The Planet

The Planet is a Scandinavian production (2006) directed by Johan Söderberg which draws on the cinematographic techniques of nonverbal films such as Godfrey Reggio's Koyaanisqatsi, and Ron Fricke's Baraka.

Unlike those films, which are purely visual, The Planet is riddled with a plethora of interviews from leading scientists and environmentalists offering their perspectives on the challenges humanity faces in the 21st century.

The music that envelops the movie does a very good job at matching it's general mood . Short video and sounds clips are used throughout as punctuation, which is often reminiscent of a cartoon-like storyline.

A real must see. This documentary lays down facts, figures, and themes regarding the state of the planet in a very accessible way. As a previous reviewer said, it is more "intense" than an Inconvenient Truth, but I hardly think any of the concepts presented are hard to take in - in fact, due to the number of interviews, the film manages to take the viewer through a range of issues regarding the state of the planet, without ever losing focus of its basic message - that we must do something NOW. A well put together soundtrack enhances the narrative. Well worth the watch. But god, we've really stuffed this planet up.

There was a lot of information in this documentary. None of it is very pleasant, unfortunately, but it is vitally important that more people get to see shows like this to really bring across the dire state of the world as we know it. The film cleverly and clearly explains many aspects of why the world is in trouble while allowing that we do still have time to stop the worst happening IF WE CHANGE NOW. It is not all total gloom and doom. There are people who are trying to get the right message across and there are things that can be done to reduce our impact, but we all need to reduce our toxic emissions, reduce our consumption of unnecessary goods and plant trees and gardens. It was great to hear an explanation of how the environment provides many free services to humans - services we take for granted but which are being damaged and used up; such as free provision of oxygen, soils, animals, medicines (and many more)- all things that are getting spoilt by our greed and pollution.I'm pretty aware of a lot of environmental problems but there were a few things in this film that surprised me. If you get the chance, watch this excellent film. The soundtrack and the visual style is interesting too, so it helps you relax a little while being shocked.

This film is a masterpiece. The Planet doesn't shy away from the real issue at hand, unlike so many other films of this nature. Without giving too much away, this film is very balanced; not overly optimistic, yet not too pessimistic either. Also strikingly different from other movies of the sort is how many cultures are explored, from first world countries to developing nations. Yet, it never loses the focus of the message presented early on in the film--that we have a time frame in which we must act in order to prevent further, more severe consequences than have already appeared.

That being said, the cinematography in this film is exceptional. The scenes were gorgeously shot, and the careful editing really captures the scale of the issue, from the smallest insects to the entire globe. Perhaps most noticeable is how well the soundtrack (of a very electronic nature) flows with the visuals. There is one scene that combines the music with the scene (you'll know it when you see it) so well I would have purchased a ticket to see it alone.

The Planet is not to be missed.