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Life
(BBC Documentary)
Available on DVD & Blu-Ray 7 October 2010
When
it comes to documentaries, the BBC are the penultimate providers of
quality productions and this four disc collection entitled Life
is no exception to that rule. Filmed over a three years, this ten-part
documentary showcases life on planet Earth but what makes this
experience so special is the outstanding video and audio quality which
mesmerises you like a hypnotist with a watch.
Some of the footage is
visually quite surreal like the Dolphins hunting together as a pack or
the high speed footage of the spatule-tail hummingbird. This is all made
possible by the professional crew which use some of the world's state of
the art cinematography techniques and technology to ensure that the
viewer is treated to a visual overload. Needless to say, it works quite
well.
Although the documentary is
entitled Life, it doesn’t sugar coat how hard existence is for creatures
of this planet that is highlighted by a particular scene where a baby
elephant gets stuck in mud. The mother valiantly tries to push it out
but her interference actually hampers the rescue effort until an elder
female elephant comes along to save the day. It’s quite an emotional
scene that almost brought a tear to my eye and once again cements that
animals are not mindless creatures but have similar motivations and
feelings like humans.
With
so many animals and plant life showcased in this documentary, at times,
I was left in wonder and could not believe what I was seeing. For
instance, a giant octopus actually guards her eggs for 6-months before
leaving the nest. By protecting the children, she ensures that the next
generation of Pacific giant octopus have a chance in this difficult
environment.
Apart from animals
and as mentioned, the documentary also goes into
good detail about other living organisms such as plants which are life
veins of mother Earth. From plants in the Amazon that attempt to climb
towards the sunlight or more carnivorous ones like the Venus flytrap
which sustain their existence by consuming their prey, the series may be
a visual overload but at times it is an information overload but
thankfully in a good way.
The narration of
Life is knowledgeably done by
David Attenborough who was born for roles like this. His voice matches
the amazing stories and footage perfectly that is not condescending but
speaks on a level that no matter what your age or life experiences are,
it will relate to everyone. My favourite episode in this collection was
its final episode which was The Making of Life. This goes into great
detail of how they captured the footage and amazingly enough, it took
over 3,000 days of filming to create this spectacular documentary.
Episode Listing
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Challenges of Life
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Reptiles and Amphibians
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Mammals
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Fish
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Birds
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Insects
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Hunters and Hunted
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Creatures of the Deep
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Plants
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Primates
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The Making of LIFE
Video and Audio
As
mentioned, the video quality is visually quite eye-catching on DVD that
highlights life on this magnificent planet quite well, especially from
its colours and amazing cinematography techniques employed in the movie.
The colours are vibrant, the images are crystal clear and on FULL HD
TV’s, the result is literally quite breathtaking. The soundtrack
supports Dolby Digital 5.1 and although isn’t really used, it does sound
quite clear and sharp, especially from the sounds of all these creatures
and the ambience of the environment.
This
is a documentary that can be watched by individuals of all ages, whether
families, couples or older persons, Life will capture you from its
very first moments and leave you captivated from start to finish. This
is how documentaries should be made, highly recommended! |
