Star Review
Narrated by Morgan Freeman in a tone of subdued awe, March of the Penguins, directed by Luc Jacquet, allows us to see a little bit of ourselves reflected in the instinctive rituals of the birds. What it takes for a penguin family to survive is not that much different than what it takes for us humans: partnership, communication, joint risks, and shared goals. The filming crew spent a total of thirteen months filming in the Antarctic and has given us an experience of breathtaking beauty.
Each year, the birds must leave their home in the ocean and march single file to their breeding ground seventy miles away, the place where each of them was born. They have fortified themselves for the treacherous journey through snow and heavy winds by feeding in the ocean for the past three months. Like couples on a dance floor, when they arrive at the breeding ground that is thick with ice, they choose their partner and pair off.
They huddle together in the thousands for protection during the frigid winter as they await their egg. When the egg arrives, they perform a delicate transfer from the female to the male so that "she" can return to the ocean for food. If they survive the ocean, they return to their hungry spouses who by now have lost half of their body weight but somehow have enough strength to go back to the sea for food. When the father returns, he finds his chick instinctively through their unique sound. When the babies are strong enough, they head out on their own to experience their first dip in the ocean. It is the end of the cycle and the harbinger of a new one.
Howard Schumann on 22nd March 2006
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Film Description
A riveting documentary charting the incredible journey and conditions faced by a group of Emperor penguins when making the move to their breeding ground. Very charming, with many cute baby penguins stealing scenes, but the cruelty of nature is depicted without sentiment.
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By Alex Davidson on 1st April 2006
An unexpected box office smash, becoming the most commercially successful documentary after Fahrenheit 9/11 and winner of the 'Best Documentary' Oscar, March Of The Pe... more >
An unexpected box office smash, becoming the most commercially successful documentary after Fahrenheit 9/11 and winner of the 'Best Documentary' Oscar, March Of The Penguins is an extraordinary film of unimaginable triumph against the odds. It shows the incredible lengths to which Emperor penguins must go to reach their breeding ground, hatch their eggs and nurture their chicks in the ice deserts of Antarctica, the harshest terrain on Earth.
In spite of Morgan Freeman's cosy narration, filmmaker Luc Jacquet does not shy from showing the grim realities of the penguins' predicament. An egg cracks and freezes instantly as the parents helplessly look on; seals pick off exhausted females as they hunt for food; a mother penguin tries to steal another's chick following the death of her own. Yet it's the amusing and celebratory sequences that make the film such a crowd-pleaser, with its shots of smug, bloated chicks reclining after a feed, or the jubilant moments when, after months and months of strenuous effort, the penguins' eggs finally hatch. < less
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