Le peuple migrateur

Watching Jacques Perrin's Winged Migration I felt incredibly cheated. I felt cheated out of the fact that I didn't get the chance to see this remarkable film at my locale theatre where the images would be displayed in a much larger venue.

Winged Migration is an astonishing achievement. With the help of 450 individuals, including 17 pilots and 14 cinematographers, directors Jacques Perrin, Michael Debats and Jacques Cluzaud, bring to life the migrating habits of a variety of birds throughout the world.

We learn of the red-crowned crane that flies 600 miles from the far east to the Siberian taiga, the sandhill crane that flies 2000 miles from the Central American Plains to the Arctic circle, and the bald eagle that flies 1800 miles from the American West to Alaska, just to name a few. But it is how we learn from these creatures that is pure cinematic symphony. The three directors took 4 years to film Winged Migration and used everything from gliders, planes, helicopters and balloons to get close enough to the flying birds that you would actually think you are one of them. The scene of the Canadian Geese migrating is photographed so magnificently through the Grand Canyon that we can see the reflection of the formation on the stilled morning waters without the simplest distraction of man.

Winged Migration is filled with such imagery. Not soon will I forget the greater sage grouse in Idaho where the birds have expanding chests and have tail-feathers that look as sharp as a porcupine's quills. Nor will I soon forget the scenes where millions of king penguins take over a coastal island or the countless birds diving into the water with such rapid fire like a multiple torpedo hit.

What is really amazing however, is how the filmmakers were able to show the birds in such a format as to give them personalities. We see the arrogance of the Canadian Goose, the fighting nature of the red breasted goose, the relentless tenacity of the captured Amazon parrot and the grieving king penguins after one of their young are eaten.

For all its glorious visuals, it is man that brings to the screen the most unnatural and catastrophic of images. Threshers on a farm destroy a habitat, hunters hide in the reeds and shoot down overhead geese and pollution and sludge take the life of a migrating red breast. It is hard to believe that the same species that could get close enough to these birds to follow them hundreds of miles, is also one of their greatest enemies.

Winged Migration should be seen on the large screen, but even on the tiniest of home entertainment units, you cannot help but marvel at the life cycle, the fight for survival and incredible long journey's these creatures embark upon twice a year. Three stars.

It probably took a lot of time and effort to put this together. I wasn't bored for a minute. Some people get the big picture some people don't. I thought it was a rare treat to see things like this for a moment. To get outside of oneself and experience life in different terms made me feel good. It was peaceful and entertaining. I enjoyed the naration somewhat but felt it detracted from the film because it took away from the esoteric nature of the film as did the unnatural injection of unnatural elements. This untouched bit of nature needed very little narration. I admire anyone who is so dedicated to a project that they can truly expose nature in plain air. Winged migration was a great bit of craftsmanship.

A film that's difficult to classify: part nature film, part documentary, part drama. And *completely* beautiful. The makers of this film used every imaginable flying and suspending machine in order to film birds wherever they went. From ultra-light planes to hot air balloons, to hang gliders the camera operators managed to capture what must be the most amazing shots of flying ever filmed. The crew travelled the world to follow birds in migration (and some in their native habitat).

My kids (ages 11 to 15) were transfixed.

To those who say this film lacks "action", I can only express my deep regret that they are so earth-bound as to be unable to let go and soar with some of nature's most wonderful creatures.

I really cannot summarize this documentary in one word. I was awe-struck, elated, saddened...this movie has so many emotional experiences in one 90-minute time frame that I am completely overwhelmed by it. The cinematography is so outstanding it is nearly unbelievable. That same cinematography is behind much of the emotional upheaval of this documentary. Some of the vistas and scenery are so breathtaking that you might just find yourself crying from the joy of looking at something so beautiful.

The musical score for this movie is half the experience. I don't think the movie would have been the same at all without it. The movie speaks to your heart, but the music speaks to your soul. The birds themselves are stunning and you feel their complete freedom, as well as the effort it takes to fly these tremendous distances, all based on the instinct of survival. Not all survive, and you will feel the sadness and pain of the sacrifices made along the arduous trip.

I happen to be a bird lover, but I don't think you need to be one to fully appreciate this movie. It is so much more than just about birds, it's the life, struggle and survival of all wild creatures who follow their instincts. If you see this movie, and I think everyone should, you will come away from it with a greater feel and respect for nature and it's struggles, as well as it's magnificent beauty. And I, for one, believe that respect will make each of us a better person.

I give this movie a 10.

I was quite pleased with this movie until I watched the "behind the scenes" featurette on the DVD. It turns out that most of the extraordinary close-ups of winged flight that make the movie memorable are NOT of wild migrating birds. Rather, the filmakers raised and domesticated all sorts of birds through a process known as "imprinting" so they would be comfortable flying next to the noisy photography planes. Then they took their birds all over the world to dramatic backdrops like the Sahara and Monument Vally. They also used these domesticated birds for the dramatic set pieces revolving around birds trapped in sludge, stuck in a blizzard, escaping cages, or wandering the desert. Not only are these set pieces heavy-handed and overly dramatic, but the fact that the birds are not even wild and were placed in these situations really undermines the credibility of the film.

7 out of 10 (minus 1 point for the use of domesticated birds and minus 2 for putting ridiculously staged drama scenes in an otherwise beautiful nature film)