When he made this movie, Jean Painlevé had been involved with movies for more than forty years. He had made dozens, possibly hundreds of movies, many of them about the weird, tiny creatures that inhabit the seas, their odd (to us) life cycles. When sound came in he had narrated themselves in a professorial manner, often with a dark sense of humor and awe at the grace and beauty in he saw in them. This one is different.
It is a dialogue conducted with Carola Meierrose, in which she talks about what she sees and asks questions and he answers those questions.... and often the answer works out to "I don't know." After which, occasionally Mme. Meierrose offers her own comments on the increasingly alien images.
For some one looking for answers, it may not be interesting, but for some one looking for truth, it's an exciting answer. Far too many people are looking for the right answer, be it in a book, or a lecture or on a movie or television screen. It may be a good way to pass a test, but what if the answer you are given is wrong?
