Fascinating Antarctic gem takes boring National Geographic genre into a new direction.
The opening shot of a biblical-like pilgrimage in a frozen backdrop acts as a prologue to worldly tale of tragedy, love and the fragility of life, and once documentary filmmaker Luc Jacquet tightens his zoom lenses viewers are sprayed with piercingly beautiful images of these tuxedo-wearing mammals. Much like the documentary Winged Migration, Jacquet’s The March of the Penguins brings viewers into an off-limits realm, one that obliterates the disturbing thoughts of replica-foamed glass tanks we find at aquariums and one that replicates the sort of life-struggle that all species on this planet encounter, including our very own.
In a timeline fashion, this begins an unfathomable trek which takes us to a specified safe house location where the black top hats embark on a curious social mating ritual and equally as interesting parental techniques that reverse the traditional roles of the most genders. Savage weather conditions show why the male penguins huddle together like a bunch of frat boys in a college dorm and once the storyline goes past egg incubation stage, and into little fur ball cuteness – one can’t help but savor the mind-blowing cinematographic intimacy. Hats off go to anyone with the balls in capturing such a difficult and tedious full one-year length annual congregation process.
Jacquet humanizes his tale by adding unnecessary narration in the form of a father/mother/son fairytale-like form to implore the thematics of the life struggle (Warner Independent Pictures will release their version with the soft voice of a Morgan Freeman) which is not essential since the sharp editing symbolically addresses those themes just with the choice in images. The pick of Emilie Simon’s score is a cumbersome yet original selection and with high drama, captivating images and a lot of heart The March of the Penguins is the sort of documentary film which shouldn’t be limited to an IMAX experience. By this journey’s end, you’ll have a hard time wiping that smirk off your face.
Viewed in original French (narrated) language.
