Rise of Empires: Ottoman

 

History is a constant wellspring of ideas for fantasy literature.  Authors as diverse as George R.R. Martin, Howard, and E.R. Eddison have drawn on historical events for the inspiration for their stories, and I have done it myself.  History provides a panoply of betrayals, assassinations, wars, and empires that provide fodder for endless stories, and Howard himself often switched back and forth between outright fantasy and historical fiction in ways that blurred the line between them.

Rise of Empires: Ottoman is an interesting blend of historical drama and a documentary.  I expected it to be a pure pulp soap opera, like Marco Polo or Rome, but instead it switches back and forth between fully acted and dramatized scenes from the narrative and talking-head segments with scholars and authors discussing and clarifying the events as they unfold.  As a history nerd I will say I like this approach, and I have never seen anything else quite like it.

With overall narration by Charles Dance, Ottoman is the story of Sultan Mehmed II and his siege of Constantinople in 1453.  This was a major turning point in history, as by that time the city of Constantinople was all but surrounded by the Ottoman Empire, and only the powerful fortifications had so far prevented the city from being taken.  More than twenty armies had broken against the ancient Theodosian Walls – the most massive and formidable city defenses in the world – and behind them the remnant of the Roman Empire had outlived its western counterpart by almost a thousand years.

A lot of documentaries make do with a bunch of narration and some stock footage, but this goes much farther than that.  The experts – including Marios Phillipedes, Emrah Gurkan, and Roger Crowley – provide cogent, wide-ranging testimony about the events at hand from both authors and academics of varied backgrounds.  The dramatized portions of the story are what lift this above anything you would find on the History channel.

With a cast of genuine Turkish actors this has a level of authenticity you will not usually see, and the caliber of the talent on display is considerable.  Cem Yigit Uzümoglu is energetic in the lead role, but he is almost overshadowed by great performances from Birkan Sokullu, Damla Sonmez, and the luminously beautiful Tuba Buyukustun.  A lot of work went into the costumes and the props, and the period weapons and armor all look pretty good.  The battle scenes are extremely well-done, detailing the differing tactics and fighting styles of the Genoese versus the Janissaries versus the Byzantine troops.  The series does not shy from gore, and there is plenty of bone-crunching, head-cleaving violence.

All the elements are here for a tremendous story, and it’s all made more powerful by the fact that it really happened:  The young, ambitious ruler of a rising empire determined to make his mark, beset by temporizing court officials and ministers he cannot quite trust.  The last ruler of an ancient city that has stood for a thousand years, the last remnant of one of the greatest empires of all time, now all but vanished from the world, decadent and decayed, hiding behind walls raised in an ancient age with artistry the later world cannot match.  The turbulent foreign mercenary commander determined to set his skills against a vastly superior enemy and hold the city at all costs, for both honor and gold.

If you substituted somebody like Conan for Giovanni Giustiniani and some kind of magic for Mehmed’s cannons, then this would be a Sword & Sorcery tale to rival any other.  War, betrayal, passion, loss, ambition, treachery – it’s all here.  For those who want pure drama, this series will not quite hit the spot, but for fans of history or historical fiction, there is a lot to dig in on and enjoy.