‘Penguins’ Is A Pleasant Summer Surprise

There have been very few pleasant surprises for Hollywood this summer season, but one of the biggest has been the improbable success of March of the Penguins, a French documentary that has been among the top ten films in the country for six straight weeks and has pulled in over $56 million dollars in the US alone, making it the second-highest-grossing non-IMAX documentary in history.

Amid a summer landscape of crash-and-burn flops like Stealth and The Island, and disappointing showings from promising flicks like Cinderella Man and Kingdom of Heaven, this heartwarming tale about emperor penguins has emerged as a bright, shining ray of hope, not only for moviegoers seeking something different at the box office, but also frustrated studio executives trying to navigate the increasingly unpredictable waters of a marketplace where leisure options (including better and better home entertainment systems) continue to expand and consumers’ disposable income begins to shrink.

But alas, let’s put Hollywood’s handwringing (and the cultural analysis) aside and focus on March of the Penguins, which is a delightful, enlightening film about a year in the life of emperor penguins in Antarctica.

Each winter, deep in the unforgiving, icy surroundings of one of the most inhospitable places on the globe, these fascinating birds, echoing the upstream appointments of salmon, travel, or more fittingly, waddle across approximately 70 miles of snowy terrain to return to the place at which they were born in order to mate. But getting there isn’t even half the tale.

Once they arrive at their breeding ground, the reproductive journey includes not only the selection of a suitable mate, but a battle against the harsh elements as the male and female must take turns protecting the fragile egg from the bitter cold and devastating winds and must also take on the miles-long trek several times themselves in the pursuit of sustenance for both themselves and the chick waiting to be hatched.

While some have perhaps legitimately argued that the film, by distinguishing the penguins’ trek as “brave” and “resolute” in the face of such extreme obstacles, goes too far in anthropomorphizing its subjects, I think it’s almost unavoidable to attribute some of our own emotions, feelings and sense of awe to these incredible creatures. After all, anyone who’s experienced the joys (and travails) of having a pet knows that animals exhibit an uncanny sense of personality and unique character traits.

Also, while the film benefits greatly from the authoritative, distinguished voice of Morgan Freeman, who pitches in nicely as narrator, there is much that the film leaves to our imagination. The intrepid filmmakers, who gather some incredible, awe-inspiring footage, also give space for our questions, our ponderings, as much in the movie goes unanswered (i.e., how exactly does one tell male from female? For those “parents” whose chicks do not survive, what role, if any, do they play in the flock for helping other penguins and their offspring survive?)

Interestingly enough, apparently the original, French version of the film, which was screened at Sundance Film Festival before the film was modified for its American run, actually went further in humanizing the penguins. The French dub features dialog for the penguins, a pop music soundtrack, and a much more whimsical approach to the whole proceedings. In light of this information, the American version should be praised even more for its simple approach to a very poignant saga from nature.

March of the Penguins, rated G for all audiences, is truly a tale of the otherworldly yet also a timeless chronicle of the everyday wonders of our planet. For all the new worlds and cultures our filmmakers’ imaginations can craft with all the latest CGI techniques at their fingertips, there’s still something to be said about the infinite diversity yet wonderful logic at work within our own sphere of existence.