La marche de l'empereur (2005)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Luc Jacquet

Writers (WGA):

Jordan Roberts (US narration)
Luc Jacquet (earlier screenplay) ...

Release Date:

22 July 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Family

Tagline:

In the harshest place on Earth, love finds a way

Plot:

A look at the annual journey of Emperor penguins as they march -- single file -- to their traditional breeding ground.

Plot Keywords:

Penguin | Egg | Ice | Fish | Blizzard

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 11 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Charles Berling	...	Narrator - Penguin Father (voice: French version)
Romane Bohringer	...	Narrator - Penguin Mother (voice: French version)
Jules Sitruk	...	Narrator - Penguin Baby (voice: French version)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Amitabh Bachchan	...	Narrator (voice)
Gösta Ekman	...	Narrator (voice: Swedish version)
Fiorello	...	Narrator (voice: Italian version)
Morgan Freeman	...	Narrator (voice: English version)
Sofie Gråbøl	...	Narrator (voice: Danish version)
Hikari Ishida	...	Haha-Penguin (voice: Japanese version)
Ryûnosuke Kamiki	...	Ko-Penguin (voice: Japanese version)
Takao Osawa	...	Chichi-Penguin (voice: Japanese version)

Also Known As:

March of the Penguins (UK) (USA)
The Emperor's Journey (International: English title)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

France

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Hong Kong:I | Ireland:G | Taiwan:GP | Czech Republic:U | Germany:o.Al. | Finland:S | Switzerland:6 (canton of Zurich) | Australia:G | Norway:7 | USA:G (No. 41769) | Brazil:Livre | Canada:G (all jurisdictions) | Denmark:A | Sweden:7 | Argentina:Atp | Malaysia:U | Philippines:G (MTRCB) | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | New Zealand:G | Switzerland:0 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | France:U | UK:U | Singapore:G

Filming Locations:

Terre Adélie, Antarctica

Company:

Bonne Pioche

Trivia:

When released, became the second highest grossing theatrical documentary (after Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: [narrating voice over] There are few places hard to get to in this world. But there aren't any where it's harder to live.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Des manchots et des hommes (2004)

The Emperor's mating waltz in Antarctica

"The March of the Penguins" has to be one of the most beautiful documentaries in recent memory. Luc Jacquet, its director, takes us on trip to Antarctica where we are introduced to the majestic Emperor penguins. Mr. Jacquet and his cinematographers, Laurent Chalet and Jerome Maison, have done the impossible task to capture these penguins in their own habitat under conditions that seem almost humanly impossible to live, let alone take this team to register it for us, the viewers in all its splendor and bleakness.

The Emperor penguins have to be the most elegant birds on this planet. They have such a noble way of standing and shuffling in almost perfect lines from the sea to the area where they will mate, hatch their eggs, and then have the females leave for the sea to feed themselves and bring back food for the new chicks. After that is accomplished, it's the males turn to do their march back to the sea to feed and fortify themselves, returning to the hatching and mating area. What makes these penguins so unique is the sense of family they project at all times.

Mr. Jacquet makes it clear for us to understand the behavior of the Emperors in their hostile environment. The English version has the clear narration by Morgan Freeman who expands on the way these birds live and how they are able to survive under extreme conditions. From what I have read about the documentary, the English version, which we are seeing in this country, has a musical score by Alex Wurman, that enhances the movie in unexpected ways.

Antarctica, that icy white vastness at the end of the world, has never looked more majestic than in this documentary. Thanks to Luc Jacquet we are enlightened by all what we learn about the Emperors as they endure and survive under the worst possible circumstances and remain the graceful figures they are. Watching "The March of the Penguins" feels, at times, like being at the ballet watching a magical dance performed by these flightless birds that manage to look so dignified all the time while doing for us their amazing dance of survival.