March of the Penguins

Theatre, August 2005

Overall: (A) A great film for everyone, young and old, friends and lovers alike

This documentary by the National Geographic Society, narrated by Morgan Freeman, is a visually breath taking film (suitable for an IMAX) but with a heart warming story of the harsh struggle to live and procreate on the world’s most treacherous continent. A tribute and classic NGS video, with intimate closeups on the penguins - views only NGS can bring you.

The film starts out with the legend of a stubborn group of people who decided to stay on the continent of Antarctica as it drifted further south over the ages, moving from tropical climates to the frozen tundra. In the distance, dark silhouettes of movement are slowly brought into focus... and we see not people walking about, but large emperor penguins. Just witnessing the nature of these creatures walk upright like humans and personify so many human characteristics, was perhaps the most touching part of the whole film. This personification of human or just “life” traits continues throughout the whole film.

Some examples of penguins acting like humans:

• Penguins walking like humans and also laying on their belly, kicking their feet to slide around

• How overweight the penguins are, with rolls of skin (Looks like an American herd)
  • We learn that they will not eat for up to 4 months though, this fat storage will be depleted and they will loose up to 1/2 their body weight over the months

• When mating, there is a sensual nature between male and female penguin. They huddle and lean upon on another, they “cuddle”, they drag their beak along each other - in smooth motions like scratching/rubbing ones back, and simulate “kissing”

• Mating with a sole partner, for that one season at least. Both required to raise the young.
  • Mother and father penguin both take care of nurturing and raising the penguin from birth.
  • They both sacrifice greatly: braving the coldest and fiercest blizzards trying to keep their egg or newborn warm, walking 70 miles from water (food) to nesting grounds

• There is great emotional sorrow when an egg or young one is lost. Some mothers will try to steal another’s egg or young one.

• Like all of wild life, just to survive is a struggle from all the predators and dangers out there in life

• It takes the entire herd to work together and huddle up for body warmth and to block the blizzard winds to keep warm and survive. They alternate positions inside and on the outside of the huddle.

• The mother and father penguin identify each other by their voices in singing

• Baby penguins learning to walk, just like a young girl learns to dance by standing on her fathers shoes

Things I wish they would have shown or explained:

• Adoption? If there was any adoption-like practices that happened. For those whose parents did not return from going to get food, died in the blizzards of old age, or anything else. The parents alternate walking on this 70 mile journey to ocean again to feed... and walk back to the group to regurgitate the food for their young or mate.

• Hunting baby penguins? There was a hawk (with exaggerating sound effects) that came down to the herd and tried to steal away some of the baby penguins (presumably to eat them) but it always showed the babies getting away to safety. Did the hawk ever get one to eat?

There is more or less a happy ending to the film, of course “the herd survives” and another generation moves on. In the closing credits, there is some great footage of the camera crew walking out on the great journey to document it, how close they get with the penguins - who inspect them and the camera, being very curious and innocent.