Asterix the Gaul: TAP’s Movie of the Month for July 2015
Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Fred Flintstone, Homer Simpson, Spongebob Squarepants, Charlie Brown, The Grinch, Scooby-Doo, Winnie the Pooh, Asterix the Gaul…
Odds are, at your age, you know almost all of the names on that list. You’ve probably seen cartoons featuring most of those characters, and if not, you at least recognize their names and could pick them out of some sort of cartoon character line-up (If not, you’ve got some serious YouTube time coming to catch up on some missing parts of your childhood).
One name, however, probably isn’t as recognizable to most of you. That would be Asterix the Gaul, and even though you’ve probably never heard of him, seen his cartoons, or read his comic book adventures, he is one of the most recognizable and popular cartoon characters on the planet – just not here in the good ole USA for some reason.
Asterix, who my six year old son said looks like Thor and Popeye had a baby, is the star of a series of French comics (or graphic novels) that began in 1959 in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine, Pilote. Written by Rene Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo (until Goscinny’s death in 1977, when Uderzo took over writing and drawing the series), there have been 35 volumes of Asterix stories.
Sometimes learning can be fun, and Asterix is one of those cases. It’s not the most historically accurate cartoon, but it tells the story of a village of Gauls (ancient French people) resisting being conquered by the Roman Empire. Throughout the series, Asterix, a warrior in this Gaulish village, has numerous comedic adventures, encountering people from all sorts of ancient civilizations, including those pesky Romans, the Egyptians, Spaniards (Iberians, Basque, Catalans), Picts, Normans (remember, we’re going to a region of Northern France called Normandy where D-Day happened), Goths, Vikings, Britons, and even ancient Americans.
So this month, we’re asking you to watch a few of the Asterix movies that have been made over the years (there have been nine animated Asterix films made between 1967 and 2014). You can choose which ones and how many, we just ask that you take the time to watch at least two of these films.
Why watch cartoons that aren’t very accurate historically? It’s simple. One, there is enough historical information presented to learn quite a bit about the ancient people of France (and the rest of Europe too) and to gain some insight into what was happening in Northern Europe during the Roman Empire. We all study Ancient Rome in middle school, but the northern half of the continent, where we’re going to be traveling is pretty much left out of our history books. No, Asterix comics and cartoons aren’t the best way to learn about ancient history, but they are a good way to get some of the basics.
Second, these movies are funny. No, not funny in the same way as Spongebob, Bugs and Daffy, or The Simpsons – This, for many of you, will be your first taste of European or French humor. A lot of the humor in the Asterix stories comes from puns or wordplay. Pay close attention to the names of the characters, both the heroes and villains – they’re quite clever, and there are going to be several other cases where the jokes are clever and quick. Of course, it’d be even better if we could watch (and understand) them in French, but maybe someday. Asterix is the most popular cartoon character in France – after 35 books (translated into over 100 languages), nine cartoon movies, four live-action movies, countless toys and games, video games, and even an Asterix amusement park (Parc Asterix was built in 1989 to rival the Disneyland Paris park),more than 325 million copies of the Asterix comics have been sold outside of France (making Uderzo and Goscinny the best selling French authors worldwide). Simply, to understand Asterix and the humor is to understand a bit more about French culture.
So, we’re watching the Asterix movies to get a basic understanding of French history and some insight into French culture. Both are good things before we head to France in just 11 months.
The World of Asterix
Asterix the Gaul is from Gaul, a region of France in ancient times. In reality, the Gauls were actually Celts. Celts (or Celtic people – pronounced with a hard K sound, not a soft S sound, those Boston basketball people say that word funny) were tribes of semi-related people living in northern Europe 2,000-3,000 years ago, during the Bronze and Iron Ages. For whatever reason, the Celts aren’t discussed much in our modern history books, but they were important and many ruins of theirs are left behind throughout France, Spain, Portugal, England, and Ireland. The term Celt referred to people throughout Europe that shared similar customs and language. Since Asterix lived in Gaul, calling him Asterix the Gaul is just fine, but he was also a Celt – just like you might be a Chicagoan and an American at the same time (sort of).
Just to give you a little bit more history, a Celtic tribe called the Parisii established a civilization in the middle of Gaul around the same time period. They found a nice spot to build on a small island in the middle of what we now call the Seine River. Today we call that island Ile de la Cite. The Parisii lived there from 300 BC until around 52 BC when the Romans invaded. The Parisii joined forces with a chieftain named Vercingetorix (notice his name ends in IX) from another Gaulish village nearby to rise against Julius Caesar and the Romans in what was called the Gallic Wars.
Here’s a short video to give you a quick look at the Gallic Wars.
Vercingetorix rallied the Gallic people (Gauls) and won a few early victories, but eventually the Gauls were defeated and Vercingetorix was captured. After five years imprisonment, he was paraded through the streets of Rome and executed on Caesar’s orders. If you read Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in school, you may see Caesar as a good guy and a victim, but sometimes history is all about perspective.
Here’s a few looks at Vercingetorix’s uprising. Basically, this is the story of Asterix vs. The Romans, only not funny, much more bloody, and not a cartoon. The first video is long, but only the first 11 minutes are about the Gaul vs. Roman battle – the second video gives a great look at the final battle the Gauls fought.
Anyway, the Romans took over and all the Celts that remained were slowly pushed from Northern Europe down into the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), then from there, they escaped into Ireland, which was never invaded by the Romans. If you know much about the places TAP has traveled, you know we’ve followed the Celts in reverse (Ireland in 2010, Spain and Portugal in 2011, and now France in 2016).
The Parisii, who’d set up their civilization on Ile de la Cite in the middle of the Seine River, were wiped out. The Romans took over their land and destroyed their buildings, setting a temple up on one end of the Island. The Romans fought off Huns and Vikings during their possession of the island, and at some point, the Franks showed up and built a cathedral on the island in the 800s AD, then, in 1160, a beautiful gothic church called Notre-Dame was built on the same spot. The island eventually became the heart of a much larger city built up along both sides of the river – a city named Paris, after the Parisii, the original inhabitants.
The setting for most of Asterix’s adventures is a small village along the north-western coast of France (modern day Brittany). The stories take place around 50 BC when Caesar has conquered nearly all of Gaul for the Roman Republic (not quite the Empire yet), and in real life, Vercingetorix fought Caesar’s army in 52 BC. Thanks to a druid (Panoramix in French stories, but changed to Getafix in the English versions) who can brew up a magical potion giving the Gauls super-strength, this one little village is the last one to hold out against the Roman invaders. If only Vercingetorix had magic potion, perhaps the entire history of the world would be slightly different.
About half the Asterix stories take place in and around the Gaul’s village, and the other half have Asterix and his friends travel to other places including Belgium, Spain, Rome, Egypt, and even America). The more recent books have included more science fiction elements like aliens and the legendary Lost City of Atlantis.
French Humor
It’s funny and it’s about French stuff… well…. sort of.
It’s funny, and it’s about French stuff… well, sort of.It took a long time for the publishers of the Asterix comics to start translating them for people in other countries, and the simple reason for the delay was they feared that the jokes that made the series and the character so popular in France, wouldn’t translate well to other languages.
Most of the humor comes from puns or wordplay, which doesn’t always translate well. On top of that, some of the jokes stem from cultural stereotypes about other European countries or regions of France. Here in America, we’re not likely to understand those jokes, just like French people might not understand and American comic making “redneck jokes” or poking fun at the way New Yorkers or people from Boston talk. Some of the jokes had to be rewritten or rethought to make the books entertaining for people from other places without losing the spirit of the story that made it so popular in the first place.
In the movies, you have to pay close attention – there’s lots of action and funny pratfalls and things hitting people on the head to entertain little kids – but for older kids and adults there is that classic Asterix wordplay. In the first movie, I caught jokes about Romans who came, saw, and conquered (Google that one), a reference to the movie Roman Holiday, trips to the “circus,” and even a scheme two Romans had to form a triumvirate (which is hard to do without three people, and is a joke those of you who got an A on your Roman history quizzes will get).
The Names/Characters
That’s a whole lot of funny names in one place.
That’s a whole lot of funny names right there.The character names are another level of joke throughout the series. They are more puns, playing on the styles of names commonly found in history in each of the civilizations you find in the books/movies.
As for the Gauls, the “ix” ending of almost every Gaulish character (Asterix, Obelix, Dogmatix, Getafix…) is an allusion to the “rix” ending that was present in many real Gaulish chieftains in the history books. “Rix” means king – Vercingetorix, Orgetorix, and Dumnorix are all real men in Gaulish history. All the “ix” endings are plays on that.
