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Microcosmos is an award-winning French documentary directed by Claude Nuridsany and Marie Pérennou. It was shot in l'Aveyron, a département of the Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France, named after the Aveyron river.
Microcosmos was the first documentary, back in 1996, to use high-technology ... Read review
Biologists Claude Nuridsany and Marie Perennou take us on an incredible journey through a ... more
meadow on an ordinary summer's day. By the use of Macrovision and extraordinary sounds we get a bug's eye view of a world in miniature, where exquisitely beautifu...
A French meadow on a summer's day is the setting for this incredible highly-acclaimed ... more
film that takes its' microscopic cameras into the heart of the insect world. In this miniature environment where a single raindrop can cause havoc we are treated to an array of jaw-dropping moments: an underwater spider makes a home out of an air bubble a colony of ants face a massacre when a pheasant attacks a determined Beetle struggles to relocate his ball of dung two snails get amorous and a mosquito is born. There's drama comedy action and even a little love in this astonishing film that invites us to share the trials and tribulations of its wonderful cast.
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Using revolutionary cameras, the directors of this French film (with minimal ... more
English-language narration) have made an amazing chronicle of the insect world. There are at least a dozen fascinating, memorable images and the carnage is held to a minimum. Some favourites include a caterpillar traffic jam, a frog's bout with a rain storm and a bird that turns into Godzilla for a bunch of ants. Then there's the snail mating scene that must be seen to be believed. Great for families. --Doug Thomas, Amazon.com
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Living World & Universe - Original Language: English - Classification: Exempt - Starring: David Attenborough, Andrew Sachs, Ciaran McMenamin, Hywel Bennett, John Hurt, John James, Joss Ackland, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Simon King, Valmik Thapar
Advantages: A superb documentary. Amazing. Disadvantages: None.
...epic documentary.
Microcosmos is an award-winning French documentary directed by Claude Nuridsany and Marie Pérennou. It was shot in l'Aveyron, a département of the Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France, named after the Aveyron river.
Microcosmos was the first documentary, back in 1996, to use high-technology camera equipment to capture the infinitely small world of insects.
Nowadays, the same techniques are ... ...Microcosmos is a very different brand of documentary, almost devoid of commentary, which gives it a Koyaanisqatsi feel (Godfrey Reggio, 1982).
Nuridsany and Pérennou furnish the bland documentary style with cinematic hand-held and fixed camera works that seem to work towards a narrative and intelligent whole, instead of some up-to-the-minute material girl leaping into focus every minute.
Microcosmos is an award-winning French documentary directed by Claude Nuridsany and Marie Pérennou. It was shot in l'Aveyron, a département of the Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France, named after the Aveyron river.
Microcosmos was the first documentary, back in 1996, to use high-technology camera equipment to capture the infinitely small world of insects. Nowadays, the same techniques are applied in most TV documentaries concerning insects and animals. However, Microcosmos is a very different brand of documentary, almost devoid of commentary, which gives it a Koyaanisqatsi feel (Godfrey Reggio, 1982).
Nuridsany and Pérennou furnish the bland documentary style with cinematic hand-held and fixed camera works that seem to work towards a narrative and intelligent whole, instead of some up-to-the-minute material girl leaping into focus every minute.
From the first frame, after a very brief off-voice, the camera slowly descends into the grasses, very much like the opening to David Lynch's Blue Velvet (1986). The grass bends aside the camera lens... we go deeper still... and finally Microcosmos begins. Wonderful.
You will encounter the most exotic insects ever, as well as some common ones. These are Microcosmos's cast. The list is never-ending: Beautiful rainbow-coloured butterflies, long-tailed caterpillars, duelling Dung beetles, strange underwater spiders, swallow-tail butterflies, Burgundy snails, stag beetles, ferocious red ants, peacock moths... and many more.
My favourite part (you can't really call this a spoiler of any kind) is when you get a point-of-view camera from inside an ant's nest. Amazing. You will also come across the accelerated metamorphosis of a mosquito, an astonishing sight, among other mind-blowing things.
Microcosmos is 72 minutes long, split into 21 comprehensive DVD chapters.
There are no extras, for obvious reasons: - You cannot make a documentary about making a documentary. - There are no outtakes. Maybe a commentary by Claude Nuridsany or Marie Pérennou, or both, would of being a nice addition. But it does not matter that much.
In conclusion, Microcosmos is one of the most memorable documentaries of the 90's and ranks among the greatest, such as Night and Fog (Alain Resnais, 1955) and Koyaanisqatsi (Godfrey Reggio, 1982). It should not be missed; a great watch for kids too.
*
(Written by myself - no violation, no lifting, no breach of copyright)
A fascinating, close-up view of the world of insects, snails, spiders, and other tiny invertebrates as they work, eat, fight and procreate.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
PATHE DISTRIBUTION; 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Release date
30/06/2003
No of Discs
1
Catalogue No
P 8922 DVD
Barcode
5060002831366
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Aspect Ratio
1.85 Wide Screen, 16:9 Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo English
DVD Description
A fascinating, close-up view of the world of insects, snails, spiders, and other tiny invertebrates as they work, eat, fight and procreate. This acclaimed French documentary was filmed with special microscopic cameras and high-resolution microphones, utilizing slow motion and time-lapse photography to capture bees collecting nectar, spiders ensnaring their prey, mosquitoes hatching, and other minute wonders of the insect world, resulting in a breathtaking glimpse of the beauty and poetry that exists underfoot.
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