Winged Migration

Winged Migration
by Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzaud, Michel Debats

Our Price: $33.74
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: DVD
See more DVD details

DVD details

DVD Reviews of Winged Migration

DVD Review: (3 1/2) Amazing Cineamatography- A Stunningly Beautiful Film
Summary: 4 Stars

This is more than just a film with spectacular footage of birds in flight; it is also a nature film that illustrates the harshness of life and the difficulty of survival for these creatures. Of course, there is the arduous nature of the migration itself, but also the difficulty of gathering sufficient food, the danger of predators (especially of the injured and the young), and even spectacular footage of a natural disaster (an Himalayan avalanche). There are also shots of the harm inflicted by humans - birds caught in industrial pollution, birds trapped for sale, and birds in flight shot by hunters as their formations pass overhead. Thus, despite its beauty this is not a film for the sqeamish. ( Interestingly, man's influence is also shown to be beneficial at times, as when a freighter is used as a resting place for some exhausted birds far from land during their migration to the Antarctic summer. )

There is occasional narration by Perrin (in English but heavily accented) and some brief descriptive subtitles regarding the species being viewed and their migratory routes, but the film is almost entirely a visual experience broken only by the sounds of the birds and the noises of their habitat. It is very moving, and the beginning and final scenes have a wonderful symmetry. To fully appreciate the artistry of this film and feel at one with the birds you preferably should see it in a theater on a large screen or at least in a totally darkened room with no distractions on a very large screen TV. This is not a movie to be watched casually while involved in other activities.

With such glowing words of praise, why not an unreservedly enthusiastic five star rating? For several reasons - first, I felt that the film would have benefitted greatly if more information concerning what we were watching had been presented to the viewers. The use of more extensive subtitles could have done this very unobtrusively. Second, to the extent posssible it would have been more interesting if it contained a better balance between examples of the larger birds which dominated the film and other species. (Maybe they found this too technically challenging.) Third,it would have been very educational without detracting from the exoerience if there had been some explanation of the techiques used and a chance for the theatergoers to actually see some of the equipment used. (I.e., let us go watch some of the filming itself. Of course, this could be included on a DVD, but this is a documentary and if presented at the start of the film would have enhanced our experience while viewing it.) It would have also addressed my final observation - that paradoxically I felt that the film was both too long and too short. It is approximately ninety minutes in length; after about an hour some of the footage started to seem repetitive. And yet when it concluded I felt that I wanted to know more and there were aspects of this incredible endeavor that were left uncovered. Thus, an introductory background which included some of the footage seen later in the film would have relieved some of the monotony which I began to experience near the conclusion. Also, my personal criteria for a five star rating include a desire to see the film multiple times and probably own the DVD, and those criteria are not met in this case. So, if the subject matter appeals to you, I highly recommend this film but it is definitely for a limited audience.

Description of Winged Migration