Asterix, of course is a simple warrior, not a chieftain or king, but the name fits the “ix” standard, plus… what is an asterix? It’s a little star, right? And who is the star of this series? That’s the French humor.
Other characters include Asterix’s best friend Obelix. An obelisk is a stone pillar, either square or rectangular in shape with a pyramid at the top – think of the Washington Monument. Obelix is big, he’s sturdy, but on top of that, his job in the village is a Menhir delivery man. A menhir is an ancient stone (sometimes called a standing stone) that we can still find throughout Northern Europe as reminders that the Celtic people were once there. We have no idea why the menhirs were placed where they were, but every once in a while, you just come across a stone or circle of stones (think Stonehenge) that’s just there… One running joke in the series is Obelix “delivering” menhirs to seemingly random places around the countryside – as if the reason we find them today is just because it was some big strong guy’s job to deliver them to odd spots. TAP has seen menhirs (and their cousins, dolmens) in England, Spain, Portugal, and Ireland so far.
Here’s a short video showing standing stones, dolmens, and menhirs from all around the world.
Another character in the series is Panoramix (French) or Getafix (English). He’s a druid – which is like a wizard or medicine man in other cultures. He sees all (kind of like a panoramic picture) and he supplies our heroes with the potion they need to stay super-strong (he gets them a fix of that “drug”).
Vitalstatistix is the village chief, he probably keeps track of all the important (or vital) statistics about his people. Cacophonix is the bard (or storyteller) – his job is to sing songs or ballads about the heroes, but he’s a terrible singer and no one wants to hear him. Just so you know, a cacophony is a terrible noise. Are you getting it yet?
In the history books, a lot of Roman names seem to end in “us” – Julius, Marcus Aurelius, Brutus… So the books and movies play on that a lot. In the first movie, you meet the Roman leader, Phonus Balonus, who is fighting the Gauls, but also conspiring to overthrow Julius Caesar – so he’s a Phony Baloney. Gluteus Maximus is a big, muscular Roman soldier, who is literally the “butt” of many jokes. Those are just a few examples.
In some of the stories, there are Gothic characters (Germany). In history, there are many Gothic chiefs, such as Alaric and Theodoric that end in “ic,” so some of the Goth characters in the stories are Prehistoric, Atmospheric, and Esoteric. There’s also Rhetoric, a translator.
There are other funny names too, like a Spanish chieftain – Huevos y Bacon, which means eggs and bacon in Spanish, but is a play on a popular series of tourism books in Spain. Also, a spy in the Gaul’s village once gave himself the fake name, Dubbleosix (referring to 007, the spy, James Bond’s codename).
See how many clever names you can pick up on while watching Asterix cartoons or reading some of the comics.
Goscinny and Uderzo
Two great friends, and two great friends.
Rene Goscinny was the original author of the Asterix stories. He’s also known for his work on Lucky Luke and Iznogoud.
Goscinny was born in 1926 to Polish immigrants who had moved to Paris. As a child, Goscinny spent a few years living in Argentina, attending French schools there. It was there that a young Rene began to act as a class clown and draw cartoons.
At 17 years old, after the death of his father, Goscinny took his first job as an artist – a junior illustrator for an advertising company. Soon after, he moved to New York, leaving soon after to join the French Army – where he drew illustrations and posters for the military.
Back in New York, Goscinny wrote and illustrated several children’s books, meeting several artists and cartoonists that he’d later work with on projects like Lucky Luke.
A new friend convinced Goscinny to return to Paris as the head of the World Press Agency’s French office. This is where he met Albert Uderzo. The two men quickly became good friends and collaborated on a few different projects before starting Asterix in 1959.
Goscinny wrote the Asterix stories, from 1959 until his death in 1977. After that, Albert Uderzo continued the Asterix series on his own, although at a much slower pace – of only one book every three to five years.
Uderzo was born in France in 1928 to parents who had immigrated from Italy. As a young man, he spent a year living in the Brittany region of France, so when it came time to decide upon a setting for Asterix’s village, Uderzo immediately choose that region of the country.
The two men first created the characters Oumpah-pah (a native American), Jehan Pistolet, and Luc Junior, before developing Asterix – who was an immediate hit when first released in 1961. By 1967, the two men committed to working solely on the Asterix stories, releasing an average of two books a year for the next decade.
When Goscinny passed away in 1977, Uderzo took control of the book, but to this day, both mens’ names are listed on the cover as the co-authors.
Franco-Belgian Comics
Franco-Belgian comics are comic books, or graphic novels, published for an audience in both France and Belgium. Since nearly half the population of Belgium speaks French, the medium can be shared in both countries.
Both nations have a long tradition in the art of comics and comic books, which are incredibly popular amongst all segments of society there – unlike here in America where comic books are thought to be for kids or nerds. In Europe, these are really thought of as an art form and are called BDs, bandes dessinees (drawn strips).
The most popular Franco-Belgian comics include Asterix, The Adventures of Tintin, Lucky Luke, and The Smurfs.
Due to a big Hollywood movie a few years ago, most Americans are familiar with The Adventures of Tintin, which was written by Belgian artist Herge, starting in 1929. Like it’s title says, the stories are about a young Belgian reporter named Tintin, along with his faithful dog, Snowy, who find themselves in all sorts of exciting adventures.
Here’s an older Tintin cartoon called The Blue Lotus, just to give you a taste of the famous Belgian comic.
The Smurfs have also gained a great deal of popularity in the United States, thanks to a cartoon in the 1980s and a pair of live-action movies in the last few years. The Smurfs are magical blue creatures that stand just “three apples high” and live in a magical, medieval mushroom village in the forests of Europe. The Smurfs were created by Peyo, who was also responsible for Johann and Peewit, an adventure story about a young squire and his sidekick – also set in Medieval Europe.
It’s easy to find a Smurfs cartoon, and many of you have probably seen the newer movies, so here’s a sample of a Johann and Peewit story with the Smurfs in it.
Morris, who was one of the most popular Franco-Belgian comics artists, created one of the most popular stories ever – Lucky Luke – which Rene Goscinny wrote for nearly two decades. Strangely enough, Lucky Luke is about an American cowboy in the old west, but has never achieved the same popularity in America as Tintin or The Smurfs.
This Lucky Luke movie is a bit longer, so you don’t have to watch the whole thing if you don’t want to, but we’re including it here so you can get a taste of Luke’s story.
Some other popular Franco-Belgian titles include Gaston (a clumsy, accident prone young man who works in a Franco-Belgian comics office), Marsupilami (a strange monkey/cat creature with a long tail that lives in the jungle), and Spirou et Fantasio (two young reporters, who, like Tintin, find themselves in the middle of amazing adventures).
Here’s a Marsupilami cartoon, just for the fun of it.
I hope you take a whole bunch of French history and culture from your time with Asterix and his pals. I hope this post gives you some insight into what Northern Europe was like during the Roman times that you probably know a ton about. I hope it makes you laugh and have a better understanding of French humor. Most of all, I hope it gives you a little bit of anything that will make your trip to Europe next summer that much better.
Each of the movies we select are chosen for that very reason, to give you different perspectives on the people, history, and culture of the places we’re visiting. These movies are definitely well worth a few hours of your time before we fly to Europe.
So, sit back, relax, grab some ratatouille and a baguette, and watch our Movie of the Month, Asterix the Gaul, along with the other videos we’ve posted today. You can find the Asterix movies free on YouTube, so no need to spend any money or rent anything this month. We’ve embedded a few of the Asterix cartoons below. Remember, we’re asking you to watch at least two (we like the first one, because it’s a classic, and all of the ones make in the 1980s and beyond the best).
Asterix the Gaul (1967)
Asterix and Cleopatra (1968)
The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (1976)
Asterix versus Caesar (1985)
Asterix in Britain (1986)
Asterix and the Big Fight (1989)
Asterix Conquers America (1994)
Asterix and the Vikings (2006)
There is a 9th Asterix cartoon, Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods (also called Asterix: The Land of the Gods) that came out in 2014, but we haven’t found it free online yet. Additionally, there were four live-action Asterix films. Watch them if you want, but we don’t think it’s quite the same (we also think the live-action Smurfs, Garfield, Grinch, Cat in the Hat, and Alvin and the Chipmunks are terrible, for what it’s worth).
We ask that all of our France/Benelux travelers take the time to watch our Movies of the Month, then come back here to discuss the movie, the history, and the impact this story had on the people and places we’ll visit. In your response, we’d like you to tell us first what you thought of the movie and why. Second, tell us three specific things you learned from watching this movie (and reading this post) that you think will make your experience in France and the Benelux countries even better than it would have been. Please remember, there is more to this post than watching cartoons – you should be reading the post and viewing the other videos to learn about history too – your answers should discuss both the history and the culture you learned about in this post. The longer and more in depth our discussion gets, the better it is for all of us.
