Life On Earth
1979
With poetic directness and artful use of repeated motifs, this visually rich film conveys the rhythm, vitality, and color of life in Sokolo, Mali, as well as its hardships. The action begins in a supermarket in wintertime Paris: rows upon rows of goods, shoppers bundled in overcoats, silence, a bluish-white tinge to the whole .. Read more
| Starring | David Attenborough |
|---|---|
| Genres | Television |
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Life On Earth
With poetic directness and artful use of repeated motifs, this visually rich film conveys the rhythm, vitality, and color of life in Sokolo, Mali, as well as its hardships. The action begins in a supermarket in wintertime Paris: rows upon rows of goods, shoppers bundled in overcoats, silence, a bluish-white tinge to the whole scene. The transition to Mali hits all the senses at once: The screen is filled with rich browns, reds, and yellows; one feels the heat, hears the music, and is plunged into the flow of continuous but unhurried action. It is through the eyes of emigre son Abderrahmane Sissako, just returned from France to shoot a film, that one experiences Sokolo. As the developed world hurtles toward a high-tech celebration of the new millennium, the ebb and flow of village life follow old rhythms. In the central square, the barber and photographer set out their tools, and the townsfolk come to gossip, flirt, and discuss the affairs of the world. Close by is the post office, equipped with a single, ancient and unreliable telephone, where a call to a distant town often takes hours to complete. A bit further away is the technological jewel of the city, its only radio station. Powered by cast-off equipment many decades old, it provides news, music, and, through on-air readings, novels and poems. Life on Earth is a poignant tale of the conflict between old and new ways, of men and women reaching out to each other in a changing world.
| Starring | David Attenborough |
|---|---|
| Studio | BBC WORLDWIDE PUBLISHING |
| Run time | DVD: 11 hrs 55 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Television |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 01 Sep 2003 Production year: 1979 |
| Format | DVD |
Life On Earth (4 discs) (1979)
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Most helpful member's review
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14 out of 15 people found this review helpful
The pinnacle of natural history film-making and presentation.
A landmark in television natural history programmes, Life On Earth is a superb example of how to present potentially difficult concepts without talking down to the viewer.
The host, Sir David Attenborough, is a class act; unlike many of today's wildlfe presenters Attenborough is happy to step into the background and let the images speak for themselves. He is serious without being po-faced, he is authoritative without being pompous; he talks simply and directly and treats the viewer as an intellectual equal.
And the sounds and images are engrossing. Wonderful film-making of wonderful subjects. And again unlike many modern natural history documentaries the soundtrack is subtle, apt, and never intrusive.
After the origin of the universe itself, the origin of life and its subsequent evolution is the greatest story ever told, and Attenborough and his colleagues tell it very well indeed.
Just one criticism (of the DVD, not the programme): the image quality left a bit to be desired. It looked a little washed-out and grainy in places. I know Life On Earth is nearly 25 years old now, but for such an important series I would have expected the BBC to have done some restoration work on it. Were it not for this problem I would have given the disc 5 stars. -
Most recent members' review
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Still interesting and informative
Groundbreaking at time of release, this documentary series still imparts interesting information in an engaging style (thanks to the unique David Attenborough). Because it was done so well, people have not gone over the same ground, so this is the only place to discover life on earth!
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