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Magna Carta Unlocked

Magna Carta, widely regarded as a foundational text of the British and U.S. Constitutions and an essential guarantor of basic freedoms, has inspired imitators across ages and across continents. To what extent is it right to see the Great Charter as a fount of freedom, democracy and rule of law, and how relevant is it today?

  • Item 501718D
  • Region: All
  • Media Type: DVD
  • Running Time: 250 min
  • Rating: NR

Alternate formats: Digital Video - $4.99

Retail: $29.99
Price: $9.99
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Description

The Magna Carta is widely regarded as a foundational text of the British legal system and of the U.S. Constitution. As an essential guarantor of basic freedoms Magna Carta has inspired imitators across ages and across continents. To what extent is it right to see the Great Charter as a fount of freedom, democracy and rule of law, and how relevant is it today? Examining politics, science, society, law and warfare, this five-part series show how the Magna Carta has helped make the modern world. This 2-disc DVD set includes the Magna Carta Unlocked series plus extensive bonus features.

Editorial Reviews

This densely-packed five-episode historical overview looks at the centuries-old significance of the Magna Carta and its lasting effects on the relationship between individuals and the state. Moving rapidly through four centuries of Britain's on-and-off conflicts between royalty and the rebel barons who sought basic freedoms, the opening episode begins with a dramatization of an unpopular King John showing up at Runnymeade, near Windsor, in 1215 to sign the Magna Carta ("Great Charter"). This charter guaranteed protections (in the areas of church rights, swift justice, and the end of illegal imprisonment), limits on taxation, and the establishment of a council of barons to implement the changes. These reforms were quickly challenged or amended by John's successors to the throne, but gained more and more traction over the years until the late 17th century, when a constitutional monarchy became the norm. Historical re-enactments are employed to underscore various key moments involving seminal figures such as Oliver Cromwell, as the documentary traces the evolution of freedom and due process into the political mainstream (although that early progressiveness was not for the common man but rather the aristocracy). It would take the U.S. Constitution to make possible a wider application of the core ideas of the Magna Carta, the continuing relevance of which is explored in the remaining episodes. Recommended.

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