The BBC’s selection of nature documentaries, whether it’s Life or Planet Earth or their newest, Human Planet, makes it one of the easiest catalogs to recommend purchases from besides, say, the Criterion Collection. The camera work is typically second to none thanks to months, if not years, spent in the field with the subjects in question to capture that one stellar moment in glorious HD that makes you realize how much you’re missing sitting on the couch watching a documentary. It’s an ironic paradox, but arguably that’s exactly what a documentary should do: inspire you to action, whether it’s political or just taking a walk around the block. Human Planet makes you want to hop a jet to exotic locales and meet the people in the cultures the documentarians have captured so brilliantly. Series like this one make high definition make sense for the casual viewer in ways the average blockbuster can only hint at.
The 8-part series explores the triumph of humanity’s inventiveness in the world’s eight different primary ecosystems including oceans, deserts, rivers, cities, the arctic, jungles, mountains, and grasslands in an exploration of the seven continents and how Homo sapiens have adapted to meet the challenges presented by each. Visually, the different ecosystems allow for diverse episodes with equally vibrant backdrops, each with its own vivid color palette.
Episodes center on one or two notable events or practices unique to the part of the world in question, whether it’s catching a whale in canoes using nothing but manpower and long sticks, building a habitable tree house in dense jungles by using an elaborate scaffolding system, hunting foxes in the mountains with birds of prey, or a long trek through the desert whose success relies entirely on human navigation to a watering hole. To catch these momentous feats on film, the film crews employed a variety of methods to be at just the right place at just the right time to create timeless moments on film that may never be reproduced ever again. In a time when we’re told with increasing frequency that cultures will blur together and that the world is a smaller place than ever before, Human Planet reminds us just how vast these environs are and how easily cultures can still exist outside of the world of cineplexes, the internet, and the vast array of communications whose grasp extends further with each passing day.
Setting BBC documentaries apart from your average nature presentation is the dedication to the project: they capture footage in phenomenal resolution from unforgettable angles at just the right moment. While you could opt to catch the series in standard definition, because the content should be seen even if you don’t have the luxury of an HD screen, the true experience of Human Planet comes from the true-to-life imagery the series produces that immerses you in a way never before possible in home entertainment.
Acting as our narrator this time around is notable thespian John Hurt. While I don’t think anyone has matched David Attenborough’s sublime narration in the BBC Planet Earth series, John Hurt ranks a close second by only a hair. Hurt captures the wonder inherent in the imagery and manages to create that much needed bond between the camera and the human subjects whose lives have been laid bare before it.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
What makes the series a cut above the rest is the option to watch each episode followed immediately by a 10-minute “making of” segment that lets you see exactly how the film crews attained the footage they did and how they bonded with the people they spent so much time with. Very few Blu-ray sets are so entirely deserving of purchase, but Human Planet is undeniably incredible. Additionally, two featurettes go further into depth on the filmmakers and their locales, providing an extra little boost for those who get through the eight episodes and their follow-up segments and clamor for more—which will be just about everyone.
I really can’t stress this enough: buy this set, it’s superb.
"Human Planet: The Complete Series" is on sale April 26, 2011 and is not rated. Documentary. Starring John Hurt.
