… and sometimes that is admirable.
I first saw this movie on the big screen, soon after its release in 2005. The Director is Luc Jacquet and it was filmed with a (remarkable) French crew who had to endure the elements as the penguins do. There is also the beautiful narration by Morgan Freeman, with his often wry commentary. I wonder how much is his own thoughts and how much is written for him. For example, he mentions that Antarctica once had a tropical climate. But then the land masses moved and the weather changed, a bit of an understatement. Almost all the other animals left, but there was one “tribe” that stayed: the penguins. Freeman posits: Did they think the weather change temporary, or are they simply stubborn?
The movie commences in March, the end of summer in the southern hemispheres. The penguins must walk, yes, birds who no longer fly, 70 miles to their breeding grounds. They walk, day and night, for a week. Like salmon, they know where they were born, and for generation upon generation the penguins trudge those miles to get back to the spot. Once there, they engage in mating rituals, in ways not much different than you or I. And they are monogamous – sorta – meaning for an entire year, before they part ways for the next season. That might be “monogamous” longer than many human couples. Ah, how oh how did the film crew capture it: the gentleness? How many human and animal couplings (if those are different categories) are of the slam-bam-thank-you-ma'am variety? At the moment of consummation, this one penguin gently leans over, and does the equivalent of nibbling her earlobe. The grace of it all.
With the fun and the grace now in the rearview mirror, the difficult task of bringing and raising a new one in this incredibly harsh environment commences, with temperatures sometimes sinking to 80 below (F), and winds of 100 mph. She produces an egg in June, in the middle of the dark winter. In another ballet, she must transfer the egg from her feet to his (it must be kept off the ice, or the embryo dies), and under his protective flap. She takes off for the sea to eat, again trudging those 70 miles, plus, since the sea is now further away, due to the additional ice. Just in time, if all works well, she brings a meal back to the newborn babe. Dad has not eaten for 125 days, has huddled with his buddies as protection against the wind, has lost half his body weight, and now leaves the newborn in mom’s care, and takes off for his overdue meal, in the sea. Whew. These birds are stubborn indeed.
Death is filmed. The lone penguin has no chance against the winter’s cold, and lies down to die. Eggs are dropped on the ice and lost. Sometimes it is the newborns; in another incredible scene a mother is inconsolable in her grief (sorry if all that seem “anthropomorphic,” the dreaded “put-down,” but it is hard to find another interpretation for what occurs), and she attempts to steal another mom’s baby, to the instant disapproval of the crowd of moms.
There is also some excellent underwater photography, which I hope was being done remotely. Penguins can hold their breath for 15 minutes and dive to 1700 ft. Sea lions are predators. One dramatic scene shows one catching a penguin – two die, as Freeman says, since the baby will never get the meal.
This movie displayed a deep understanding of penguin behavior and was the result of the equally incredible endurance – and stubbornness - of the film crews. I appreciated it even more the second time around. 6-stars.
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March of the Penguins (Widescreen Edition Without Trailers)
Rated: Format: DVD
Unrated
IMDb7.5/10.0
$10.00 $10.00
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Product Description
Winner of the 2006 Academy Award for Best Documentary, March of the Penguins instantly qualifies as a wildlife classic, taking its place among other extraordinary films like Microcosmos and Winged Migration. French filmmaker Luc J
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 1.85:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : Unrated (Not Rated)
- Package Dimensions : 7.1 x 5.42 x 0.58 inches; 3.2 ounces
- Media Format : Widescreen
- ASIN : B000CRSEUO
- Best Sellers Rank: #469,710 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #378,283 in DVD
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Customer reviews
4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
2,303 global ratings
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2019
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2005
March of the Penguins
By Madeline Bocaro
March of the Penguins is (literally - at eighty-five degrees below zero!) a cool movie about Emperor penguins in Antarctica, and their astonishing traditions and customs surrounding their strenuous mating and reproductive rituals. After all is told, much mystery still remains about these elegant, dignified feathered creatures in tuxedos.
The most refreshing thing about this film is that it is a serious documentary, and that it has absolutely nothing to do with Hollywood. No poor, unwitting animal is forced to speak with the voice of Whoopi Goldberg nor Billy Crystal. There no animation, nor special effects. There is no chase scene, nudity nor guns. This may sound boring, but it is truly one of the most interesting films this year.
Nature and its landscape are the most beautiful movie set on earth, and this remote, barren land of shimmering ice in Antarctica is seldom seen by human eyes. The uniformity and solidarity as thousands of earth-bound birds choreograph their march (as they've done for centuries) in their very own Triumph Of The Will against storms, raging winds and predators is striking. The monochromatic penguins against the infinite white mountains of snow plod on their twenty day, seventy mile journey, awkwardly yet determined to reach the site where they will mate and procreate. Our priviliged sight of this enchanting spectacle is breathtaking from all angles. The artful cinematography shines, taking us up close to witness intimacy and affection, and far away to view the smallness of life versus the vastness of the heavenly yet severe terrain. The cameras and subjects seem to dance with each other beautifully in classical movements, contrasting the harshness of the environment.
