Movie: Winged Migration
Starring: A lot of different species of migrating birds
Directed by Jacques Perrin (Sony Classic Pictures)
Reviewed by Rusty Pipes

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Director Jacques Perrin has created a lyrical documentary in Winged Migration. Following the seasonal movements of birds in a collection of gliders, ultralights and other craft, he has created a singular record of their monumental treks. As a result the film takes you about as close to being a bird yourself as you could care to go. About the only human seen in Winged Migration is an old woman who comes out to feed some storks. There are stunning close-ups of birds in flight, that go far past the movie Fly Away Home which did a similar Disneyfied take on a single flock of Canadian geese several years ago.

Perrin's footage is amazing but he does indulge in some computer animation to show the shapes of the landmasses they fly above. Unfortunately instead of adding to the movie it made me wonder if he doctored some of the other shots, like a slow pan down the body of a goose and suddenly the head of a gosling pops out from under its wing, perfectly framed. Still such things are usually the product of 200 to one film ratios and I am certain that most everything in the movie is completely authentic.

With a beautiful Phillip-Glass-like soundtrack by Bruno Coulais, the overall effect of Winged Migration is rather like a more organic version of Godfrey Reggio's Koyaanisqatsi, no small achievement indeed.

The Skinny:
Am I glad I saw the film? Completely
Would I go to see it again? Sure, next time I need to forget the world of humans.

© 2003 - Rusty Pipes