided by excellent scriptwriting (by Rhidian Brook with others, historians), direction (Tony Mitchell), and production standards. The CGI effects realistically applied in appropriate measures, some of it appear unrealistically animated. However, considering this is a documentary, not a Hollywood big-budget epic. It is easy to note that the BBC motion picture is better than many cheesy disaster flicks.
The film contains disaster-rated deaths, injuries, and peril, mild violence. An individual catches on fire resulting in acute burnt wounds. There is a quick kiss, flirtatious expressions, suspicion of adultery but sensuality is non-existing, except for a bare-chested young man and cleavage-revealing attire worn by Minoan women.
Atlantis: End of a World, Birth of a Legend
(2011 TV Movie)
Atlantis: BBC Shook Up and Entertains An Historical Myth.
16 May 2019