Keep in mind, also, that the Asterix books are on your Around the World in 80 Books assignment, so if you’d like to enjoy an Asterix comic volume or three, go for it. They’re often available at local libraries. You can also find most of the Asterix comics free online.
Minooka TAP 
I really liked the Asterix movies that I watched. I saw Asterix the Gaul and Asterix Versus Caesar. My mom and younger sister also seemed to like these animated films. I liked the Asterix films because of the French humor and the very different characters. All of the characters were completely different from one another. First, I learned from the movie that Caesar wasn’t the all around innocent hero. He was depicted to be pretty selfish. This will help my experience because I have two sides of a historical event. Second, from the movie, I learned not to judge a person by their looks. Asterix looks like a smaller guy but he really can pack a punch. I will be helped by this because I know not to judge people places and things by how they look; for example, food. The third thing I learned from the movie was not everything you want is good for you. In both movies I watched, Obelix always wanted to taste the magical potion, but he couldn’t because he fell into it when he was a baby. This will better my experience so I don’t overdo anything. I would rather not get sick from eating too many sweets. 🙂
Sounds like you enjoyed the cartoons, but what did you learn about real history?
I learned about the Roman Empire from a different point of view. I used to just think that all was good and peaceful until Cesaer was killed, but now I realized that some people really hated him because he was mean and too controlling.
I agree, although before watching the films I had never really thought that everything was “good and peaceful.” I knew before watching that many people had strong feelings towards Caesar and his ruling. I just never knew how much it honestly impacted the people within the Empire. Caesar really did have a lot of power! Within the films it may have been a little exaggerated, but Caesar could pretty much do anything he pleased without anyone to stop him really. It really was interesting to me because our government is nothing like this at all. (and neither is France’s).
I really like your reveiw, but which character is your favorite?
I also liked how they made each character different, it felt like each character brought something new to the table.
Did you like Asterix the Gaul or Asterix versus Ceasar better?
I do agree that all the characters are very and unique but I think that gives them all a different element of strength against the Romans
I agree that all the characters are unique but I think that because they aren’t all the same, that they have more strengths against the Romans.
I read the graphic novel and saw the movie. My favorite character is Asterix because he is the protagonist and has a really strong character. He has many friends and every one in the town knows him.
When I saw the cover of the films I thought I wasn’t going to like it at all. But after I watched the film I actually annoyed it and the little use of humor I saw in it. I liked the adventurous part In the film also with the missions and when Asterix and friend fought against the Romans. I thought that some of the voices didn’t sound right with their character, like how Asterix wasn’t as heroic sounding as I thought. But that’s when I learned to not judge the characters just by how they look because he ended up being the hero of the story. I also learned and liked the names of some people seemed to be a pun like Romans Phonus Balonus.
What did you learn from real history from this assignment?
Same with me. I thought by the cover it wasn’t going to be a very good cartoon. I was wrong.
I agree that Asterix did not sound so heroic. Most of the Gauls didn’t. I mean they can’t be that strong and brave if they need to drink a magic potion that gives them those powers.
When I first saw the covers I thought these would be boring history lessons too, but I was wrong.What character do you think needed a voice change the most?
To Be Honest I thought I wasn’t gonna like it because of the cover. It didn’t look like something I wouldn’t watch. Then after I watched a few I rely enjoyed them. The characters were really fun to watch because really nothing or no one could stop them. The adventures they had were very interesting. Yet one thing I didn’t like was how Asterix was “untouchable” and never really was in danger that much. Since he was untouchable he could predict what was gonna happen. In the movies there were pretty much 2 characters. The ones who were good and the ones who were evil. Asterix was a hero in the movies. A quote for him would be “Good things come in small packages” because he was pretty tough. No one could stop him and he was really funny. Now Caesar, a evil person in the movie, was just plain cold. He wasn’t really a hero nor innocent. Through the movie he was known as selfish, and quite power-hungry. Overall I loved the movies and they were Pretty Funny.
How do you think Asterix compared to the history of the real Gauls (and the real Romans) from history?
That’s how I felt when I saw the cover too. I wasn’t interested at all and probably wouldn’t have watched the film or heard of it until I got the email about it. But I ended up enjoying them too.
What did you enjoy about it?
I loved all of the different characters and the puns I caught, it always takes me a few seconds to think about what a character has said, then I’ll know it was a pun.
yes the puns made more enjoyable to watch.
I have to disagree with you about the cover, I thought it was going to be a great cartoon from the start, and I really did like the the ones I watched.
Which ones did you watch?
Mathew, did you like the puns or humor from the movies at all?
I thought the cover gave it a cool look and it made me more interested to watch.
I didn’t think I would like the movies either but I did. I do agree that Asterix seemed untouchable but I also think it made the movie interesting. Who was your favorite character?
I do not really take it as he was “untouchable” I look at it as confidence. He acted tough but I’m sure inside that little guy was scared out of his mind. He told himself what he wanted and then he went for it.
These were great films i really enjoyed them. I like how they tied to how the Romans were harsh. ” I’ll feed you to the lions if you don’t do (blank)” Same with how antagonizing they were sending you to the torturer if you wouldn’t talk. Like McKenna said Asterix doesn’t sound heroic. I didn’t get the french humor for the most part but overall i can see why these films are very popular.
You mentioned the real Romans. Take a look at the videos of real history I put in there and let me know how you think the cartoon compares with the real thing.
In both the Video and the cartoon the Romans were both loyal to their leader. The video mentions that they would go through anything for Julius. In the cartoon the Romans had to go do what he said even though they knew that they would lose. I’m surprised Ceaser told his men to put down their weapons because of all the stories i’ve heard of the Romans i would never think they would do such. In the cartoon, the Romans “base” was not very fortified like the real Romans. The real Romans had a bunch of trenches in front of the wall but the cartoon only had what looks like fabric walls, 2 archer towers and a gate with a man that has a horn to alarm them. The cartoon did have the forest but the Gauls could ambush through there which would have been a bad position for the Romans.
Lots of great observations there, Drew. Keep paying close attention to details like that.
Okay true, but the main point I think of the Romans being there was for the Romans to attack the Gauls, not the other way around. And, from what we can conclude from Asterix and the rest of the people in his village, it would seem to go against his character, in other words attacking the Romans is just something that I don’t think Asterix would do. Also, this is a cartoon, not an action movie like 300.
It was also very difficult for me to understand and identify a lot of the French humor. Do you think that it was due to the fact that their culture is different than ours, or do you think that it was the translation that made it hard for us to understand?
I really liked your reveiw of the two movies you watched, but what things did you take away from the movie to make your trip better?
I disagree!!! Asterix sounds more heroic than superman, honestly. They both want to save people and blah blah blah, but Asterix is doing it not because he wants honor and blah blah blah but because he just wants to see his fellow villagers don’t die. I think this makes him more heroic because all of the villagers take the potion and defend each other with respect, meanwhile superman is seemingly the only one who can save everyone from everything and the people owe him their lives and blah blah blah. superman’s relationship with the people is based off of how they are all helpless and defenseless against people with powers. Sure they may respect him for saving their butts when they couldn’t defend themselves and didn’t really try, but they would respect him more and think him more heroic if he fought WITH them instead of just FOR them.
What two movies did you watch?
I liked and watched Asterix The Gaul and Asterix Versus Caesar a lot, they reminded me of when i was little and use to watch cartoons, I really liked Asterix The Gaul because of the humor and the music was very interesting and liked how They where fighting against the Romans, one part i like when the Romans where playing their version of musical chairs, i thought this part was hilarious. My favorite character in this movie was Obalix, he was the funniest in my opinion in the hole movie. I liked Asterix Versus Caesar because of the adventures or Obalix and Asterix The Gauls adventures, and i also liked the music and humor too. my favorite part in this movie was the races in the Colosseum. three things that i will take from these movie to help my tap trip better is to not judge people by their looks, you cant do everything you want to do, and learned some roman history which now i have some background on what Eroupe back in the Ceaser ages.
Ok, tell me what you learned about history from the cartoons, the post, and the YouTube videos.
I learned what life was like back then, because both movies take place in ancient rome time, and i learned about what happens in the Colosseum, Races between people happen in the Colosseum, battles between people and animals also happen.
That’s great, but since we won’t be going to Rome, tell me what you learned about what was happening in Ancient France.
During that Time a war was going on in ancient France against the Romans, sense Rome was trying to take over Europe
I like how you did “Text to self” idea. I also liked the cartoons were like because they showed me times weren’t always easy back then.
