Blu-ray Specs
Video: 1080p High Definition
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio / French 5.1 Dolby Digital
French Director Yann Arthus – Bertrand founded GoodPlanet, an environmental organization in 2005. With his intense love of preserving the resources the Earth has to offer, he filmed and wrote the narration for a massive undertaking of world record accomplishments. On June 5th 2009, Yann released his documentary “Home” to over 181 countries in an effort to inform the world of the road we are headed down if left unchanged. This release was shown in theaters, on TV released on DVD/ Blu-ray and even loaded onto the internet for the most wide viewing audience ever. A record 400,000 people viewed this event on YouTube within the first 24 hours alone. The narration for this release is read by Hollywood actress Glenn Close.
The world appears from space as it slowly is revealed by the sun to show the glorious globe we all know well. The camera shots are predominantly all aerial and circle and toil about the landscape of our vast planet. The narration covers the forming of the atmosphere and creation of all we have grown to learn about our planet. It also goes over elements, natural resources, animals and the eventual coming of the human species, all the while showing parts of the world only known by the few who explore and travel to these remote spots of beauty. The film explains all the balance that is required in nature and the effect that humans have had in the recent years since industrialization of our world. Various statistics and finger pointing are done but in the non personal sense. With all of the problems the world is experiencing, are there any solutions? Yes, and during the last 15 minutes or so, some are presented as a feeling of hope for all the doom that was presented in the film.
With spectacular views of country side from all over the globe, Blu-ray gives the ultimate experience in visual satisfaction. The vibrant color schemes presented where at times unbelievable and almost to the point of being unreal. At times there were images that I could only sit and be astonished to see as I’ve never see these types of images before. Cascading waterfalls, shots of clouds, wild life, the polar ice caps and jungles are just some of the amazing places that are captured like never before, all from the air.
There were times in which I wasn’t sure what I was looking at only due to the lack of scope or reference to compare what I was seeing to. At times I was getting a dizzy feeling as the images were twisting and moving in odd patterns, very disorienting. For most of the film things seem bleak and unchangeable, but there is a redeeming feeling as the film closes that we are on track to help to fix the problems we didn’t see in years past. My take, all great dominating species have rose and fallen at some point, why will we be different? Is it our ability to make conscious decisions and try to understand what we are doing? Or is this just the evolution and course our planet has been on and we are such a miniscule part that we feel self important? Well you decide because this is an informative look at our planet, skewed as it maybe. Check it out.
Reviewed by Michael Albaugh
