THE WILD PARROTS OF TELEGRAPH HILL
Reviewed by Harvey S. Karten Shadow Distribution Grade: C Directed by: Judy Irving Cast: Mark Bittner Screened at: Review 2, NYC, 2/2/05
When you see a stack of parrots chilling out on the wires of San Francisco's Telegraph Hill, you may think: Hmmm...is this a sequel to the Hitchcock movie–not "Psycho," the one that bombed, but "The Birds"? Will this be about a woman and the mass bird attacks that follow her around an isolated California community? Or might this be a sequel to Jacques Perrin's stunning doc, "Winged Migration"–exploring birds in flight–with revolutionary filming techniques to make us feel as if we're right alongside them? Neither, but then no one really expects a small indie film, shot with 16mm rather than digital camera, expanded to fill a 35mm screen. What we do expect of a non-fiction item, at least one that deals with a deep look at the ways and means of parrots, to give us considerable information about their habits and, with hope, to portray an idiosyncratic man's efforts to care for the wild birds. We get more of the second, but as for information about parrots, much of this doc, notwithstanding its charming principal performer, is repetitious–even for its compact eighty-three minutes' length.
The star of this non-fiction offering, Mark Bittner, is a kind, generous, interesting fellow who, perhaps owing to his being raised in Washington State, has the desirable, bland American accent. While he does not come across as an odd-ball, he appears to be akin to the father of the Beat generation, Jack Kerouac, in that like Kerouac he strove to be a musician. He also wandered about, in Europe rather than the United States, and came back to life on the street where he lived for fourteen years. During most of the film's tenure, he is seen living in shabby digs albeit on one of San Francisco's upbeat communities, Telegraph Hill. He is fortunate to have been given the residence rent-free, at least until the two landlords decided to ease him out and renovate. Where he gets his money for food is anyone's guess, though an Italian-American-owned coffee shop happily doles out free coffee and the pastries that he loves.
As for the birds, there is only real individual in the pack: he's the one called Connor and unlike the others who are cherry-colored on the tops of their heads, his crown is blue–though this anomaly keeps him ostracized from the rest of the flock. (There is a parable here for human beings.) Bittner takes in sick birds, heals them, and sets them free. He insists that these parrots are wild and should not be caged in homes, though a couple of the birds appear insistent on remaining at home with this man who at least one tourist calls "the St. Francis of Telegraph Hill."
When he is forced to leave his free digs on Telegraph Hill, he is visibly shaken up, teary, and director-photographer Judy Irving, who has spent over four years in the making of the pic, captures this key moment in the man's life.
"Wild Parrots" will doubtless appeal to bird-watchers, particularly to those who specialize in these parrots who are native to South America. Those who prefer more variety in their non-fiction features, like me, will find the movie repetitious.
Rated G. 83 minutes. © 2005 by Harvey Karten harveycritic@cs.com
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