The part with the musical chairs was one of the highlights of the cartoon in my opinion. but this also begs the question: did the Romans create musical chairs? And if so, is it possible that many other childhood games that we now play were due to the Roman empire? everyone knows ring around the rosie was from Europe during the time of the Bubonic Plague, but i think they also invented duck duck goose as well as musical chairs.
These kind of reminded me of spongebob, I used to watch it all the time when I was little. Throughout the movie did you notice all of the wordplay in it?
When I first saw that we would be watching a cartoon this month I was really excited. I really liked the movies that I watched. They were just like the cartoons I used to watch when I was younger. My favorite one was Asterix and Cleopatra where Asterix, Obelix, and Getafix help with the construction of the Of palace in Egypt. Another topic I liked about these movies was all the humor packed into an hour long cartoon. For example, the two Gauls Asterix and Obelix could take down a legion of Romans by themselves. I also liked how different each character is from each other. As an example, I liked how Obelix is big and Dogmatix is small but they get along just fine. This will help me on the trip because even though I don’t speak the same language as someone or believe in the same religion as they do, who says we can’t be friends? From the movies I can also learn not to judge things that I am not familiar with such as cultures or religion. You have to give things a try, learn about them before you form an opinion. I really thought that Asterix was going to be weak because of his size, but he actually was just the opposite. Overall I liked the movie a lot and I plan to watch the rest of them that I haven’t seen yet.
Aiden, what did you learn about real history from the cartoons, the YouTube videos, and the post?
From the cartoons I learned a little bit about what a Gaul’s life would be like and how their are different jobs for each person. For example, Obelix had the job of delivering the standing rocks to people throughout the village. Their was also the position of the chief leader that made all of the big decisions. Another thing I learned was that what they liked to eat at the time, in the cartoons they would always be eating boar if it was available. The cartoon also showed the clothes they wore. For example most of them wore helmets with horns sticking out the side.
I agree with you Aidan. I also noticed that each Gaul had a different job to do in the town.
Who was your favorite character? Mine was Asterix.
Asterix was my favorite character too. I loved how he worked for what he wanted and in the end he got let free from the Romans.
I loved how each character had there differences and each one had there own opinion on things. The followers (soldiers) in this movie did not get want they wanted but Asterix was a leader and took things into his control and in the end he wasn’t killed.
Asterix the Gaul followed the same basic plot structure and how characters are structured as most American cartoons: Main character is strong and happy, Antagonist tries to overtake main character, main character eats/drinks something or does some heroic little ritual which gives them strength(this part optional), then main character puts the antagonist in their place and they go back living happily. However, unlike American cartoons, Asterix the Gaul i9s based off of historical events that give people of Celtic heritage a reason to be proud of their heritage; if their ancestors weren’t absolutely terrible or absolutely amazing, then why would someone make a big, popular cartoon about their family history? As well as the popularity the cartoon had, the characters give the current Celtic people a reason to be proud of their heritage because the characters clearly hold themselves with pride (or are drawn to). One thing I learned while watching the cartoons was of the environment these people lived in. No matter how strong they were, it wouldn’t matter unless they could scavenge anything they needed while it was warm and had great endurance to be able to survive cold northern France winters. True, their winters would be similar to ours due to a relatively similar geography of where they lived. I also learned that the Romans were brutal people. I don’t think I could survive being tickled in the feet like panoramix was. But honestly speaking, it seems a little much to tie up a man from head to toe on a table. Then again this is a cartoon, these were the times or brutality, so in reality the scenario would have been a lot bloodier and painful, both to experience and to watch. From the post, I learned that the French people are probably more humorous than rude to Americans. The creators of these cartoons made better jokes than I usually do, which is saying something. Just kidding my jokes suck. Maybe they won’t if i use some from this cartoon or try to make some like the ones in Asterix the Gaul. Note to self and everyone else that reads this: ask people in France what their favourite joke is. Maybe we can make it into a documentary or something.
Since you were the queen of bad jokes in my class last year, I think that it’s an incredibly cool idea for you to make a video of local people telling their favorite jokes. I want you to follow through on this one, Katie – I think it could be an amazing cultural experience.
That sounds like a great idea! I think humor is a really important part in understanding a culture, so this could be a very interesting look into the society of the French.
While watching The Twelve Tasks of Asterix I realized that my trip will be more fun if I speak up about my interests. When Asterix and his friend were on the island of pleasure Asterix’s friend wanted sot eat some wild boar and the girls were offering him something else and he said no, that he wanted the wild boar. Like how we might have to decide where to go and say our group takes a vote I will vote for what I am interested in to make my trip more enjoyable. I also learned that we will have to do a lot of walking everyday but in the end it will all be worth it and we will just have to fight through it. Like when Asterix was send to got up and down the stairs and from window from window but he did it all and won in the end. And what I think the biggest thing I learned will be what it was like to live there back then compared to now. It shows the major progress and how it happened which will allow me to appreciate what I have more.
All very good points, Graham. So speak up now – what do you want to see most?
I agree Graham our trip would be a lot better if we spoke up for what we wanted to do it would make the trip more interesting.
Before watching the two cartoons that I watched (Asterix the Gaul and the Twelve Tasks of Asterix) I was kind of thinking that I wouldn’t like them because cartoons aren’t really something I like and I wouldn’t just watch one if it was on t.v unless it was something my brother put on. However, I think that the first Asterix cartoon I watched which was Asterix the Gaul was actually kind of good and in times I actually found myself laughing while watching it. One thing I learned about real history while watching Asterix the Gaul was that even though the Roman’s kept pushing to have the Gaul’s village under control that the Gaul’s would not let down and they always had some kind of comeback to keep their village. This is going to impact my trip because it is going to remind me that France along with the other places that we visit is not just going to be a bunch of beautiful sights but most likely at some point those places had to fight and stand up for their town, country, city to have what they have now. Another thing I learned from Asterix the Gaul about real history is that the Romans where trying to overthrow Julius Caesar. I heard that this happened a lot, villages wanting to overthrow their leader for another one or wanting to overthrow another villages leader. Finally the last thing I learned from Asterix the Gaul was that during fights/wars there was often a lot of trickery. Asterix uses multiple tricks on the Romans throughout the story to try and better the Gaul’s and to help out the Gaul’s. There was a lot of fighting in France and the other places we will visit and that will make me appreciate this trip a lot more because maybe without that fighting we might not be able to travel there and I may not have gotten the opportunity to see these places. The second cartoon I watched was The Twelve Tasks of Asterix. I didn’t find this one as entertaining as the first one I watched. I did enjoy it and it was funny but I just preferred the first cartoon I watched more than this one. Three things I learned from this cartoon was that they would have to prove themselves to show a point and sometimes word wasn’t good enough for some people, sometimes other villages were often surprised of certain things because they aren’t what meets the eye, and the Gaul’s did they’re best to prove to the Roman’s that they are gods and that they are able to take control of the Roman Empire. The Roman’s didn’t believe the word of the Gaul’s so they made the Gaul’s prove to them that they are the equivalent of gods. Also to the Roman’s they thought the Gaul’s might be just some kind of joke but when in reality the Gaul’s are very strong and they have a lot up they’re sleeves. This is going to impact my trip because it will show me that even the smallest of things i see on our trip might be quite extraordinary. Finally, The Gaul’s worked with everything they had in them to prove a point to the Roman’s so they could take over the Roman Empire. This is true for many cases of history because often places had to give in their all even if it means sacrificing their life or just fighting with everything they have in them. In the end I found these cartoons fun to watch but also educational and a high impact for the trip next summer.
I like your point that France and the other places we will be visiting is not just another place with beautiful sights, they hold the history and memory of all those that fought to protect their home. I completely agree and will now see that in all the places we visit, especially if a battle took place there.
This month when I heard it was going to be a cartoon I was excited. The first thing I learned is, not to judge something by the way it looks. Asterix was smaller than most of the Gauls. He was the bravest and one of the most intelligent. With the magic spells help he was also one of the strongest. Another thing I learned is, that the Romans will follow their leader no matter what. When they were told to capture someone they did it. Even though they didn’t like most things, after being threatened to be eaten by lions they would do it. Finally, the last thing I learned was, instead of chicken or other animals we eat now they always ate wild boar which they caught in the woods.
What did you learn about history from the post and the other videos attached to it?
I agree Bryce you should judge someone by their height or the way they look. I think you had a good response. And I also liked that you added what they ate.
