The Empire Of Good Intentions - Movie Review Example

The Empire Of Good Intentions The vivid and gripping episode comprehensively presents a couple of issues. Simon Schama examines issues that center on the assurance of civilization, enhancement of better living, famine, and delivery of coercion. Focusing on the British presence in Ireland and India, the documentary shows that the noble ideas of the Britons did not match the reality. The central adventure of the British in India appears it was based on the principles of economics as well as liberalism. In this respect, the British thought it was an essential asset in assisting the Indians to realize the benefits of civilization. Contrary to the British perception that it was delivering benefits by introducing the Western civilization, the citizens in Ireland and India suffered primarily due to the imposition of the laissez –faire economic policy. Notably, the documentary main argument is that British Empire was dictatorial and suppressed the colonized by preventing them from accessing opportunities, although it initially had good intentions to engage in commerce with the overseas subjects. Evident in the film, the British dictatorial regime that it exercised over the ruled led to serious violations of the basic rights of the natives and deaths due to famine. Schama blatantly displayed the brutal British imperialism in India that depicted exploitation, domination, and segregation leading to unbearable life and traumatic experiences in India. The documentary justifies that the presence of the British in the colonies presented challenges to the natives. Notably, the 1857 Mutiny indicates the displeasure of the British activities in India. Schama succeeds in showing that the anti-colonial insurgency was rampant in India, and the Indians resisted the British reforms, which portrayed a lack of religious sensitivity. Through the illustrative presentation of the readings by the actors, the viewers of the documentary realize that Britain was about to lose control of India as indicated in the mutiny unless it devised a new method of governance. Hence, the British quest to realign its structures of governing the colonies portrays that the colonizer’s self-interest to control every aspect of the colony’s life. Although famine is a natural calamity, the documentary helps the viewers and historians to recognize that the 1845 potato drought, which led to migration from Ireland to the United States, reflected the inability of the natives to survive the calamity due to the weakened economy attributed to the British domination and incompatible policies. The central subject of the British imperialism through the promise of civilization in Ireland and India is well covered and presented in the documentary. Notably, the British used the principles of liberalism and economic to impose the imperial policies that were not compatible with those of the colonies. The efforts to restore the preserve the Britain imperial system in India after the 1857-8 Mutiny is enough evidence that the British had a selfish interest as opposed to economic liberalism in the host nations. Fundamentally, the British imperialism disrupted the lifestyles of the colonies. Evident from the documentary, the Indians could not exercise their rights to conduct religious matters in the traditional way. For instance, the British perceived Hinduism as an inferior religion compared to Christianity. The imperialists perceived that Hinduism had flaws. In this respect, the documentary blatantly shows that the imperialists used religion as a tool to cause disunity among the colonized. In addition to religion, the documentary portrays the usage of education as an element of winning the natives. Education established an intellectual connection between the British and the colonized. The film displays the literate natives as essential tools to enhance the British ideas and deepen loyalty of the citizens to the imperial government. The great principle of liberalism and civilians only asserted the British quest for imperialism. As evident in the documentary, hunger for power and material benefits guided the British efforts to dominate the colonies. The disregard of the Indians who were dying of hunger did not reflect the British proclamation that their quest was to liberalize the colonies. British Empire failed to establish new economic order. The situation in Ireland was dire in 1845 to 1852 when drought hit the nation, and the relief projects to feed the Irish had some conditions. Notably, opportunism was inherent in the imperialist policies. In India, the natives paid taxes to own lands (Schama). This was an indication of the brutal nature of the British Empire. The arrogance response of the British to the matters central to Indians showed the level of insensitivity of the colonizers. The documentary emphasizes the assertion by showing the extent of Indians dissatisfaction during the 1857-8 Mutiny. The documentary has enhanced the understanding the British efforts to exert its rule in emerging economies during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The British used education and religion to divide the natives and exercise power in their colonies. Despite the rhetoric that emerged during the Mutiny, the British succeeded in establishing liberal reformism. In fact, the documentary shows that the British determination to increase the international colonies was unmatched. The declaration of Queen Victoria to be the Empress of India indicated that the British were determined to resolve the India’s ambiguous position in the Empire, as well as, the competing ideologies of governing the nation. The viewers can recognize that the British were establishing their legitimacy by reshaping the Indian society to adopt an image that was in tandem with their ideals. Indeed, the title of Empress symbolized the new vision of monarchical government in India. The Empire Of Good Intentions documentary successfully displays the success and drawback of British imperialism in colonies in eighteen and nineteenth centuries. The film offers a historical perspective of the British rule that can assist the historians to understand the events in pre-colonial and colonial eras. In addition, it excellently serves as a tool for nations, which were under the British power, to reflect on the successes they have achieved since the independence. Indeed, the nations should examine whether they have dealt with issues such as poverty, disease, and death that they were grappling with in precolonial and colonial periods. The documentary is a worth watch for everyone. Work Cited Schama, Simon, presenter. A History of Britain The Empire of Good Intentions. BBC One, 2002. Film. Read More