Werner Herzog travels to Antarctica to film a colony of scientists going about their work with seals, penguins, volcanoes and the breathtaking sea life of this lesser known part of the world.
This film is not the warning about global warming that you might expect, though the topic of global warming and man's future on this planet does come up. Nor do we, the audience, learn much about the scientists' findings. Herzog traveled to this unpopulated part of the world where people drift when they want to get away from civilization, but the film seems more interested in these recluses than it does the environment to which they devote their time. This isn't that surprising, really. Herzog has always been interested in the human psyche and the motives that drive eccentrics to do the things they do. There's the sense in this film that Herzog has found himself among a batch of kindred spirits, and by learning what makes them tick may learn a little something about himself.
The funniest part of the film is Herzog's interview of the taciturn penguin scientist. Watching the man's face as he tries to formulate answers to questions like "Can penguins be gay?" and "Can penguins go insane?" is worth the price of admission.
Grade: B+
This film is not the warning about global warming that you might expect, though the topic of global warming and man's future on this planet does come up. Nor do we, the audience, learn much about the scientists' findings. Herzog traveled to this unpopulated part of the world where people drift when they want to get away from civilization, but the film seems more interested in these recluses than it does the environment to which they devote their time. This isn't that surprising, really. Herzog has always been interested in the human psyche and the motives that drive eccentrics to do the things they do. There's the sense in this film that Herzog has found himself among a batch of kindred spirits, and by learning what makes them tick may learn a little something about himself.
The funniest part of the film is Herzog's interview of the taciturn penguin scientist. Watching the man's face as he tries to formulate answers to questions like "Can penguins be gay?" and "Can penguins go insane?" is worth the price of admission.
Grade: B+