I watched The one about Cleopatra, I didn’t think I would like it at all really, because cartoons never really interested me. But it wasn’t as bad as I thought, some parts were really funny and I couldn’t help but laugh when Cleopatra kept breaking the vases because it reminded me a lot of my sister when she gets mad. I learned more about Egypt and the temples from watching the film, it was honestly really good.
The 2nd one I watched was Asterix conquers America and I loved this one the most. I loved how in the beginning they made a connections to the world being as flat as a pizza and Rome being anchovies, pizza is my favorite food and it made me so much more interested in the movie. I loved the little side jokes they made throughout the movie too. It made it so much more enjoyable to watch. I still can’t believe people back then thought the world was flat. I couldn’t even imagine it being flat really.
What did you learn about real history from the cartoons, the post, and the videos?
At first I thought I wouldn’t like it but it wasn’t that bad. I also learned that people have different jobs. And of course like a mayor, president, pope, prime minister or governor would have to make the big decisions. I think that people describe the people in the movie as mean warriors that are such savages. But they might not. My favorite movie was the one with Cleopatra and how the three people were there to build the palace.( sorry I didn’t but their names didn’t want to butcher them.) I also learned that I shouldn’t judge people but I sorta all ready knew that. I also liked the humor although I didn’t understand it.
What did you learn about actual history from the movies, the post, and the videos we embedded into it?
I watched the Cleopatra one and I liked it and I would agree with you Jeffrey. It was funny and I liked the way that three of the Gauls could build a whole palace but with the help of other Egyptians they got it done faster.
These cartoons were absolutely hillarious! They may not be accurate with the actual history, but they still expressed the main plot of the Roman Empire pretty well. What I learned from these cartoons was that both the Romans and Gauls had great strategies to capture each other. Im pretty sure they didn’t actually play musical chairs or develop a magical potion to become powerful, but their strategies must have been very strategic and clever. Because in the cartoons, the magic potion was very clever. Too bad it doesn’t exist in real life (sad face). I also learned that it wasn’t easy for the Gauls to win. They had to go through several obstacles and small little defeats with the Romans before they actually won. They never once gave up, and they kept trying until they won. The Gauls finally felt relieved and safe.
I could not stop laughing, especially during the first one, at obelix! It was funny how he was with his food and everything! “I can’t let this last chicken leg go to waste!”
What did you learn about actual history from the post and the videos?
I enjoyed these movies too. Do you think they should have incorporated more historical events?
To me, these cartoons weren’t too entertaining, but had those little bits of funny from time to time. Kind of like a bowl of Lucky Charms. I chose to view Asterix the Gaul, and The Twelve Tasks of Asterix. Within Asterix the Gaul, I learned about French humor quickly, shown by the names of some of the characters (Ex. Stopthemusix). Another note I made while watching this was the bitter rivalry between the Romans and Celtics. There were also small things such as the way they dressed. In The Twelve Tasks of Asterix, I found it interesting that they included Greek Myths in it, since Caesar mentions Heracles. It also showed how persistent Caesar was.
What did you learn about actual history from the post and the videos?
What did you learn about actual history from the post and the videos attached to it?
What about the post itself and the videos we attached to it? Did you learn anything of value there?
well for one I totally agree with your son and his explanation of Asterix and I learned that some of the Pines they use our tradition like some of the words they used are things that people in France find funny and use all the time
At first when I saw that we had to watch this cartoon movie, I thought it was gonna be not as good as the other movie we watched but during the movie I really started to get into it because I thought it was really cool how they made this war against the Romains and Gauls into a cartoon. I think it was funny when the Romains played musical chairs to see who would go spy on the Gauls, and when one of the soldiers lost they made him look like a Gaul and chain him up so Asterix would think that he was a Gaul in trouble. Everyone in the Gaul village was very good at running and being really strong because of the poshion one of the villagers made. I think it was really brave of Asterix for going into Romain territory just to get his friend and play a joke on the Romains. This movie taught me that no matter if your different from someone of have a different opinion or something you should always at least try to get along with that other person. I really liked the Frech humor in this movie and how all the characters were different, I think there voices we’re so funny because they seem so tough but had little kid voices.
What did you learn about actual history from the post and the other videos?
I learned that different people from different places can still get along if everyone treats each other with respect.
I liked the movie too. The names were funny.. I would be Casix & you Eastix! Inside all the humor there were a few things that I would enjoy seeing like the standing stones. The celebration at the end the way they all sat around the table and ate and drank, it looked like fun. The ballads would be interesting to hear… I bet there would be some very old ones that are still sang today.
I have watched 2 of the Astrix movies and I thought they were okay. In “Astrix the Gaul”, the gauls kept fooling the Romans to get one of their men back from being held prisoner. It showed how smart the Gauls were in beating the Romans. I also wonder about the Romans torturing people. I don’t think tickling a person foot with a feather would work very good.
In “Astrix and the 12 Tasks”, Astrix had to do 12 tasks in order to conquer Julius Ceasar. He had to do tasks much like Hercules, like running the fastest, javelin throws, and eating a huge meal. Astrix won and Ceasar went to live somewhere else. It was interesting to see people during this time thought some people were gods.
I know very little about France and its history. I am hoping to see how the Romans and how France became its own country. May be the museums will teach me about it. The art in the Louvre will also show what happened
Part of the assignment is to read the post and watch the other videos – we’d like you to do that so you know the basics of French history long before we get to France. You won’t learn French history from museums like the Louvre.
Going into this movie assignment, I was fairly confident that I would enjoy these cartoons, partially because I thought they looked interesting and also becuase if I didn’t then my dad might have had to disown me. The Asterix and Obelix comics were among his favorites as a kid, so needless to say he was very excited when I told him that we had to watch them this month! Ultimately, I really liked the satirical and humorous take that the cartoon has on this time period in history and how it provides a kind of alternate ending to what actually happened. I watched Asterix the Gaul and The Twelve Tasks of Asterix. I learned quite a bit about the history of this time period by watching these cartoons and reading the post.
I’m not a very strong history student, so I didn’t know anything about the conflict between the Gauls and the Romans. Therefore, the first thing that I learned from the post and videos especially was the overall story of this specific war. Up to this point, the most I had heard about it was a sentence in my seventh grade history textbook about how Caesar conquered Gaul in 55 BC. None of the information about things like Vercingetorix was included, which means that I would learn quite a bit of new information about this conflict in French history. The next thing I learned was that Gaul was actually a conglomeration of many different tribes as opposed to one continuous country. This influences my trip greatly, because it could give an explanation to the differences between the different parts of the country we will be visiting, for example the differences between Paris and Normandy. It also helps me better understand the regions of France and why the might specialize in specific trades. Finally, I learned that not all of the fighting was a battlefield with two armies charging at each other head on. Trickery and strategy were very much a part of French history as seen in the Battle of Alesia with Caesar’s wall and trench strategy as well as the clever trickery of Asterix in the cartoons. Often times we are taught that in the olden days, especially ancient times, everyone and everything was completely different in every regard. It is cartoons like Asterix which remind us that humans from every time period were people just like us, and they had the same emotions and personal dilemmas that we still have today. During my trip to France, I hope to remember that no matter how distant from the Gauls we seem, human experiences and emotions remain the same even over several thousand years.
Yay! Someone read the post and watched the other videos!!!
Personally, I’m not a big fan of cartoons or anything along those lines, but Asterix The Gaul was actually entertaining. It had a sense of humor but it still showed the main plot with the Romans pretty accurately. Throughout a lot of the clips I viewed the Roman characters in the cartoon appear very tough or harsh and in the history videos I viewed it was very similar. The things I learned were that just because someone can look physically weak doesn’t mean they are. Those characters, such as Asterix, could end up making a huge impact. Another element is that Cesaer wasn’t loved by all. He did things to make debate because he was really controlling. While watching the history videos I initially recognized the conflict with Cesaer. Finally, all the characters in Asterix The Gaul we unique with different personalities. That gave the element that each of the different characters have different strengths against the Romans.
What did you learn about actual history from the post and the other videos?
The Roman Legion did threaten their men by telling them they were going to be Fed to the Lions, no one wanted to volunteer. I did notice when Astrex did not have the power of the potion they were still fearful of him. His strength pass verbally from person to person. As history tells One person can make a difference.
From these cute Asterix cartooned movies, I’ve surprisingly noticed lots than I expected I would have. Going into them, I decided to keep an open mind. They may be a bit old which could be harder for others to watch which is the reason why I did so, and i was glad I did.
