Barbarossa and the Towers of Italy (2008) is a wonderful and interesting historical documentary about the torries (watchtowers) that adorn the coastlines of Italy and the role they played to thwart pirate attacks. Alex Cord narrates the film with passion and takes us into the lives of the Vigili and Saracen Pirates.
The film uses video, images, artwork, animation, and re-enactments to tell the History. I particularly liked the few moments of "down time", not excessive, but just enough to allow you to digest the information before going on to the next topic. Sequences of re-enactments help us visualize the events of the past by using period dress and filming on location; one in particular was movie like that truly conveyed the fear of a pirate attack.
8 out of 10 - If you are a history buff, plan on visiting Italy, or even live there, this is a must see documentary! You can tell a great amount of research went into ensuring accurate details where given.
