Blog

It is indeed a very sobering and poignant day when a documentary can so bluntly state that everything natural that lives around us has in fact suffered from our very own human existence. Planet Ocean, as inferred by the self-descriptive title, is a feature-length documentary that explores the controversial relationship between our planet’s ocean and humankind. Critically acclaimed documentary film-maker and environmentalist Yann Arthus-Bertand, alongside co-director Michael Pitiot, both bring us 93 minutes of indisputably beautiful footage and a wealth of environmental knowledge and information.

From the very beginning, Planet Ocean is visually stunning. Many of the aerial-shots featured throughout are panned in such a way that they clearly demonstrate obvious passion and appreciation towards the environments shown. International underwater cinematographers that work in partnership with OMEGA provide much of the consistently beautiful and impressive imagery, showcasing truly fascinating footage of ocean-life and even the predatory rituals of some of its inhabitants. Moreover, being able to visually see captured-footage from an underwater perspective certainly aids the viewer in being able to digest much of the knowledge-heavy narration featured throughout.

Narrated by Josh Duhamel (Transformers), Universal Home Picture’s Planet Ocean begins in Shark Bay, Australia, one of many of the places that are journeyed to throughout the documentary. Slow camera-pans of crashing waves are shown as Duhamel quietly introduces us to the importance of the ocean and explains how it is firmly at the very centre of the origins of mankind. In obvious purposely-executed contrast to this opening serene imagery, shots of heavy-duty ships transporting forest logs are soon thereafter shown as the narration now tells us of the damaging effects that industrialisation and globalisation has had on the planet’s environment, even going as far as to refer to mankind as being ‘super predators’.

Transport back 4 billion years ago and we are shown how one of the greatest terrestrial floods originally formed the ocean and, incredibly, how powerful air-currents descending from the polar regions are capable of transporting millions of cubic-meters of water when in contact with the ocean due to the atmospheric collision with the hot air of the equator. The scientific knowledge throughout the documentary is certainly both fascinating and informative, however it is unfortunately hindered in terms of truly creating any notably enthusiastic impact due to the rather monotone and dreary tone in which it is narrated throughout. Consequently, Planet Ocean would undoubtedly be an enjoyable documentary for any environmental enthusiasts, however it would perhaps lack the spark to sustain the attention of any sitting outside that niche due to how overly-flat the delivery is.

Later in the documentary, Planet Ocean continues on to explain the detrimental effects of over-fishing and how all damaging waste gained from this is simply put back into the ocean, thus inevitably causing a rise in pollution that does little to sustain or help our environment. The documentary further describes the growth of the ship-industry as ‘relentless’, stating how the construction of large ships that size at 400 meters in ocean-space have in fact enabled the globalisation of industries due to factories being moved onto these physical creations.

In contrast to the predominantly negative and critical tone of the documentary, the music featured throughout Planet Ocean is in fact relaxing and very peaceful to listen to. Mainly consisting of soft instrumental scores that increase and decrease in intensity at suitably timed intervals, the music also aids to further highlight the sheer beauty of some of the imagery and footage shown, creating a pleasant backdrop that is enjoyable to listen to.

Although the information narrated in Planet Ocean is certainly informative, the documentary does at times perhaps over-chastise humankind in so much that it tars all of us with the same obnoxious anti-environmentalist brush. However, at the conclusion of its exploration, Planet Ocean does provide insights into possible solutions that may aid in future environmental conservation, creating a refreshing change from documentaries that simply highlight our ignorance, yet do nothing to help us change it.

La Poison is a French black comedy that was written and directed by Sacha Guitry and originally released in November 1951.  It stars Michel Simon, Jean Debucourt and Germaine Reuver, plus a multitude of French character actors.  The story concerns a wily but feckless provincial Frenchman, Monsieur Braconnier (Simon), who has come to the decision that he can no longer stand his wife (Reuver).  On the radio he hears defence barrister Monsieur Aubanel (Debucourt) boasting of his 100^th acquittal; Braconnier realises that if he can secure Aubanel’s services he might be able to literally get away with murder.

The real focus of La Poison – and the target of Guitry’s satire – is the legal system, specifically the extent to which that system is abused by the unscrupulous.  Guitry’s view of who counts as “unscrupulous” seems to extend so far that it includes pretty much everybody.  There’s no morality here:  from the top of the judicial system down to the lowliest working man, everyone has an opinion of Braconnier’s crime – and a reason for exploiting it – but no-one thinks in terms of right and wrong, only guilty or not-guilty.  Neither does anyone spare a thought for the victim, as unpleasant as she is.

There’s a context to this film which helps to explain why Guitry may have arrived at this jaundiced standpoint.  Guitry was a successful French playwright and actor who began making films of his work in the 1930s; always prolific his stream of work was only partially halted by the Second World War and the Nazi occupation of France.  That Guitry continued to work, albeit more slowly, during this period was, along with the perception that he enjoyed special favours from the Nazis, to count against him heavily once the war had ended.  Indeed, almost as soon as Paris had been liberated in 1944 Guitry was arrested and imprisoned for collaboration.  He was released after two months but banned from working.  It wasn’t until 1947, after an official investigation into his wartime activities found in his favour, that he was permitted to resume his career.

I’m ashamed to say I don’t know enough about Guitry’s work to be able to tell you whether there is a marked difference between his pre- and post-war work but the general view seems to be that the frivolity which was characteristic of his early films was replaced by a much darker tone, and La Poison is a good example of this.  It’s a very witty and amusing comedy but the theme at its heart is deadly serious and impossible to divorce from Guitry’s own experiences.  For instance, the instant opinions on Braconnier’s guilt or innocence, based as they are on little more than fragments of information, are a direct reflection of Guitry’s post-war troubles.

In purely cinematic terms the film is excellent and this blu-ray release from Eureka’s ‘Masters of Cinema’ collection presents it in pristine condition.  The scenes of provincial French life are beautifully observed and the acting is uniformly terrific, particularly Michel Simon as the increasingly garrulous M. Braconnier.  One element is especially worthy of note as it is, in my experience, unique in cinema: a five-minute sequence before the action starts where Guitry wanders around the stage sets introducing his cast and crew.  It’s quite remarkable, particularly the huge praise he lavishes on a distinctly uncomfortable-looking  Michel Simon.