Over all I enjoyed to sit down and watch them, it made me chuckle a few times as well with it’s clever word play. Most importantly I watched for the history to try and get to understand it better. I love learning about history and how it could be interpreted in comical, animated ways such as this one! I’ve learned that the Roman Empire was very great at its time, and what I found interesting, was Julius Caesars character. Usually he is portrayed as a hero, yet in this cartoon he played as the villain/antagonist of the Celts, which is a pretty cool touch. I’ve also noticed the battle between the ‘Gauls’ and Romans in the cartoon were a bit inaccurate to history ((violence and magic wise)) but the tension between the two were well portrayed. To wrap it all up, they were enjoyable movies to see, also to have a glance at French humor. Honestly, watching these made me want to know a little more about Roman history, and history in general.This especially gets me excited for our next movie of the month with Joan of Arc!
What did you learn from the post and the other videos about actual history?
I watched Asterix the Gaul 1967 and The Twelve Tasks of Asterix 1976. I really enjoyed watching them, but I thought Asterix the Gaul 1967 was better. I thought both of them were funny when it came to everything. I liked how they crushed the Romans in battles so easily. Some of it wasn’t true like the potions and stuff, but some of it was like the Roman Empire conquering a lot of places. I really did enjoy because it was something different with other humor. I liked how they tricked the Romans in the first one with the hair and them playing musical chairs or being rewarded by going to the circus. In Asterix and the Twelve Tasks, I liked how the Romans tried to give them impossible tasks. It is really different then other cartoons like Spongebob or the Simpsons but I could see myself watching another one of the Asterix cartoons.
What did you learn from actual history from the post and other videos?
I agree Matt I think that the movies were interesting and I think that I could watch another one also.
I watched Asetrix The Gaul (1967) and I also watched Asterix and the 12 tasks of Asterix (1976). I really liked both of the cartoons but I really do not know
wich one I like better. I liked the cartoons because they were hilarious and how clever Asterix was. Asterix The Gaul (the first one) I liked because Asterix and was
really clever of what he did to the Romans. Another thing I thought was funny when Asterix took out a group of Romans alone a couple times. I liked in The 12 tasks of
Asterix how the Romans thought the Gauls were gods because of their strength. Another thing I liked was how one task was to get a permit and Asterix and his friend
(who I forgot his name) had to go all around one building following confusing instructions but later confusing every one else to get the permit 838. I really liked
watching Asterix the Gaul I think I will watch more.
What did you learn from actual history from the post and the other videos?
The Twelve Tasks Of Asterix showed me the importance of speaking up like when Asterix’s friend wanted to try wild boar. On the trip there are choices and some times people will go with what other people want even if they don’t want to do it, i know i have agreed with other people because i din’t want to be embarrassed. so on the trip i will say what i really want to do so that my experience can be more enjoyable. I thought that the cartoon was entertaining because it made learning fun. The cartoon also taught me that there will be some things on the trip that i don’t want to do like Asterix when he ran up and down the stairs but he still achieved his goal, so I will have to do everything on the trip to make it worth my time.
What did you learn from actual history from the post and the other videos?
I was not sure I would enjoy this cartoon, but when I got into it, I started to really enjoy it. I learned the story of the relationship between the Romans and the Gauls were with much more French and American humor. The concept is so interesting, a small but mighty Gaul named Asterix and a little old druid named Pnoramix trick an entire army and there leader just by stalling and trickery and he shows how your mind can be stronger than your physical body. I enjoyed many of the French humor and names and phrases that were featured in the cartoon. This cartoon teaches history and how one man can outwit and outplay an entire army and be set free by the their enemy’s leader Julius Caesar. As I was watching the video, because of Asterix’s helmet and mustache, I thought he looked like a baby Thor. I totally agree with your son. The post itself gives me good deeper information on the relationship between each side and the characters and the popularity of this cartoon. I also watched Asterix and Cleopatra and I love how that one portrays Asterix as a more developed character, I love how one of the Egyptians name is Crewcut and he had a crew-cut. I also laugh at the part where I see the spynx with it’s nose and I know that one of them was going to knock it off some how. I will be watching more of Asterix in the future.
Tell us what you learned about actual history from the other videos and the post.
I enjoyed the Asterix movies and I thought they were okay. I am not a huge fan of cartoons and they have always been a bit boring to me. I enjoyed the fact that it involved ancient Rome and it gave it a nice spin with the whole secret potion thing. I watched Asterix the movie and The Twelve Tasks of Asterix, both of them involving Rome. It did teach me some useful things for my trip in France.
The first thing the movies taught me is that I will have to be very organized on my trip. In the Twelve Tasks of Asterix there is a part where Asterix needs to retrieve a document from a very disorganized building. He eventually gets it, but the buildings goes into chaos. If I want to avoid this on my trip I will have to be very organized.
The second thing I learned is that winners write history. What I mean is that when I learned about Caesar he seemed like a hero However, when I watched these movies he seemed like a villain. It will definitely be something I keep in mind on our trip.
Finally I learned that just because something doesn’t look appealing it might be good. Some of the things that we will see on the trip I not that interested on but it might actually be fun. Kind of like how the Romans thought Astrerix was a joke but he actually beat them. I think these things will help make my experience more enjoyable.
How did what you learned from the cartoons compare to what you saw in the other videos?
When I saw that we were watching a cartoon this month I wasn’t very excited because normally I don’t enjoy cartoons, but these were pretty cool. I think I enjoyed these because of the fact that they are French cartoons and they were different. Throughout the movies, I made connections that I had learned in real life about some of the characters like the Romans and Julius Caeser. Just like I had learned in school, the Romans obeyed their leaders even if they knew the plan that he had would fall through. Also, Caeser wasn’t a very nice person and he was disliked by many people. My favorite character in the movies was Asterix because when you watch one of the movies for the first time, he doesn’t seem like the type of character that would be the overall hero that saves the day but he is, his character is small but powerful and something I learned from him is not to make assumptions about something you know nothing about. I think these movies can help prepare me for my trip because I now have some knowledge of what French humor is like and I think that might be helpful!
What did you learn about real history?
I watched Asterix the Gaul and Asterix conquers America. To be honest I am not a big fan of cartoons, so it was hard for me to get through these movies. I dislike the original cartoon more because it had more childish humor that I did not enjoy and I feel it did not show much of the actual history of how they lived during that time. It focused too much on a magical potion that did not exist, a potion that made the Gauls look weak. I realize that is to make it more entertaining and humorous but I did not enjoy it. I enjoyed Asterix conquers America better because the story line got better, they had more background on some of the characters, the animations and voices got better and the humor was more mature. But most of all from Asterix conquers America, there was more history, they showed a village in which the Gauls lived in, it took us to Rome to show how the Romans lived and it showed how they used to think in those times when they thought that the world was flat and it would just end. These cartoons, although in a humorous way, gave some history during the time when Caesar and the Romans were conquering Europe. The cartoons show how the Romans tried to conquer Gaul but the Gauls were actually a match for the Romans and put up a fighting chance. One of the biggest battles between the Gauls and Romans was the Battle of Alesia. Caesar had to conquer Alesia from the Gauls in order to hold his empire. The Romans would do anything it takes for Caesar while the Gauls were just fighting for their home. The cartoons depict France in a positive way because they show how the Gauls were able to fight off the Romans and take back their homeland. After watching more videos on the history of the Romans and the Gauls I now understand that the Romans were so strong and unbeatable that when the Gauls were actually able to hold them off, there had to be something they were using to get ahead, something to make them stronger. In the cartoons they show that the Gauls are able to defeat the Romans because they take a potion that makes them stronger, but when they run out if it, they get defeated by the Romans. In my opinion, this makes the Gauls look weak, so I do not understand why this would be favorable for the French. I also learned how people used to think during that time. For example, in Asterix conquers America, they think that the world is flat and that if you sail too far you will just fall off. I’m guessing they thought this because people would go out to sea to explore and then never come back because their ship capsized and then they were too afraid to try it anymore that they came to the conclusion that the ships fell off the world. Lastly, I learned from the cartoons how people lived back in those times. Not just what they lived in or what they ate, but how there were rulers that had a lot of control over the people they ruled, like Caesar in Rome. The Gauls though worked more together and cared about one another. All the cultures during the time of Roman rule probably had a big impact on the culture of France now that we will see. I hope to see part of the history in these cartoons on our trip.
I thought that the cartoons were interesting with the magic potions and the story behind why they were using the magic potions. The names of the Gauls were interesting also, like Stopthemusix, Tonabrix, Panoramix, Obelix, and Asterix. Also the cartoons had a good story like how the Romans were always against the Gauls but the Gauls always beat the Romans because they have the magic potion.
What did you learn about the real history of the Gauls from the post and the other videos?
