Earth – Gorgeous and Moving Film from the BBC TV Documentary
Written: Apr 28 '09
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: Photography + surround sound = WOW
James Earl Jones' narration
Enlightens without preaching
Cons: Hated to see some of the animals suffer
The Bottom Line: Innovative photography brings together a film to help us better appreciate life on Earth
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| lindeisha's Full Review: Earth |
As an elementary teacher, I have seen the trend of teaching future generations about care for the Earth go from "pick up litter - don't be a litterbug" to "reduce carbon emissions - save the ozone layer." I was strongly influenced by the 70's commercial of a Native American (played by an Italian-American actor) shedding a tear over pollution. This film doesn't preach at all, but instead highlights the breath-taking beauties and devastating tragedies in the animal kingdom, mostly as four different animal "families" face the challenges of nature. The intent is pretty clear, though, that children and adults watching movies like Earth will be more strongly inspired to do more than just throw their Dorito bags in the trash can.
This production, which came out for Earth Day, 2009, was actually made from a $40 million plus BBC TV documentary series. But instead of the British version's Patrick Stewart, the American version, distributed by Disney Nature, is narrated by the authoritative James Earl Jones. The film begins with a global picture, with the narrator telling us that the Earth is tilted at just the right axis (23.5 degrees), which allows for the four seasons.
The Basics
But instead of just some pretty time lapse segments of blossoming flowers and changing seasons (although there are some of these), the impact from the movie Earth, comes mostly from the stark and contrasting conditions in the Arctic, in desert, in the oceans, over the Himalayas and the southern African savannah. First a mother polar bear brings her pups out of their underground den in search for food in the snowy wilderness. Next, we see the struggles of a group of elephants that travel wearily for weeks in search of water. After that, we meet a whale and her baby making a 4,000 mile migration through stormy seas to warmer waters. Finally, we see a group of cranes whose migratory path takes them through gusting frigid air over the Himalayan Mountains. There are a few other minor animal stories thrown in, mostly for comic relief - which are very welcomed after having your heartstrings tugged so hard - especially if children are watching.
The Photography
As a very visual person, I was mesmerized by the shots that these filmmakers got - without CGI. I've seen my share of "Animal Planet" shows, but the various perspectives here put the viewer at times right there with animal and at other times high in the sky with the luxury of seeing the bigger picture that the animal below could not see. For example, there is the polar bear in search of food, first padding over frozen ice, then swimming when the ice melts and finally coming onto land in the desperate attempt to hunt a walrus. I heard in an interview with the director on NPR that polar bears are one of the few animals that see humans as a good food source instead of just attacking when feeling threatened. And so, even with a good zoom lens, the filming was pretty dangerous. For the aerial shot of the cranes flying over the Himalayas, I learned that they had to use a Nepalese spy plane as neither helicopters or regular planes could do the job at that altitude. During the credits of the movie, there is a "making of" segment showing two guys flying around the savannah of Africa in what looks like a flying chair lifted by a small hot air balloon with large cameras underneath. Apparently this worked for them - that is besides their mishap of flying into the top of a tree.
My Overall Impression
This was more an experience than a movie, especially with the Dolby Surround Sound. As a nature lover and artsy person, I was fascinated and emotionally moved by the sheer beauty of Earth and how it contrasted with against-all-odds struggles of the different animals. For smaller children, the death scenes are not gruesome and the camera pulls away just in time to transition to a more pleasant scene. The narrator stresses that these animals are all a part of the circle of life. At the end of the movie, there is a kind of pleasant wrap-up showing the success of some of animal families that were being followed along with some awe-inspiring trips over some waterfalls and then over a green, fertile African delta that was previously dry and desolate.
I can't help, being a teacher, but to think of what is the lesson here. I think it is that humans are such a small portion of what consists as life on Earth, and yet we are so dismissive of our destructive affects. Getting the bigger picture hopefully helps us to see that we are not alone.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Family Movie
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Duration
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lindeisha
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Location: Maryland
Reviews written: 95
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About Me:
Loving life one second at a time
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