SCOTT SHALAWAY 'Winged Migration' shows the power of flight
If you marvel at bird flight and bird migration, or have ever dreamed of wanting to fly under your own power, search the movie listings for a film entitled "Winged Migration" (produced, directed, written, and narrated by Jacques Perrin). Nominated for a 2003 Academy Award in the documentary category, this film is 89 minutes of pure wonder. You'll wonder how birds fly such great distances, how they navigate, and how the incredible footage was shot.
"Winged Migration" provides few specific answers to those questions. The minimal narration that can't exceed a total of 10 minutes merely sets the stage. This film is a celebration of flight and its attendant sights and sounds.
Limited release
Though "Winged Migration" hit theaters in April, it's still in limited release. Documentaries don't compete well at the box office with action films and big budget blockbusters so it's showing only in big markets and to date has grossed just over $8 million. But if you love birds, find it and be willing to drive a few hours to see it.
Though "Winged Migration" spotlights bird flight and migration, it works on several levels.
The imagery is spectacular. Five camera crews spent three years chasing birds all around the world. You'll see migrating flocks from below, from above, and even from within the flock. Footage was shot from gliders, helicopters, remote controlled gliders, ultra light aircraft, and hot air balloons. It is a glorious feast for the eyes, and at times I felt like a member of the flock. Though some scenes seem digitally enhanced and closing credits confirm this, the overall effect is profound. Aesthetically, "Wing Migration" is brilliant.
Challenging film
From a North American birder's perspective, the film is challenging because most of the birds depicted are from other continents. Most birders will recognize snow geese, Canada geese, and sandhill cranes, but the Asian, European, African, and South American species depicted will make some birders wish they'd brought along several field guides. Ornithologically, "Winged Migration" is challenging.
As the camera crews travel from one end of the planet to the other, I got a much better feel for the magnitude of bird migration than I've ever gotten reading a book. Seeing geese hunker down in a blinding snow storm high in the mountains gave me a new appreciation for the environmental extremes birds face during their spring and fall journeys. Ecologically, "Winged Migration" is thought--provoking.
The movie's conservation messages are subtle. The images speak louder than anything a narrator might add. A goose struggles in toxic ooze. Waterfowl, duped by decoys, pay the ultimate price. And in the film's most indelible image, a boat full of caged birds and monkeys motors along the Amazon River. In what must have been a staged, but effective shot, a macaw manipulates the latch on its cage door, opens it, jumps on top of the cage, then flies off to freedom. Environmentally, "Winged Migration" is powerful.
A bit long
You need not be a birder to enjoy "Winged Migration." In fact, serious birders may focus so much on bird identification that they'll miss the big picture. Casual bird lovers may concentrate more on the overall effect of the film. Though rated "G" and a terrific family film, "Winged Migration" may be a bit long for younger children. A 45 to 50 minute version for Omnimax theaters would be ideal.
And if "Winged Migration" never makes it to a theater near you, I'm sure it will soon be available on video. In the meantime, try another Jacques Perrin production, "Microcosmos" (1996, rated G, 75 minutes). It is an equally marvelous view of the world of insects and other invertebrates. Among other things, you'll see a dung beetle struggle with its spherical treasure, a spider catch a victim, a butterfly emerge from a chrysalis, and a pair of stag beetles battle like a couple of ten-point bucks. Available at www.amazon.com ($9.99), "Microcosmos" should be available in every school in America.
sshalaway @aol.com