 Winged Migration (2003) Beautifully shot to the point of taking all your breath away, this film follows several gaggles of birds on their annual migrations across the globe, from Africa to the Arctic, from America to Canada, from China to Siberia, and back. It's the Star Wars of "Discovery Channel" documentaries, bigger than IMAX, and birdier than Sesame Street. The undoctored footage looks unreal, like the best special effects you can see, putting you in flight alongside these birds over sweeping vistas and famous landmarks. Even if you're not bound to a wheelchair, it makes you dream of flying. Cyclical and surreal like Koyanisqaatsi, it presents the absolute, poetic truth of life with staggering imagery paced for maximum mesmerization. Some messy Franco-American narration intrudes here and there, but it's kept to a minimum, mostly letting thr birds speak for themselves. Thankfully, none of the birds literally talk, like Milo & Otis or one of those movies about the goddamn talking pig. I hate that shit.
Review by La Fée |