Once their mate is chosen (narrator Morgan Freeman is unsure of the criteria used in their choosing a mate, but it is most likely not by looks!), the penguins are monogamous for a year. Human qualities such as sensitivity, loyalty and emotion are unmistakable. They function as a society. They bond, love and cry as a family unit. They respect and protect each other. The dedicated dad warms the egg for months, while the mom trods off again on the long journey back to the water where she can feed and bring back nourishment for the chick, if it survives. When she returns, dad is mighty hungry after four months of starvation, and he must make the long journey to the sea with his empty belly. The entire ritual is repeated again year after year, century after century.
This story leaves us with the biggest cliff-hanger of all. We are compelled to wonder why these creatures live such a harsh, selfless life on the same earth and at the same time that we are watching a movie about them. The Emperor penguins' instinct drives them to persevere, reproduce and nurture, just as strongly as lemmings' instinct to die. Hopefully, the money made from this film can be donated to provide a shuttle service to bring the pooped penguins to and from their remote destinations! And each of them deserves an Academy award!
By Madeline Bocaro
March of the Penguins is (literally - at eighty-five degrees below zero!) a cool movie about Emperor penguins in Antarctica, and their astonishing traditions and customs surrounding their strenuous mating and reproductive rituals. After all is told, much mystery still remains about these elegant, dignified feathered creatures in tuxedos.
The most refreshing thing about this film is that it is a serious documentary, and that it has absolutely nothing to do with Hollywood. No poor, unwitting animal is forced to speak with the voice of Whoopi Goldberg nor Billy Crystal. There no animation, nor special effects. There is no chase scene, nudity nor guns. This may sound boring, but it is truly one of the most interesting films this year.
Nature and its landscape are the most beautiful movie set on earth, and this remote, barren land of shimmering ice in Antarctica is seldom seen by human eyes. The uniformity and solidarity as thousands of earth-bound birds choreograph their march (as they've done for centuries) in their very own Triumph Of The Will against storms, raging winds and predators is striking. The monochromatic penguins against the infinite white mountains of snow plod on their twenty day, seventy mile journey, awkwardly yet determined to reach the site where they will mate and procreate. Our priviliged sight of this enchanting spectacle is breathtaking from all angles. The artful cinematography shines, taking us up close to witness intimacy and affection, and far away to view the smallness of life versus the vastness of the heavenly yet severe terrain. The cameras and subjects seem to dance with each other beautifully in classical movements, contrasting the harshness of the environment.
Once their mate is chosen (narrator Morgan Freeman is unsure of the criteria used in their choosing a mate, but it is most likely not by looks!), the penguins are monogamous for a year. Human qualities such as sensitivity, loyalty and emotion are unmistakable. They function as a society. They bond, love and cry as a family unit. They respect and protect each other. The dedicated dad warms the egg for months, while the mom trods off again on the long journey back to the water where she can feed and bring back nourishment for the chick, if it survives. When she returns, dad is mighty hungry after four months of starvation, and he must make the long journey to the sea with his empty belly. The entire ritual is repeated again year after year, century after century.
This story leaves us with the biggest cliff-hanger of all. We are compelled to wonder why these creatures live such a harsh, selfless life on the same earth and at the same time that we are watching a movie about them. The Emperor penguins' instinct drives them to persevere, reproduce and nurture, just as strongly as lemmings' instinct to die. Hopefully, the money made from this film can be donated to provide a shuttle service to bring the pooped penguins to and from their remote destinations! And each of them deserves an Academy award!
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2024
The best penguin documentary
Top reviews from other countries
Christine L.
5.0 out of 5 stars
At last
Reviewed in Canada on January 6, 2024
I watched this years ago when it first came out but couldn’t find it anywhere on line or streaming. So happy to have my own copy at last. Quality is fine… no complaints at all
Amazon カスタマー
5.0 out of 5 stars
非常に良かったです
Reviewed in Japan on January 25, 2024
非常に良かったです、迅速な対応でありがとうございます.
非常に満足しています、今後ともよろしくお願いいたします.
非常に満足しています、今後ともよろしくお願いいたします.
Franciel
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Classic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2014
Excellent really a film to enjoy, highly recommended. I would be careful if you do not have a region 1 player otherwise no problems.
John N Green
5.0 out of 5 stars
How Penguins live
Reviewed in Canada on September 28, 2023
very good
K. David Ray
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome Movie...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 25, 2015
Love This Movie And Hate It, Very Sad But Looks Fantastic In HD...