Spring Break
Eco-friendly Earth will dazzle but overwhelm
Issue date: 4/30/09
Nature is truly astounding. When one sees Earth, the new feature-length version of the BBC's acclaimed series Planet Earth, such thoughts are the first to come to mind. After beginning with remarkable shots of the Earth taken from space, the film continues to showcase the planet and its inhabitants in all their glory.
Alas, if only that is all the movie tried to accomplish. As with any environmental film, it feels obligated to serve as both a phenomenal visual showcase and a public service announcement. Global warming is a very real threat, and the filmmakers, Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, won't let anyone within 10 miles of their movie forget it. Not-so-subtle references and a constant focus on climate change inundate the viewer with eco-friendly information; After a while, one loses interest in the stunning visuals and can only hear the incessant references to the importance of keeping this world healthy.
Before we get to that point though, there is plenty of footage to keep us satisfied. The film, beginning at the North Pole and working its way to the South Pole, follows several families of animals on their seasonal migrations. The first scenes showcase the Arctic during winter, a visual masterpiece of sparkling ice and mountains of frost. Enter two young polar bear cubs and their mother, who have emerged from their den for the first time in months. The cubs can hardly walk, and the first few moments of the film - in which the pair attempt to follow their mother down a slope - are truly adorable.
Next we see footage of caribou, traveling across the plains of North America. Stalking these unsuspecting creatures is a group of wolves, one of which begins to chase a young caribou. Inevitably, the wolf catches its prey, and instantly the film loses any semblance of innocence. Throughout the rest of the film, death and suffering in the animal kingdom are recurring motifs. A family of elephants is stalked by a lion pack, leading to multiple elephants being turned into dinner. A great white shark envelops a baby seal in its jaws. The father of the aforementioned polar bears swims in search of food for days, just to unsuccessfully attack a group of walrus. As a result, even witnessing an animal not being eaten leads the viewer to feel sorrowful. Nature is gruesome, and not even a Disney-produced film such as this will hide that fact.
Alas, if only that is all the movie tried to accomplish. As with any environmental film, it feels obligated to serve as both a phenomenal visual showcase and a public service announcement. Global warming is a very real threat, and the filmmakers, Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, won't let anyone within 10 miles of their movie forget it. Not-so-subtle references and a constant focus on climate change inundate the viewer with eco-friendly information; After a while, one loses interest in the stunning visuals and can only hear the incessant references to the importance of keeping this world healthy.
Before we get to that point though, there is plenty of footage to keep us satisfied. The film, beginning at the North Pole and working its way to the South Pole, follows several families of animals on their seasonal migrations. The first scenes showcase the Arctic during winter, a visual masterpiece of sparkling ice and mountains of frost. Enter two young polar bear cubs and their mother, who have emerged from their den for the first time in months. The cubs can hardly walk, and the first few moments of the film - in which the pair attempt to follow their mother down a slope - are truly adorable.
Next we see footage of caribou, traveling across the plains of North America. Stalking these unsuspecting creatures is a group of wolves, one of which begins to chase a young caribou. Inevitably, the wolf catches its prey, and instantly the film loses any semblance of innocence. Throughout the rest of the film, death and suffering in the animal kingdom are recurring motifs. A family of elephants is stalked by a lion pack, leading to multiple elephants being turned into dinner. A great white shark envelops a baby seal in its jaws. The father of the aforementioned polar bears swims in search of food for days, just to unsuccessfully attack a group of walrus. As a result, even witnessing an animal not being eaten leads the viewer to feel sorrowful. Nature is gruesome, and not even a Disney-produced film such as this will hide that fact.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Maria Simon
posted 8/04/09 @ 1:28 AM EST
I love to see nature at its best! awesome. I'd like to share a "going green" graphic with you. I hope it brings a smile to someones face.
http://www. (Continued…)
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