Genesis (2004)

Just saw this movie and was throughly entranced and impressed. Its a French film (with English subtitles), taking an artistic view of creation and what it means to be human. But as another reviewer said, don't be mistaken for thinking it is another Discovery Channel show. The visuals are captivating, and perfectly reinforce the 'story', often in very innovative ways. A couple of fascinating ideas discussed: We are all products of the cosmos - literally made from atoms that were once stars, nebulae, and then rivers, trees, volcanoes. Once we pass on, our atoms will once again become those wonderful works of nature.We are not made of atoms. Atoms flow through us like water in a river, but our life is more like the river - directing the flow of matter. Defying the laws of entropy that pull us towards decay. This refers to the fact that much of the tissues in our body is replaced every few days/months/years. So we are in fact a different 'person' to ourselves even just a few years ago.

Genesis is one of the most fascinating and relevant documentaries I have watched in my lifetime. As its title suggests, it is an account of the beginning of everything, but focuses most especially on the nature of life on our planet. It is an epiphany to watch for the first time, much like Powers Of Ten, another brilliant documentary. The truths contained in this film and the fashion in which they are masterfully woven into a much broader, overall picture are compelling, the imagery is mesmerizing, and for anyone who is truly interested in the essence and mannerisms of life as we know it, this film is an excellent introduction to a fuller, more complete understanding.

This is a documentary that covers from the Big Bang through the evolution and life cycles of complex animals. That alone wouldn't make Genesis very unique--there are tens of documentaries, most made for television, which cover all or some of the same material.However, one of the unique aspects of Genesis is that it features "narration" by Sotigui Kouyaté, a veteran West African actor. Kouyaté appears on camera often, in a part that seems halfway between a dramatic monologue and the traditional hosting of such documentaries, usually by academics of some stripe. The text that Kouyaté reads, which was written by directors Claude Nuridsany and Marie Pérennou, is much more poetic and philosophical than the narration that normally accompanies this type of documentary. That has benefits, and Kouyaté tends to come across as a less manic human counterpart to The Lion King's (1994) Rafiki, but it also has problems if you read the film strictly as a documentary, as a lot of the scientific information and philosophical ideas are either incorrect or not very well thought out.However, when covering such a wide swathe of existence, you can hardly expect narration to bog down in fine-grained, sometimes controversial points, and as suggested by the Rafiki comparison, I think it's not quite right to read Genesis strictly as a documentary. Nuridsany and Pérennou shoot for and achieve a film that very effectively conveys an intuitive understanding of holistic or panentheistic philosophical and spiritual views and shows how well they can mesh with current scientific understanding.But aside from the above, and that is important and subtle material, what really gives Genesis an edge and what makes it crucial viewing to anyone with an interest in these kinds of documentaries is the fantastic cinematography. Other than another film from the same team, Microcosmos: Le peuple de l'herbe (1996), I don't think I've ever seen footage of animals shot as well as this, and I've only rarely seen footage of geology and inanimate objects shoot as well as this. The cinematography features amazing close-ups, crisp images, seamless time-lapse photography, impressive footage (you'll often wonder how they could have obtained some of these shots), and often-brilliant editing. At times the film resembles a collage of abstract artwork as much as a documentary, and the editing helps make the holistic/panentheistic view clear.Long sections of the film are narration-free. Instead, the cinematography is accompanied by music, so at times, Genesis almost resembles the Godfrey Reggio/Philip Glass film Anima Mundi (1992). At least at one point, the music actually sounds Glass-like. The only slightly distracting element of the soundtrack is that Nuridsany and Pérennou decided to add foley sound effects to many scenes. Occasionally they enhance the visuals, but sometimes they're overdone.

a simple story ties together beautifully-filmed vignettes about birth, life, love, battle and death. shot in iceland, madagascar, the galapagos islands and in the producers' own labs, the film features spectacular and surprising detail about nearly-prehistoric animals.this film is suitable for young children wanting to learn about life, as well as for adults looking for visual proof of natural diversity. I enjoyed it greatly for its colour, its details and the stunning actions that it depicts. I will never look at a rattlesnake quite the same way again...