Microcosmos (1996)

Filmmakers Claude Nuridsany and Marie Perennou use unique microscopic cameras and powerfully specialized microphones to look into the lifestyles of insects and minute creatures in an ordinary French meadow and pond. Up close and personal using slow motion and time-lapse photography; footage of ladybugs mating, snails doing their slimy coupling, spiders waiting and pouncing on prey, caterpillars on the march, bees pollinating...and a moderate rain hardly interrupts the micro flora and fauna, but the tiny creatures deal with danger. This documentary won five Cesar Awards at the 1996 French Academy of Cinema Awards; one for Best Cinematography and another for Best Music scored by composer Bruno Coulais. MICROCOSMOS is narrated by Jacques Perrin and Kristin Scott Thomas.

This innovative, often highly entertaining film is spoiled only by its insistence on overstaying its welcome (by about fifteen minutes). Directors Nuridsany and Perinnou explore a world about which we know very little, and understand even less.The amazing close-up photography reveals a veritable society that is as intricate as it is interdependent. The world of the insects is a fascinating, oft times amusing one peopled with hard working, organised ants, frantic bees, hungry birds and determined beetles, just to name a few. "Microcosmos" reveals this hidden mystery as a place where "a day is a lifetime".Truly this movie is testimony to the unfathomable God who created this awe-inspiring world in which we live.Monday, June 1, 1998 - Hoyts Croydon

Thoroughly enjoyable film, although I did at least in the beginning want more explanation. I wanted to know what that particular spider (or other creature) was called. I wanted to hear things like "Lucky catch. Sometimes a spider will sit for days without a meal." (I don't really know if that's the case.) Little bits of information like that would have been welcome.But then I became absorbed and realized that it was enough just to observe and learn what was available visually. The use of music to tell the story was not perfect, but good enough. I apparently do not enjoy snail mating as much as the film-makers though, because they chose absolutely beautiful music and it went on entirely too long. Strange.Nevertheless, I did enjoy this one and I would watch it again. It turns out that when you know more about them and can see their beauty this tiny creatures don't seem so creepy any more.

So many movies we view are about money, drugs, cars, corruption, violence, etc. This movie provides major relief from these common themes, as well as a great visual education of what we cannot see without a serious microscope!!! It is certainly a movie worth viewing, especially if you are partial to wildlife doco style films. This movie definitely rates along with other great visual/educational movies such as deep blue.There is little narration, but the sound effects of the bugs themselves within their environment, accompanied by the soundtrack works well. It is a somewhat relaxing movie, but portrays so many creatures and settings that are quite awesome. The cinematography, intense colours, great lighting, and the actual animals activities are simply fascinating.If you really need a story line, or girls/boys and fast cars to be entertained, then this is not the movie for you :) there are however, scenes of bugs being somewhat raunchy..