IMDb RATING
7.9/10
12K
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A documentary on insect life in meadows and ponds.A documentary on insect life in meadows and ponds.A documentary on insect life in meadows and ponds.
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10Bassem
The stunning images are not what make it a masterpiece, rather it is its poetry which conveys the sheer beauty of life.
This movie is a religious experience.
This movie is a religious experience.
Amazing. There must have been millions of hours of footage shot to obtain these perfect sequences of magnified nature. Each segment was fascinating, beautiful, in some cases strangely emotional.
My jaw was literally dropped through much of this film. I even found myself wowing like a hippy and chuckling like Butthead many times. There were even some moments that I almost said, "No, that's not realistic. They made that up."
The soundtrack was almost non-existent, so you appreciated it more when the haunting music worked its way into a scene. The sound quality of the actual critters was very good as well. There is nearly no narrative or narration throughout the film -and that would be my only criticism -there should have been NONE. The movie was spectacular with no commentary, and the human voice for a brief moment in the beginning and end detracted from the alien environment.
This movie was not a documentary, it was just fine filmmaking that would only fall into the genre of "mind-f---".
My jaw was literally dropped through much of this film. I even found myself wowing like a hippy and chuckling like Butthead many times. There were even some moments that I almost said, "No, that's not realistic. They made that up."
The soundtrack was almost non-existent, so you appreciated it more when the haunting music worked its way into a scene. The sound quality of the actual critters was very good as well. There is nearly no narrative or narration throughout the film -and that would be my only criticism -there should have been NONE. The movie was spectacular with no commentary, and the human voice for a brief moment in the beginning and end detracted from the alien environment.
This movie was not a documentary, it was just fine filmmaking that would only fall into the genre of "mind-f---".
"Microcosmos" is definitely one of the best animal documentary movies ever made! It's not about the most bizarre and exotic animals somewhere in Africa, but shows the all-day life of tiny insects like flies, spiders, bugs, ants, frogs, worms and snails in a French forest. There are nearly no comments, but well-chosen classical music adds a fascinating rhythm, dynamics and atmosphere to the stunning pictures... the French filmmakers just don't watch the tiny animals like scientists, but point out the beauty of their appearances, movements, actions and searches for food. Every single insect appears like painted from an artist and is shown in full close-up so that you can discover many new sides about the small animals somewhere in your own garden... and if you've watched a really romantic love scene by two snails know what "natural beauty" really means... highly recommended!
Microcosmos is a magnificent journey, an experience to explore a world full of details and wonder. After watching this "documentary" you would never see another insect in the same way as before.
If you read some comments complaining about the little-to-non-existent narration is because they fail to understand this "documentary" is not about getting the facts straight. It is an experience and as such it is to be lived not to be told.
Sit on the grass, observe, and paint the daughter of the dragonfly.
If you read some comments complaining about the little-to-non-existent narration is because they fail to understand this "documentary" is not about getting the facts straight. It is an experience and as such it is to be lived not to be told.
Sit on the grass, observe, and paint the daughter of the dragonfly.
The film shows some amazing pictures, the one thing it is missing is some narration that would help people understand the things they see. At least, naming the insects would be nice. Also without narration many very interesting events portrayed are likely to be either missed or misunderstood (eg a very funny shot of orchid attracting a drone by looking like a young bee queen, and many other things too).
Did you know
- TriviaFilmed over a period of three years.
- Quotes
Narrator (English version): [beginning narration] A meadow in early morning, somewhere on Earth. Hidden here is a world as vast as our own, where the weeds are like impenetrable jungles, the stones are mountains, and even the smallest pond becomes an ocean. Time passes differently here: an hour is like a day, a day is like a season, and the passing of a season is a lifetime. But to observe this world, we must fall silent now, and listen to its murmurs.
- Crazy creditsIn the end credits: Le Conseil Général de L'Aveyron and SIVOM des Monts et Lacs du Lévezou extend the adventure in the world of insects at the Jean-Henri Fabre Center of Saint-Léons in Lévezou, opening in 1998.
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- CHF 5,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $1,433,210
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $35,189
- Oct 13, 1996
- Gross worldwide
- $1,433,210
- Runtime
- 1h 20m(80 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1
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