Wildlife documentaries missing the point...?
Posted by Cordite on Wed 19 Mar 2003 - 11:36
This interesting article discusses the increasing tendency of wildlife filmakers not to strictly observe nature, but to enhance and sensationalize it either through their narrative style or technical means.
"film-makers seem to be drifting towards a kind of biophobia, towards ever more reductionist points of view, more anthropocentric stagings, more aggressive and invasive filming techniques."
Rather than bringing us closer to understanding the other species on this planet, they are, in effect, making them more foreign.
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How true! Crazy and infuriating levels of hyperbole creep into even the most respected nature documentary shows these days. Dialog that speaks of all struggles faced by creatures in the context of human war. A fascination with the "weapons" and types of "destruction" that, say, a cow has to "fight" its "mortal enemy"... grass. Sheesh! Its "dumbing down" run rampant.
Alli
Jacque Cousteau understood science. He made "us" have to reach to understand "them" by not "dumbing down" things. I doubt the same can be said for any of today's caliber of "entertainment adventurers." Their idea is entertainment by anthropomorhisms. From my point of reference, I'd remember to get myself in front of the TV to see Jacque Cousteau for a 1/2 hour PBS show on the octopus... but paying for the crocodile hunter movie to watch about an alligator who eats a spy satillite?.... heh... that's like comparing the differences between Walter Cronkite to Jerry Springer.
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