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By Archive
from Salem Monthly, Section News
Posted on Sun Aug 14, 2005 at 01:10:23 PM PDT
Maybe I am just jaded. Maybe I am used to explosions and action and tense drama. Or maybe I just watched too many documentaries about penguins when I was growing up. For some reason or another, I did not find myself very stimulated by “March of the Penguins.” I may be alone, however.
The director of “March” is a French biologist who answered an ad and was told to “take some cameras and follow the damned birds around until they mate.” The birds, of course, were the emperor penguins and the place he was to film was Antarctica. This makes the film an amazing accomplishment in itself.
“March” follows the emperor penguins as they march to the center of the frozen continent to mate and lay eggs, then back to the ocean for food. Morgan Freeman provides friendly yet NOVA-like narration. The journey is indeed harrowing, but the telling seems more pedestrian, especially at the beginning of the film.
This is a family-friendly film to a tee. Not even the mating of penguins is fully shown, not to mention that the film cuts away before predators devour penguins which they have caught. It is the nature film many a protective mother has been waiting for. No images to disturb the little ones or make them ask questions. No brutally honest protrayals of the negative realities of life, even among the cutest of animals. My friends with kids will no doubt rush to see it, and for good reason.
The visuals in “March” are quite impressive. They remind me of what documentaries on public broadcasting used to look like, before cheap shows from cable networks and budget cuts lowered the quality of nature show production. Much of this, I am sure, is becaue it was shot on film. Also, it is a French film, and the French know how to make film beautiful. They have even been accused of focusing on visuals to the expense of story, and this may be true.
A hidden bonus for “March” is that it may make a very good date film. It focuses heavily on the bonding of the emporers and the extraordinary lengths they go to in the effort to continue their species. I was impressed with the fact that this species spends three quarters of each year mating. (And we think we give up a lot to have kids!) The film even calls itself a “love story.” And nothing is cuter than a baby penguin unless, of course, it is a penguin slipping on the ice and falling on his butt.
So, while I may have been a little bored by “March of the Penguins,” you may not be. The visuals and the sheer personality of penguins may be enough for you. You may even get the storyline. I, for one, will look forward to the DVD release of the French version. I heard the script was changed for the English version. Perhaps I will find the original more intriguing.
“March of the Penguins” opens August 5 at Salem Cinema. Visit www.salemcinema.com for details.
Aaron Kelly is an independent filmmaker, among other things. He actually likes nature films. His website can be found at mywebpage.netscape.com/aaronlkelly.
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