This movie shows the development of four babies from birth to about one year old. They are from extreme different cultures - Namibia, Mongolia, Japan and the United States. the movie is well-crafted - the photography and musical score is very good. There is no narrative. The movie shows babies as they explore, wonder and learn and I found it easy to create my own narrative as I did the same while watching them.
The diversity among them was part of the narrative. Namibia appeared barely touched by technology; Tokyo utterly transformed its landscape. It was interesting that the Japanese parents sang the birthday song in English and that the simple yurt the Mongolians lived in had an accompanying satellite dish. It is also amazing that each baby's unique personality emerges so early in their lives.
The universality of man was the other part of the narrative. Put a loincloth or a business suit on a man and a man is still a man. I wondered why are all babies so cute, be they humans, puppies or goats? Why does the first word in any language appear to be "mama"? Why were the animals so ambivalent and nonthreatening to the babies? Moms seem to naturally be tender with their little ones. Each baby experienced the struggle and triumph of learning to crawl, stand, walk and run just like the other billions of us.
This world has horrific evil, violence and darkness. But it also has beauty that about takes my breath away. People say "stop and smell the roses". Sometimes I find it good to look at a tree, or the clouds or stars, or people at the mall, just walking by. In the same way, I enjoyed watching the babies. It was a thoroughly entertaining and enriching way to spend 79 minutes.
