The Romantic Spirit

Episode Titles

The series begins with "The Romantic Explosion," directed by Jean-Louis Fournier, where Anthony Andrews highlights writers and painters from the 18th- and 19th-century Romantic Movement. In "Blood, Sea & Sand," directed by Michel Pamart, works by Delacroix, Turner, and Goya show Romanticism in nature. "Paradise Lost," directed by Jean-Louis Fournier, uses poems by Wordsworth and Goethe to explore wild, pure nature as a symbol of freedom. "The Romantic Hero," directed by Michel Pamart, focuses on poets Byron and Chateaubriand to illustrate the Romantic ideal of the poet as hero.

"The Romantic Journey," directed by Bernard Guillon, features readings from Goethe's 'Faust' to convey the Romantic view of life as a voyage of discovery. "Battle of the Stage," directed by Jean-Louis Fournier, uses plays by Schiller and Kleist to present the Romantic hero as a renegade. "Night," directed by Daniel Lander, examines how dreams shaped Romantic artists. "Triumph of Death," directed by Jean-Louis Fournier, looks at the influence of death's 'art' on Romantic writers.

"The Golden Age," directed by Hans S. Lampe, draws on works by Blake and Keats to express the Romantic longing for a return to a free, peaceful 'Golden Age.' "Music of the Soul," directed by Patrick Meunier, features music by Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, and Liszt to express deeper emotions. "Romantic Women," directed by Jochen Richter, includes female writers such as Mary Shelley, Karoline von Günderrode, the Brontë sisters, and George Sand. "Victor Hugo & The Romantic Century," directed by Yvon Gerault, presents Victor Hugo as the embodiment of the Romantic era.

"The Triumph of Romanticism?," directed by Daniel Lander, depicts intellectuals clashing with aristocracy in Paris. The final episode, "The Romantic Heritage," directed by Jean-Louis Fournier, examines how 19th-century Romanticism influenced the 20th century.