I’ve been a fan of the emperor penguin since I did a report on them for a marine biology class I took in high school, so Randy and I went to see “March of the Penguins” last night. Not surprisingly, we were the only people in our town of 5,000 watching a 7:00 p.m. show of a documentary on the evening of the first day back to school. It was nice in some ways as were able to carry on a conversation although it felt so foreign to speak while in a movie theatre, mostly we whispered to one another.
The documentary is a lovely film highlighting the communal and monogamous culture of the penguins. Morgan Freeman narrates the American version of the film which melds nicely with the mellifluous music by Alex Wurman. The harsh conditions of Antarctica look majestic and awe inspiring and it is amazing to realize that these birds brave the extreme weather on the ice for several months a year by huddling together for warmth and without any food. The “love story” aspect of the mating and domestic life of the penguins that is highlighted by the narration is a bit syrupy sweet although one can’t help but be moved when a mother penguin cries out when she realizes that her chick has died from exposure. Although the anthropomorphizing of the penguins in the film’s narration is a little too heavy-handed, one can still take a lesson on determination and self-sacrifice from these dignified-looking birds .
I’m looking forward to the “extras” that I hope will be on the DVD release. The filmmakers spent a year on Antarctica to record this documentary. More about their firsthand experiences in the bitter conditions as well as personal insights would be fascinating.
You can see some clips and stills from the film at its official website or better yet, go and see “March of the Penguins” on the big screen in your local theatre. The only thing that would have been better is if they had filmed it for IMAX.