Galapagos
BBC Warner - BBC Warner
Release date: 2007-04-03
DVD
Actors: Tilda Swinton
Documentary, Movie
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Galapagos
Date undefinedThe other reviews here on Amazon, and several others elsewhere, fully describe this extraordinary nature film: stunning camerawork, sweeping music coordinated with the action, excellent closeups, and an attractive narrator. Tilda Swinton's "blue-footed boobies" phrase is enchanting.
As dedicated travelers, my wife and I have decided not to travel there; so many of the sights are underwater, and the environmental pressures are severe. We've decided to continue to read about the 13 main islands and 60 other islets, rocks and reefs, and enjoy these films as armchair travelers instead.
Here's a short checklist of my favorite books to accompany the shows:
Galapagos: The Islands That Changed the World by Paul D. Stewart.
Birds, Mammals, and Reptiles of the Galapagos Islands: An Identification Guide, 2nd Edition by Andy Swash and Rob Still.
Wildlife of the Galapagos (Traveller's Guide) by Julian Fitter, Daniel Fitter, and David Hosking.
Galapagos Conservancy Membership (An excellent annual report and an opportunity to contribute to the maintenance of the site.)
And, we might even plant a couple Galapagos Island Tomato 5 Seeds, a cross with Lycopersicon cheesmanii, a species from the Galapagos islands. Sometimes staying home can be better than actually visiting a place.
Robert C. Ross 2008
Galapagos
Date undefinedGALAPAGOS is a revelation.
This three-part series, narrated hypnotically by Oscar-winner Tilda Swinton, includes a largely informative script, a heartrending score and some of the finest nature photography ever committed to film. Whether tracking an enormous Blue-Footed Booby flock on a massive dive for prey, following the eerie progress of Marine Iguanas on an undersea quest for red algae or honoring, through iconic imagery, the dogged persistence of the Galapagos Tortoise, the film is endlessly fascinating. Through three gripping episodes, it never flags.
If ever there was a film to unite evolutionists with Biblical fundamentalists, this is it. The endless birth and aging of islands in the "hot spot" of the archipelago -- some as young as 30,000 years of age; others in excess of 100 million years -- reveals the full flowering of nature, and justifies the concept of evolution and the holiness of wild places.
Of all the wonderful natural history films released by the BBC these past 30 years, this is one of my three favorites. It ignites the scientific imagination and intellectual curiosity. It's also undeniably beautiful.
Five stars.
Galapagos
Date undefinedI have visited the Galapagos Islands, so I was looking for a DVD that showed the beauty of the islands and described the geologic and natural history. "Galapagos" is beautifully done. The photography is superb and the narration excellent. Although I have read quite a bit about the islands, this DVD gave some information I had not known before.
I would recommend "Galapagos" to anyone.
