While nature films are nothing new, "Frozen Planet," a seven-part series making its American debut on the Discovery Channel, has a truly unashamed, voyeuristic quality about it. The camera goes into places that seem impossible or unlikely, refusing to turn away when things get ugly, violent or, in some cases, pretty steamy. There is a brutal honesty in this production that is both disturbing and highly refreshing.
Narrated by Alec Baldwin, "Frozen Planet" focuses on the Arctic and Antarctic, the two frozen regions that the documentary calls the last true wilderness. "The Ends of the Earth," the first episode, opens with a male polar bear crossing the ice in search of a mate. While he does eventually get, uh, lucky, finding a female is easier than holding on to her. By the end of their relationship, the male polar bear looks like a prize fighter after 15 rounds.
No honor among thieves or Adelie penguins
In 2005, "March of the Penguins" examined the annual struggles of Emperor penguins to mate and protect their eggs from inhospitable conditions. Either by accident or design, director Luc Jacquet and his crew gave the penguins a sense of honor and nobility, highlighting the sacrifices they make for their family units.
"Frozen Planet," on the other hand, shows that penguins can be real jerks at times. When the action switches to Antarctica in a segment named "Criminal Penguins," one Adelie penguin casually steals rocks and pebbles from the nest of another. The industrious builder wears himself out gathering rocks while the thief casually takes them while his back is turned.
"Frozen Planet" highlights true survival of the fittest
During "The Ends of the Earth," viewers may have to remind themselves that what they are seeing is very, very real. Liam Neeson's recent cinematic battle with computer-generated wolves in "The Grey," for instance, can't hold a candle to footage of real Arctic wolves stalking a herd of bison. The camera provides overhead shots of the real-life drama as the wolves do what they must to survive. As for the bison, when the going gets tough, the elders are willing to sacrifice one of their yearlings in order to escape.
Watching the struggle between a hungry sea lion and a Gentoo penguin in another segment is like watching a bad traffic accident: the footage is highly disturbing, but you simply cannot avert your eyes. A later segment shows the absolute precision used by killer whales to stalk and kill their prey. The fight between the whales and the seal almost seems matter-of-fact and, when it is all over, it almost is anti-climatic.
With its honest storytelling and eye-popping camera work, "Frozen Planet" shows that the action can get really hot even in a frozen wilderness. It is an honest piece of work that brings out the voyeur in all of us.
