The empires of yesteryear have not disappeared: they threaten Europe today. An enlightening historical perspective on the imperialisms of the 20th century, but an analysis of the contemporary situation that unfortunately falls short of impartiality.
Rating: Bof
Author: Pierre Ancery Published on April 10, 2026 at 06:45
Stalin, Atatürk, Hitler, and Mao in the past. Putin, Xi, Modi, Erdogan, and Khamenei today. Their enemy: “the West,” whose values these new autocrats disdain. But does this designate the old Europe, divided and weakened? Or the United States, themselves transformed, under Trump’s second presidency, into a Caesar-like regime? One thing is certain: we thought the empires had vanished, but they were only hibernating. This is the thesis defended here by the essayist, publisher, and theologian Jean-François Colosimo. He first summarizes the history of 20th-century imperialism before meditating on the “neo-empires” of the 21st century.
From a historical standpoint, there are certainly some shortcuts and simplifications, but the film does a decent job in representing the major geopolitical movements that shook the last century. Its success is attributed to a choice of archival images that are often enlightening and a well-crafted commentary. However, when it comes to the contemporary context, some assertions in the film are questionable. Including Putin, Modi, etc., in the list of the “villains” of 2026, no one will contest this choice. But why not mention Netanyahu, for example? And what about illiberal tendencies within European countries, a topic that is never addressed here? The documentary, frankly apocalyptic, seems to adopt the idea of a besieged Europe, unable to see the threats looming from all sides. This narrative unfortunately leans more towards bias than journalistic clarity.
