meow9

Very focused on academic research, interspersed with shots of dogs and their owners for the human interest angle. The narrative flows very smoothly from research project to research project, and the highlighted research is indeed very interesting.

The research projects run the gamut from the evolution of wolves to dogs, to the communication between dogs and humans, to the less tangible bond between dogs and humans. Emphasis is placed on how unique the dog-human relationship is, and fundamental differences between dogs and other animals which may be a result of this relationship.

Given the short time available, the research was not always presented thoroughly enough to dissuade methodology criticism. Leaves the scientifically curious with more questions than answers, but not for lack for trying.

Fraulein starts off strongly, as the viewer tries to figure out who the women are and what is going on. The problem is that after we figure it out, we're left grasping at empty air for something more. Are there any more great insights to be had about immigrant psyche or intergenerational female dynamics? Not really. The insights we do achieve are minor and predictable. Only one of the characters undergoes any significant change during the movie, and this change is also predictable.

The details of the movie are done well, the colours, the sounds, the camera angles. With strong details but weak theme, this movie ends up feeling myopic, a feeling only underscored by the many close-up shots and the rarity of wide-angle, panoramic shots. There's a distinct lack of context - this story about immigrants, young and old, could take place anywhere. I didn't even know this was a Swiss film until I started reading other reviews.

Some movies feel intimate when they concentrate on the immediate details, as this movie does. However, the emotional remoteness of all the characters prevents any intimacy from developing, and instead all that's left is myopia.

Dirt! did a good job of touching on important issues facing soil today - monoculture, artificial fertilizer, soil erosion, desertification, slash and burn, etc - as well as some solutions for better soil care and conservation - compost, polyculture. What it did a poor job of was presenting how all the issues are interrelated through physical and biological processes (e.g. nitrogen cycle, life and death). The formation and roles of soil were sadly under-explained. The viewer is left with a scattershot impression of trouble but the big picture is woefully incomplete.

My sense is that the documentarian wanted to emphasize the spiritual and emotional rather than the scientific or even economic aspects. This bias makes it a good film for the uninitiated - those who need to be impressed with the value of the 'skin of the Earth' - but those who keep abreast of ecological disasters-in-the-making would probably prefer a film with a more compelling, cohesive, substantive narrative.

Too bad, because soil is an extremely important resource, and everyone should know its value and the consequences of mismanagement. Dirt! delivers the right message, but if only it would deliver it more persuasively...