He
created one of the greatest observatories in history, over a century before
Galileo crafted his telescope. Unfortunately, both the observatory and the
Timurid ruler who built it were destroyed by Islamist fundamentalists. Toppled
by his son and killed by the rabble, Ulugh Beg’s story is the stuff of
Sophocles, but his writings and scholarship would inspire astronauts in both
the Soviet and American space programs. Tribute is paid to the towering scholar
and short-lived ruler in Bakhodir Yuldashev’s Ulugh Beg: The Man Who Unlocked the Universe (trailer here), which starts streaming
tomorrow on Amazon Prime.
Ulugh
Beg is a major reason why the Samarkand old town center is a UNESCO World
Heritage site. He built the imposing Registan Madrassa as well as the
Observatory. Under his influence (during his father’s rule), Samarkand became
the center of Islamic scholarship, particularly with respects to astronomy and
mathematics. Alas, Ulugh Beg’s ascendency only lasted two years, and the son
who usurped him had an even shorter tenure.
While
it is debatable whether Ulugh Beg contributed any truly original theories to
the astronomical field, his star charts, as well as his sin-and-co-sin tables remain
voluminously extensive and incredibly accurate. He clearly had a genius-level
intellect and was passionately committed to supporting the sciences, but the
times he lived in were not as enlightened as he was.
Unlocked is a weird hybrid
documentary that incorporates dramatic vignettes, as well as traditional
talking head commentary. It is hosted by French actor Vincent Cassel, who looks
like he is auditioning for a reboot of In
Search of. The mature Sultan Ulugh Beg is played by Armand Assante, who has
a big presence that suits his mostly dialogue-free scenes. Frankly, it is
highly unlikely anyone else will amass a list of credits that includes Mike
Hammer, John Gotti, Friedrich Nietzsche, Odysseus, and Ulugh Beg, so give the
man all his due credit.
Granted,
Yuldashev is more than a little bit inclined towards hagiography, but Ulugh Beg
is a truly fascinating figure. There is also plenty of striking footage of Samarkand’s
grand architecture and monuments. Most viewers will learn a good deal from the short
doc, but it is also a rather notably odd curiosity piece. Worth thirty-eight
minutes of your time, is available on Vimeo VOD and releases tomorrow on Amazon
Prime.
