"They are extraordinarily like children, these little people of the Antarctic world, either like children, or like old men, full of their own importance and late for dinner, in their black tail-coats and white shirt-fronts — and rather portly withal." — Cherry-Garrard about penguins.

There seems to be three types of people watching television: those who immediately watch animal programs, those who immediately flick past animal programs, and those who immediately stop the channel on animal programs, then find themselves staying much longer than originally intended. I am one of the latter. Someone who has always been intrigued by the animal kingdom, especially being a Leo. And, I just so happen to be particularly enamored by the penguin.

So arriving just in time for all of your summer Emperor penguin fixes, the documentary March of the Penguins is a film that will entertain adults and children alike.

Exactly what story could form the framework for such documentary, you ask?

The olden tale of birth. New life. The fragile, thin line which separates life and death shapes the central dramatic theme. And with such a delicate balance within relentlessly harsh geography, the skills of mom and pop penguin certainly constitute a powerful emotional force which drives the film. Watching the father struggle to balance his child’s life on top of his feet is not only compelling drama, but also heart-wrenchingly devastating on occasion.

Like the beauty and almost unbelievable nature of creation/birth, March of the Penguins is a sight to behold with the seemingly impossible task faced by the mother and father penguin. Since birth and caring for the egg is such an arduous task, you understand why there are more female than male penguins. Something especially problematic during mating season.

If you expect an all encompassing documentary on the Emperor penguin, don’t. March of the Penguins is neither a grand documentary nor an all-encompassing National Geographic study, although they commendably and not surprisingly provide some financing of the film. French filmmaker Luc Jacquet exhibits his cinematography skills on Hans-Ulrich Schlumpf's Der Kongreß der Pinguine before this Americanized version.  March of the Penguins gives its viewers the old school type of documentary, a classically defined type of documentary done countless times with superb wildlife/ornithology photography.

The film offers a rare anthropomorphic glimpse into worlds unseen while a sparse, lyrical, voice-over (admirably and spartanly voiced by Morgan Freeman) explains the subtleties of this animal kingdom. When so little is known by the average person about the entire birth and mating process, I found myself wanting, even needing more insight into these unique birds - more legends, more voice-over.

But as a filmmaker and speaking in more academic terms, I understand this film is more an expository and observational mode of representation type of documentary, standing back and letting the events of this flightless bird unfold. Yet March of the Penguins sometimes uses editing techniques common to famed documentarian John Grierson, who learned from Sergei Eisenstein. Once again in more academic circles, terms like Observer, Free Cinema, and Flaherty‘s Louisiana Story come to mind. The imagery is poignant enough to make the film work even if there were no voice over. There’s a socially redeeming quality to what’s being revealed here - something important to the study of life on Earth.

For some the sparse voice-over allows the images to breathe. For me, I’m always eager for more in-depth insight. Another minor complaint is the need for more visual insight into the Antarctic terrain and the penguins’ geographic position in general.  

The penguins’ team and communal spirit exhibited is not only inspiring and impressive but wholly necessary for the survival of mother, father and the chicks. Without spoiling too much, the reversal of child bearing roles is a revealing look inside their world, as the male takes over the four month sitting (the reproduction process includes: arrival, mating, egg laying, sitting, hatching, departure of chicks).

At the screening I attended, constant questioning by an inquisitive child who happened to be seated next to me, was both irritating and refreshingly wonderful, with the requisite coitus scene forcing the inevitable, “What are they doing?” bringing a touch of humor to the delicate situation. I always wonder how interesting this is to a child. Is it longwinded? Too static for the MTV raised children of today? Actually, attempting to go back in time, to watch the film with childlike astonishment is part of the fun.

Like many, I find the Emperor penguin utterly fascinating, with their striking features and complex, sometimes humorous behavior. At just the right timing of 80 minutes, just when you think the film might be losing steam, it’s over. And always a good sign, the film leaves you wanting just a little bit more insight into such an unequalled fowl.

Lastly, there is an all too short, revealing swan song during the credits which shows the filmmakers capturing the subjects in the unforgiving Antarctica terrain. So I’d like to send a personal note of thanks for their hearty endeavour: a job well done.

© by Julian Boyance, July 7th, 2005