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La Marche de l'empereur (DOC) (2005)
 
aka: The March of the Penguins
aka: The Emperor's Journey
 
© National Geographic Feature Films (2005)
SFC Reviewer's Opinion:
Recommended

Genre
Documentary
   
Synopsis

Coming from a French director, Luc Jacquet, the Oscar-winning family documentary March of The Penguins would have to be a love story. And it is, in that it follows the mating rituals of the emperor penguin, one of the most resilient animals on earth. Each summer, after a nourishing period of deep-sea feeding, the penguins pop up onto the ice and begin their procession across the frozen tundra of Antarctica. Walking in single file, they are a sight to behold. Hundreds converge from every direction, moving instinctively toward their mating ground. Once there, they mingle and chatter until they find the perfect mate - a monogamous match that will last a year, through the brutal winter and into the spring. During that time, the mother will birth an egg and then leave for the ocean to feed again. The father will stay to protect the egg through the freezing blizzards and pure darkness of winter, which would be deadly to practically any other species. Finally, with spring, the egg hatches and the baby penguins are born. Mothers return from the sea to reunite with their families and feed the starving newborns, while the fathers are finally relieved of their protective duties after months without food. The film is remarkable in its story, which is narrated by Morgan Freeman, whose dignified voice gives the penguins the grave admiration they deserve. But even more incredible is its photography, which shows the penguins hunting underwater, sliding on the ice, and in the midst of "kissing." At one point the camera even zooms inside the mouth of a penguin as it regurgitates for its young. A story of love and more strikingly, survival, March Of The Penguins is any eye-opening and educational experience.

   
Directed by  
Luc Jacquet
   
Written by  
Jordan Roberts (US narration); Luc Jacquet (earlier screenplay); Michel Fessler (earlier screenplay); Luc Jacquet (story).
   
Starring  
Charles Berling (Narrator - Penguin Father (voice: French version)); Romane Bohringer (Narrator - Penguin Mother (voice: French version)); Jules Sitruk (Narrator - Penguin Baby (voice: French version)); Amitabh Bachchan (Narrator (voice)); Gösta Ekman (Narrator (voice: Swedish version)); Fiorello (Narrator (voice: Italian version)); Morgan Freeman (Narrator (voice: English version)); Sofie Gråbøl (Narrator (voice: Danish version)); Hikari Ishida (Haha-Penguin (voice: Japanese version)); Ryunosuke Kamiki (Ko-Penguin (voice: Japanese version)); Takao Osawa (Chichi-Penguin (voice: Japanese version)). Please contact SFC to add other cast members and characters.
 

Length (mins):
85
Ratings:
G (U)
Language:
ENG/FRE

Big 1 Oscar Wins:
1
Big 1 Oscar Noms:
1
IMDB page:
Link

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Important: the following essays and comments are authored by Soul Food Cinema readers. Whilst the Editor prays for the spiritual integrity of all content of this site, it should be noted that these represent personal opinions and carry no official endorsement. If you consider any content to be a misrepresentation of Catholic teaching, please contact SFC. May God bless you and enlighten you in your reading.
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Articles, Essays and Reviews
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Readers' Comments and Opinions
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Click the link to comment on this film. You may like to copy the film title and year (as given above) to your clipboard now for pasting into the following form.
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  A fantastic testament to life itself  
  Mark Banks (United Kingdom)  
  Opinion: Recommended  
Ten minutes into March of the Penguins I wasn't sure if the production was going to sustain my interest for the next hour or so - being limited to penguins, as opposed to say Winged Migration taking in a far greater range of bird species. But I'm glad to say it did hold my interest and it turned out to be a great film with what could also be said to be a 'pro-life' commentary. Viewers should be aware that the production does include footage of the more harsh realities of nature - parents losing their young ones etc. but these scenes are handled sensitively and in my opinion only add weight to the argument that these outcomes should be left to God and God alone. Some great cinematography features throughout as well.


 

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Soul Food Cinema - Movie/Film Reviews and Discussion from the World's Catholic-Christian Community
Images in the header are from: Antwone Fisher (© Fox Searchlight, 2002); Stand by Me (© Columbia Pictures, 1986); Jesus of Nazareth (© ITV (1977); The Passion of The Christ (© Newmarket Films, 2004); Rabbit-proof Fence (© Buena Vista, 2002); Amazing Grace (© Bristol Bay Productions, 2006) and Il Postino (© Cecchi Gori Group, 1994).