When I first read Asterix the Gaul comic book I thought it was going to be a good read and it looked creative. I was right it was, so I hoping the cartoon would be good too. To be honest, because I did my book report on the comic book with the same title, I learned more by doing the research on that. I didn’t realize that the movie was the same as the book so I got to enjoy the cartoon. It’s funny how things are different in your head ( in reading) as opposed to seeing it and hearing it (as in movies). I did not think Asterix’s voice sounded that high pitched. It was funny to me. I never knew that the Romans did that much harm to other people. They took over so much land forcing the Gauls to follow the Roman ways. I learned that the Gauls originated from the areas of France, Belgium and Luxembourg.
After watching the cartoon it did make me think that French humor is quirky and not that funny. They were laughing at things I did not think was humorous. When we are in France I will respect their culture and try to find the humor they see. I think I will watch some of the other cartoons as well. They looked interesting. Maybe I can start trying to find what the French find humorous.
I enjoyed this film! I thought it was hilarious. To be honest I didn’t think I was going to like it because of the cover but I ended up really loving it. I am usually not a fan of cartoons and these types of movies but I genially enjoyed it and made me laugh. It was adventurous when they did the missions. It was also adventurous fighting against the Romans. I loved how it made me think about there jokes and what they were trying to say. I learned not to judge things and people by the way they looked because you can end up doing something great line how asterix became the hero.
What did you learn from the videos/post about real history?
I really enjoyed watching these cartoons! I watched the specific cartoons Asterix vs. Caesar and Asterix at the Olympic Games. Unlike many of the cartoons that are popular here in the United States, these cartoons are based somewhat off of historical events. This aspect made the cartoon a little bit more interesting because by watching the films, I got a chance to see even more than the cultural aspects of France. Although the films weren’t extremely informative, what I did learn will for sure come in handy as we travel to France. For example, I had never even heard of Gaul and its people before watching the films. (You can probably already tell, history isn’t exactly my strength…) Yet just by watching the cartoons, I was able to come to a basic understanding of the relationship between Rome and Gaul. At first I was extremely confused and had no idea why Rome wouldn’t be able to conquer Gaul, for the first few battles. Yet after watching the movies, I did some basic research and found out that Gaul couldn’t be conquered because of it’s many small armies. The movie and my research gave me a lot of insight on the battle strategies and the relationships of the different countries and regions within the area. There was a lot more tension between the regions than I had originally thought. In the movies, even Caesar’s point of view was explained. Although these “regions” are not really enforced anymore, it is still a very big part of France’s history, and I know that this information will be found useful in seeing many of the historical parts of Paris. Another thing that I observed was the amount of power that one person truly had in the ruling of such a large group of people. Caesar had so much power over so many regions and he could do pretty much anything he wanted, (Or at least he could in the cartoons). I found this interesting, because even though this way of ruling is no longer applicable, it was a large portion of the area’s past and made it the way it currently stands.
Asterix the Gaul and his tales are very different from heroic stories I’ve heard. I’m used to advanced technology being used to defeat the enemy or the story taking place in modern time. Asterix the Gaul took place over 2000 years ago. I enjoyed these stories because of this unique trait. I’ve learned from the movies that the Romans are kind of greedy. they did whatever they could to take over Asterix’s tribe. They sent spies, soldiers, and held hostages to get that small piece of land. I also learned that France and the countries surrounding that it is made up of many different cultures. In one of the videos posted it said there was 15-20 million people leaving in Gaul during the time when Asterix took place. Then they went to say that these people were split up into small tribes. Knowing this fact could maybe help understand the different cultures throughout France better. Lastly, I learned that the Gauls would join tribes and fight the Romans. Their battle plan was not very organized however. they just winged it which turned out good sometimes and sometimes bad. Overall I enjoyed Asterix the Gaul stories and learned a few things from the movies.
Watching this movie I was exited to see the way that the history was interpreted. Personally I’ve always loved learning about any type of history, and all these movies were such a cool way to show what happened in an interesting way. The first Asterix the Gaul movie was about Asterix’s small village that was being attacked by Roman soilders. While learning about what happens inside of the Roman camp you see that the leader wanted to become the Roman emperor. Before this I had always thought that all Roman citizens and soilders were happy the way things were and wanted to keep things the same. Another thing I liked about this moive that it was able to include a lot of humor and puns into situations that don’t seem like a good place for them, but they fit perfetly. I honestly thought these are great movies and I would love to watch them again.
It was entertaining… although I did read the book first. I did enjoy the puns with all their names, it made me laugh. I think the Gauls were very brave, standing up together against the Roman Legion. The legion seemed fearful of their own leaders, no one wanted to volunteer or risk being “Fed to the Lions”. I am looking forward to hopefully seeing in person the standing stones. It would be entertaining to listen to some of the ballads and see if they still dance the same, “pull your partners mustache” lol.
What did you learn about actual history?
I honestly have heard of Caesar many times, I thought he was a hero to Rome. What I have learned from the attached videos is what a monster he actually was to the Gauls, Germany and anyone he considered an enemy. He wrote what he wanted people to believe he was a hero but slaughtered thousands of people. He wanted people to fear him, to fear what he was capable of.
At first I was intrigued by something so famous that I had never heard about. When I learned more about it, I thought I wouldn’t like it because personally I never took interest into small events in history but as I watched the Asterix films I enjoyed them because of how intense the rivalry was between the Romans and the Gauls. I also liked it because of the humor in the films. I learned that Caesar was not always the good guy. This will help me during my trip because it makes me curious to know all sides of history instead of just one. For example what do other countries say about WW I and WW II. I also learned that it is important to stay alert. This will help during the trip because you never know what could happen in a country you have never been to before. Another thing I learned form the films is that history is important. Without history we could always make the same mistakes again and again. On the trip knowing more about the history of the places we visit can help us understand how they learned form their mistakes.
What did you learn about actual history from this assignment?
I watched Asterix conquers America also, but I didn’t reall like it that much..the jokes were okay but I do agree how it is weird to think that they thought the world was so flat. I couldn’t imagine being flat either.
Tell us what you learned from the other videos and the post about actual history.
Looking at other people’s comments I was surprised to see that many people didn’t think they would like this movie due to the cover. I thought it was going to be interesting because it’s a cartoon which is different! One of the first things I noticed in less than a minute into the movie is Asterix’s helmet. His helmet has two wings coming up from the sides and that reminded me of Hermes the Wayfinder in Greek/Roman mythology. Which kind of raised an eyebrow for me because I wondered if the Romans pushed what they believed on the Celts when they invaded them, or if the Celts just adopted some of the Roman beliefs on their own. The movie states that there was a village in which the Romans did not take over, and there were soldiers lurking right outside their “walls”. That small scene gave me the idea that the Romans were persistent in their attempts to take over the land. However, this village had warriors that defended their area well. One of the reasons I think the Romans weren’t able to take over this little spot (in the movie at least) is because they were reluctant to go and fight while the Gauls were thrilled to do so. The attitude difference between the two groups was immense. The Romans were hostile toward each other while the Gauls were caring and uplifting. They all worked together to improve their village as a whole. And that attitude is how I believe they were able to stray from being conquered. This movie gave me insight on the roman takeover which is definitely important to the history of the countries we will be visiting. Not only did it educate me on the topic, but it made me laugh because I think puns are hilarious. SpongeBob may have taught me photosynthesis, but Asterix the Gaul gave far more information.
I really enjoyed these cartoons. I enjoyed them because even though I was learning about things in history, they weren’t boring. I think incorporating heroic traits and history made the movies pretty interesting. I watched the movies “Asterix and Cleopatra” and “The Twelve Task of Asterix”. First, I learned that people a long time ago had to work so much harder to build buildings than we do now. Today we have a bunch of machines that makes the job pretty easy. Back then almost everything was built by hand or simple and natural tools. By knowing this makes me have a great appreciation for all of the buildings that are old and how long it took for people to make it. Secondly, I learned that in history having lots of gold was a sign of wealth and it was what everyone wanted. By having lots of gold you were respected in society more. By knowing this, I will understand how older building tend to have gold or a gold color in the building design and ceilings. This shows what time the building was built around and the kind of lifestyle/society they lived in which will make me gain a lot of knowledge about the building just by looking at it. Lastly, I learned that there was a lot of battling over things that we wouldn’t normally have a war over. For example: Julius Caesar was always jealous of Cleopatra’s wealth and royalty in the movie and wanted to stop her from having more than him. People would battle to see who was better and wealthier, they hated being less than someone else. So they thought battling with weapons would put them in a higher place than the opponent. By knowing this I can better understand art that was based upon battles or art that was based upon people of wealth a long time ago because chances are they fought a small battle to show that they are better than everyone else. By knowing more about these painting, I learn more and understand art like ceiling paintings, paintings, sculptures, etc. which we will see a lot of in The Louvre. This makes the art more meaningful. Overall, I really enjoyed these movies and the post, I learned a lot.
