 Movie Review:
March of the Penguins
Production Company: Warner Independent Pictures, National Geographic Feature Films
Director: Luc Jacquet
Principals: Narrated by Morgan Freeman
Rating: G
By Gregg Tubbs
(UMCom) – Saint Francis, patron saint of animals, is often credited with saying, "Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary." Naturally, he meant that actions speak louder than words. If that’s so, then the actions of the emperor penguins of Antarctica speak volumes. March of the Penguins, the absorbing new documentary from National Geographic Films and director Luc Jacquet, is a fascinating and incredibly moving look at life and love at the harshest place on earth, all seen through the eyes of one of God’s most whimsical creations, the penguin.
Copyright © 2005 Warner Independent Pictures |
March of the Penguins chronicles the perilous journeys of emperor penguins across Antarctica’s merciless deserts of ice. It is a cycle that has been carried out over millennia, as the aquatic birds leave their ocean home and trek inland to pair off into monogamous couples and mate, creating new life in an environment seemingly designed to prevent it. Each winter, these roly-poly birds travel more than 70 miles inland to their breeding ground – an area inhospitable to predators, where the ice is thick enough to assure newborn chicks won’t break through and perish in the frigid water.
As true creatures of the sea, the penguins are swift and graceful in the water. But during this dangerous overland journey, these flightless birds must cross the icy wasteland the only way they can – by walking. The sight of thousands of penguins waddling single file across the white expanse is hard to describe and impossible to forget. At first they appear comical. But over time, and through the warm narration by Morgan Freeman, we begin to see the penguins as much more. They are resolute, cooperative, indomitable and driven by the urgent shared purpose of survival of the species. Director Jacquet slowly dispels this initial comical impression by zooming in close, revealing the perfection of their feathers, the expressiveness of their faces and the joyous splash of yellow that accents their black and white coats. They are, in fact, creatures of beauty, perfectly suited to their environment.
Copyright © 2005 Warner Independent Pictures |
Following a tender courtship and with some luck, the new penguin couples produce a single egg. They then begin a months-long struggle, without food, battling the harshest of winter storms to sustain their offspring throughout the winter so that it too can return to the sea.
So, what is this unspoken “gospel” of the penguins? How do their silent actions speak to us in ways that are personal and spiritual? We see the female, half starved from her journey and the strain of producing an egg. Facing death if she does not return to the sea to feed, she gently passes the egg to the waiting male. It is a delicate handoff. To drop it means instant death to the chick inside, as a cracked egg freezes instantly. With the egg nestled warmly between her feet and belly, the female and her mate carefully practice the handoff like a life depends on it – because it does!
We see the male stoically cradle the egg, and later his newly hatched chick, preparing to go up to four months without food, protecting his young from grueling cold and wind. He produces a small amount of reserved nourishment from his own throat to sustain the chick, despite his own growing hunger. He is sustained only by the faith that his mate will return with a belly full of food for her and the chick.
 |
| Copyright © 2005 Warner Independent Pictures |
And we see a thousand males, each cradling their young, bunched in a massive huddle against the cold. To leave the huddle means death. But through miraculous instinct, or perhaps something even more, the males take turns inside the huddle where it’s warmer and on the outside, where they are more exposed to the cold. Their shared body heat is the only source of warmth. Survival for one is survival for all.
Finally we see the most stirring sight of all: females returning from the sea. As they find their mates among the massed thousands, and see their chicks for the very first time, the females arch their necks and sing. Soon they are joined by the males in a song that could be described as sheer joy.
Is it possible birds feel what people feel? Can they mourn, love, nurture and sacrifice? Who’s to say? Seeing March of the Penguins makes us examine our own feelings about love, life, commitment, parenting and community, and most of all wonder at the beauty of God’s creation.
Gregg Tubbs is a freelance writer living in Columbia, Md.
This review was developed by UMC.org, the official online ministry of The United Methodist Church.
Study Questions
-
What was your first impression of the emperor penguins? Did that impression change as the film developed? Why?
-
At the beginning, the narrator describes a legend of the penguins as a “last tribe” of people who stayed behind as Antarctica drifted south. Does the legend make the penguins seem more human?
-
If you could ascribe one human quality to the penguins, what would it be?
-
The narration describes the film as “a story of love, in the harshest place on earth.” Do you agree, or do think the film is about something else?
-
What Christian values are illustrated in the actions of the penguins? Can God use animals to teach us?
-
The Bible includes several examples of animals serving as part of God’s plan. Can you name a few?
-
Were you surprised by the strong role the male penguin played in parenting? Which bird do you think does the most: the male or female, or is it a partnership?
-
Do you think the film reads too much into the actions of the birds? Do you believe they are capable of love, trust and courage? Does it matter to you?
-
Read Job 12:7-9 and discuss what this means. What does the passage say abut God’s sovereignty over His creation?
-
Do the trials and difficulties of the penguins seem cruel or unfair? If so, how do you reconcile this with your faith?
Group Activities
Pass the Egg: This trust exercise is based on the penguins passing their egg, female to male. Pair up members of your group, and give each pair a tennis ball and a permanent marker. Ask each person to write the name of a person they love on the ball so that each ball has two names. Now imitate the penguins and pretend the ball is an egg representing someone precious. Couples should stand facing each other with feet together, with one member balancing the ball on his/her feet. They must try to pass the ball from the first person to the second person and back again, using only their feet. When everyone has had several tries, bring the group together again and discuss the experience. How does it feel trusting someone else with your precious egg? How does it feel being responsible for the welfare of something precious to someone else? What strategies and communications enabled success?
Created or Evolved: Part of the beauty of March of the Penguins is to marvel at the intricate and ingenious ways of nature and the delicately balanced web of life in the Antarctic. Use this film to explore your group’s feelings about creation and evolution. Read the part of the creation story in Genesis 1:20-21 as a group. Discuss whether divine creation and evolution are mutually exclusive. What aspects of the film support God’s handiwork? What does your group know about the theory of Intelligent Design? Finally, share this popular joke with your group, and discuss what it might mean: One day God was looking down at the earth with one of his angels. Considering all the debate and anguish over the origin of life, God finally says to the angel, “You know, sometimes, I wish I never had created evolution.”
Penguin Party: In this just-for-fun activity, make your next group meeting a “Penguin Party.” Encourage people to dress in black and white like penguins, especially encouraging those with access to tuxedos to wear them. Hold a contest to see who does the best penguin impersonation. Try marching in line like the penguins (you can do it to music!). Serve black and white penguin treats (black licorice, white cake, black and white sandwich cookies).
Resources
Official March of the Penguins Web site
Theatrical Trailer
Windows Media
QuickTime
|
