The Sea Horse

Original title: L'hippocampe, ou 'Cheval marin'

1935
15m

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

724

YOUR RATING

Documentary Short

Examines the sea horse, the only fish that swims upright. We watch it use its prehensile tail to wrap around plants and other sea horses. A frontal bulge houses organs including an air balla... Read allExamines the sea horse, the only fish that swims upright. We watch it use its prehensile tail to wrap around plants and other sea horses. A frontal bulge houses organs including an air ballast. Three fins propel this fish. We see a female place her eggs in a male's pouch where th... Read allExamines the sea horse, the only fish that swims upright. We watch it use its prehensile tail to wrap around plants and other sea horses. A frontal bulge houses organs including an air ballast. Three fins propel this fish. We see a female place her eggs in a male's pouch where they are fertilized and nurtured until birth in violent contractions. Inside the pouch are n... Read all

Director
- Jean Painlevé
Writer
- Jean Painlevé

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

724

YOUR RATING

Director
- Jean Painlevé
Writer
- Jean Painlevé

See production info at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Connections
Featured in Under the Skin (1997)

User reviews5

Featured review

10/10

Student Review

This is perhaps, Painlevé's masterpiece. He has moved squarely into the talkie era and has the backing of a major studio; his name appears before the title. He is the star and he uses his star power as the dry-witted professor to talk about and show us the seahorse. He is fond of the odd creature. He admires its looks. He compares it to other animals, like chameleons and monkeys and King Charles Spaniels. He talks about its oddities like how the male famously carries the eggs about and gives birth to them. He uses his microphotography and time-differentiated camera to tell the story effectively.

Most importantly, he makes it clear how interesting seahorses are to him, and imparts some of that interest to his audience. That's what all great teachers do: they don't just tell you stuff, they get you interested.