I thought that the movies were very informational/ exciting. I was impressed by theses movies because history actually made sense to me. By watching these movies you can totally tell that there is a rivalry between the Romans and the Gauls. My favorite movie would have to be Asterix the Gaul in 1967 . Ceaser had to assume to be the other side to spy on the Gauls. Another thing that I found cool about this movie was, this wizard that knows how to create magic potions and he would give the potions to Asterix and his men. The movies are very exciting and cool, I wish that we can go back to ceasers time.
The two movies I watched were Asterix the Gaul and Asterux Versus Caesar, which appears to be the common pair of videos chosen. While watching the videos, it took me quite a while to understand where the history was going. But after watching the videos and then re-reading the article itself, it became obvious that these were about the Roman Empire and its cruelty. This brings me to a new point of curiosity. I understand this is a weird one, but I believe this will better my experience because I want to learn more about the Roman torture techniques. In Asterix the Gaul, when the Druid was being tortured with a feather, I was anticipating a more devious torturing method. When Asterix was threatened of being tortured, they brought real torturing devices but never used them on him. So I’d like to learn more about those tools and see what they did in action. Like I said previously, it’s a weird one haha 🙂
A few of us actually got to go into a Medieval Torture Museum in Heidelberg, Germany on the first TAP trip – 10 years ago. It was a pretty messed up place, but interesting in its own twisted way.
What did you learn about history from these cartoons, the post, or the other videos?
In this movie I learned to not judge a book by its cover. Look at Asterix he was a tiny guy but he sure knew what he was doing. Most of the time history is not illustrated in a humorous way, but Asterix The Gaul made it fun to learn history. Every character had a different personality and different features, almost like the human world today. The character who surprised me was Julius Cesar, normally he is a man looked at with bravery and courage but in this movie he played the antagonist. I did not know nor did I understand why the Gauls and the Roman were going against each other. Before watching this movie I did not realize how strong and beneficial the Roman Empire actually was. All of the Gauls were very inspiring going head to head with there enemies that definitely out numbered them. My aunt and I enjoyed this historical cartoon very much. I for sure learned a lot more that I did watching Sponge Bob when i was growing up.
What did you take away from this assignment in regards to real history?
I watched Asterix the Gaul and Asterix and Cleopatra. I really enjoyed them both! Going into it, I wasn’t sure if I would like the cartoons or not, but they were really good. My family and I loved the music that played throughout the cartoon. My parents told me it was funny hearing all of the music in the other room, and they laughed every time they heard it. I liked the different characters in the cartoon as well. The main characters were both similar and different personality-wise, which I think is why they got along so well. I also liked the history in the cartoons, because ancient history is my favorite thing to learn. Obviously the cartoon wasn’t all historically accurate. There is no potion that makes you stronger, and one man can’t defeat an entire army by himself. Although in Asterix the Gaul, there were some things that were true in history. The Roman army did try to take over and rule as much land as possible. They had a huge army that made many people fear them. Also, while Caesar ruled, many people wanted to take his place and tried to overthrow him. In Asterix and Cleopatra there were some things that were historically accurate as well. The slaves built the temples and worked in horrible conditions. Also, in the cartoon they showed real places in Egypt like the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. No, the cartoons weren’t 100% accurate, but they gave us a good idea of what was going on around that time in history.
I watched Asterix conquers America and Asterix and Cleopatra 1968. The thing I like most about these cartoons was the humor. Often I like to watch things when there is humor and funny jokes involved. I learned about the hardships of ancient Egypt. Another thing I learned was all of their pyramids were hand built, they also built a lot of other buildings by man. I can’t imagine how long that will take. I would hate to be one of those men building those pyramids. Lastly I learned that they didn’t have money in ancient Egypt, so they would use a barter system. I feel like knowing that the Eiffel Tower was also man built, makes it more special then it already is.
Surprisedly I didn’t mind this cartoon at all, it was a simple story with a convincing and entertaining result that I enjoyed. I will admit that I often don’t get jokes and puns right away but I was determined to in this case. So I went back and re-watched it and really caught a lot more to this animation. I also really enjoyed the simple yet entertaining material of the movie, for example all throughout the movie there was a story intended to be set, another point of view of Caesar & Romans against the Gauls, yet at the same time there were the funny and sweet enjoyable moments, like when the Asterix Obelix, and Getafix dance and sing with the tribe. The only critic I have is at the very end it kinda seemed maybe a little too much that the village was abducted by the Romans and their village was burned. I think they should have maybe extended it a little instead of what seemed like to me, cutting it short.
I learned that the while the Romans were on a conquest for land they met a group of people called Gauls. The Gauls had been rallied by a leader called Vercingetorix who lead them to defy form them being taken over. This war was called the Gallic war. The Gauls got early victories but were still defeated by Julius Caesar. In the video of the Gallic war it aid that Caesar had a tough time fighting the Gauls because he had to fight many little armies. It also says with each battle he became more and more ruthless which makes him seem not so perfect and pure. The video changed my view over Caesar and made me curious to look at both sides to a tale instead of just one
When I first watched the movie, Asterix Versus Caesar, I was very skeptical about the movie. But after getting into it, I found out some parts of the movie where actually quite funny. Especially when they made the Romans look like people who can’t do anything right. I noticed how some of the characters where very different from eachother.
After I watched the movie and read the post, I think I may of learned more from the stort movie of the Gallic Wars then the actual movie movie. I learned there was a place and people called Gauls that Caesar had a problem handling. Or that Rome was sacked by them hundreds of years before. I thought it was justa name that the movie producers created for the movie. I also didn’t know that Caesar had to defeat hundreds of little armies and not just one big one of the Gauls. Caesar was very, very ruthless to that by saying: Accept Rome’s friendship or terror. Another thing I learned was just how ruthless Caesar really was. He killed entire villages is to make an example of those people who do not accept Rome’s rule. He also probably wasn’t a very good war general since he left mostly heroic war stories to strengthen his reputation. He actually wrote them himself. One more thing I learned was that the Romans slaughtered everyone and even built a bridge and killed over 4,000 Germans just to prove he could still get to them and the river separating them was no problem. He even killed over 40,000 Gauls just because they were being stubborn. Not only did it fuel the Gauls anger but push them to win more wars against Caesar.
(sorry for doing this late, honors work kept me very busy)
okay, so im a HUGE cartoon fan. as a result, these movies were right up my alley. i watched asterix the gaul and asterix in britain. i really liked the characters. while watching the movies, i thought the character’s names were hilarious! however, sometimes they were talking too fast to pick up the names and their humor. also, the action in the movies reminded me a lot of tom and jerry, which probably helped gain a younger audience. little kids seem to love cartoon characters punching each other silly. overall, though, the movies were amazing and very funny.
the plots of these movies were interesting as well. a small city resisting capture by the roman empire. during the time these movies took place, rome was a thriving empire that could conquer anyone who came in it’s way. it’s very humorous that a huge empire can’t conquer a tiny village, and even fears the villagers.
also, it was interesting to learn that asterix was of the celtic people. if i remember correctly, we learned about the celts in your 6th grade english class. while watching the movies, some of my knowledge on the celtic people really helped fill in the culture gaps that i didn’t quite understand.
My first impression of Asterix the Gaul and Asterix Conquers America was that it was entertaining us and giving a little amount of history throughout the movie. Some of the history that I learned from the movie and the post was that Asterix the Gaul is from Gaul, a region of France in ancient times, the Gauls were actually Celts. The Celts were tribes of semi-related people living in northern Europe 2,000-3,000 years ago, during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Something that I learned that will better my experience in France is that everything has history behind it.
I honestly didn’t want to watch this show/movie because I am not a really big fan of animation, but after watching this is wasn’t bad at all. The beginning was a little slow but in a matter of no time I was hooked. I really liked this movie because it told history and entertained a lot. I really wished I watched these cartoons when I was a kid instead of like Sponge Bob which just rots the brain, because I could of totally learned a lot more things at a younger age. The three things that I learned that will benefit my trip are, the cartoons over there, the history of rivals, and I learned so much about Caesar. I think learning about the cartoons will definitely make my trip better because I know what kind of shows they grew up watching. Compared to us in the U.S.. Maybe that will play a role on how they act compared to us. The rivals of the different countries there will make me more knowledgeable about the different countries they have came in war with. Lastly, I learned so much more about Caesar and how ruthless he was and so easy going about killing so much people. He was a big part of their history and its good to know about the countries history as much as possible.
Very, very sorry on how late I am.