Documentary relieves unoriginal Hollywood fare

Take a look at what’s showing at the multiplex, and it becomes readily apparent that Hollywood of late has been somewhat bereft of original ideas. Remakes, sequels and retoolings of TV shows seem to be the order of the day. While some of these pieces are good (“Batman Begins,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”) more are bad (“Fantastic Four,” “Bewitched”) and some (“War of the Worlds”) are downright ugly.

Maybe it’s that artistic atmosphere, or the fact it was the hottest day of the year, that made “March of the Penguins” such a welcome breath of cinematic fresh air. A documentary about Emperor Penguins trekking across Antarctica seems an unlikely candidate for “best film of the summer,” but it is surely near the top of the latest Hollywood offerings.

The documentary genre has been around for as long as the motion picture industry itself. Robert Flaherty’s classic “Nanook of the North” was filmed in 1922 and set the standard for decades to come. While documentaries run the gamut of film styles and subjects, they have long been seen mostly by serious film buffs, students of the particular subjects at hand or friends and family members of those connected with the production.

Michael Moore – love or hate his politics – brought the form to the masses with his films “Roger and Me,” “Bowling for Columbine” and “Fahrenheit 9/11,” and lately many more documentaries are finding their way to movie theaters and video rental stores.

Director Luc Jacquet – aided by cinematographers Laruent Chalet and Jérôme Maison and funding from National Geographic – has crafted a film of emotional power and beauty. It also manages to keep the audience engaged for nearly an hour and a half of waddling and huddling in the frozen wasteland way down south.

The ad tagline proclaims, ‘’In the harshest place on earth, love finds a way.’’ It is a love story as well as a biology lesson, a drama, a comedy and a spectacular set piece.

The film begins with the penguins frolicking and feeding in their freezing but happy spring/summer habitat.

As winter approaches an annual ritual begins to take shape. The tribe, every last male and female, heads off walking (penguins are flightless birds) the 70-odd miles to their breeding ground. It’s a long, arduous journey, and for as much exercise as these creatures obviously get, they certainly waddle more than walk. To the human eye, the birds’ physical demeanor is as comical as it is beautiful, but in their universe, the walk to breed is serious, sometimes deadly so.

The weather gets colder, the winds wilder and the daytime shorter. But on they march.

When they arrive at the spot that has drawn their kind for countless millennia, the birds begin to pair off. They might look pretty much the same to us, but the pre-mating dating ritual brings couples together and they will stay together for the remainder of the mating/birthing process.

When the female finally lays the egg, it must be protected against the harshness of the weather. A strange quirk occurs at this time. The egg is passed off to the father, who keeps it warm by holding it under a flap of skin and between his feet. He will do this until hatching time and even after.

In this frozen environment, there is absolutely nothing to eat. The mothers are weak and hungry after laying their eggs, and as the fathers tend the eggs, the females trek back to the feeding grounds.

As the darkness becomes nearly constant and temperatures drop, the males huddle together for warmth.

Eventually the chicks hatch and they are hungry. The fathers have a special way of feeding the young ones, and desperately wait for the females to return. When they do, the chicks are passed back to the moms, and the dads head back to the feeding grounds. The only recent film to feature more walking than this is “The Lord of the Rings.”

In an age of computer-generated scenery and digitally animated creatures, one is reminded that no matter how sophisticated technology becomes, it will never achieve the perfection of nature. The backdrop of Antarctica is overwhelmingly beautiful, and the close-up shots of the title characters reveal a beauty and perfection that will remain unattainable to computer animators.

Whether one believes that the divine hand of a creator writes all things or merely that nature works in wondrous ways, it’s impossible not to feel some spiritual stirrings while watching “March of the Penguins.” There are moments of great joy, utter sadness, comedy and drama. Combined with the perfect set and likable characters, the production has all of the elements that make for a compelling film.

I’ll also be interested in seeing “The Making of ‘March of the Penguins’” which National Geographic will surely include on the DVD release. The harsh conditions in Antarctica provide an immense challenge to survival alone, not to mention the filming of a motion picture. Hats off to the cinematographers and the rest of the (most assuredly) dedicated crew.

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.