Continually saying that David Attenborough is a national hero, a personal hero and unequalled when it came to nature documentary presenting/narrating is very high praise coming from somebody who is a big documentary fan and has been on a more than fullfilling documentary binge, Attenborough-related and not.
Gems are so many in decades-old worth of work that is remarkably consistent in that there is not a bad thing in it, something extremely rare for anybody. If asked what is my favourite of his it would actually be impossible to give an answer, as said before a number of times in older reviews just like it would be if asked what my favourite opera is, what my favourite ice cream flavour or what my favourite book is because they all change constantly. 'The Life of Birds' is though by any standards one of his masterworks, superb in its own right and when it comes to documentaries on birds it is ground-breaking and very much quintessential. It has everything that makes so much of his work so wonderful and deserves everything great that has been said about it.
Was not disappointed by any of the previous eight episodes of 'The Life of Birds'. Was not disappointed by the penultimate episode "The Problems of Parenthood" either, doing so much with a relatable subject with a lot of educational value and emotional investment.
Visually the episode is made with a natural intimacy (a great way of connecting even more with the birds), way, never feeling static. Its remarkably near-cinematic look makes one forget that it is a series, with the editing flowing smoothly and coherently and the scenery is gorgeous. Animation is also brought into the mix, not only does it hold up well it also is used sensibly, making an impact without being over-used and never jars.
No intrusion or inappropriate placement in the stirring music. Have at times found music intrusive in some documentaries, Attenborough's work not exempted, but did not find that here or the rest of 'The Life of Birds'.
Once again, a great job is done engaging and educating, found myself also emotionally involved and unable to look away. In terms of the facts there was a very good mix of known and unknown, written with the usual tact and sensitivity. It is all well-researched and backed up. Likewise with the different species themselves, the information presented was illuminating and saw any familiar ones in a different light so familiar information instead felt fresh. Knew little about the European Cuckoo and Gouldian finch before this episode and saw the egret in a different light. The subject of parenthood is a very relatable one with humans going through the problems themselves on a regular basis.
When it comes to presenting/narrating nature documentaries, and documentaries full stop, it is hard to think of anybody on the same level or better than Attenborough, being consistently one of the main reasons as to why his vast body of work is so highly regarded. Not many presenters and narrators in documentaries know and live their content better in the way Attenborough does, if at all, and he times and pitches it all beautifully and with not a foot wrong. His delivery not once loses its typical sincerity and enthusiasm and for me it is a distinctive voice that one can listen to for hours on end without ever being bored or annoyed. Similarly it is understated yet always riveting, never preachy.
All the wide-ranging traits of the birds continually interest the viewer, whether prey or predator, and they are rootable without giving them too much humanity. The episode doesn't feel too cramped with information, amazing for an episode with a lot covered in a short space of time, and it doesn't feel rushed in pace and the information doesn't feel cliff notes.
"The Problems of Parenthood" has nothing unnatural about how it flows, nothing is choppy and instead it feels smooth and cohesive. There is plenty of emotional investment, did shed a tear when the coots and pelicans turned on each other and the starvation. Following what is going on and being said is never a problem, as we are guided along gently and it doesn't feel episodic. Facts are not compromised in favour of telling a story without any backing up and there is not a problem of over-speculation. It is easy to do both and both have been in documentaries, not so here and that is the same for the whole of 'The Life of Birds'.
Concluding, wonderful penultimate episode of a ground-breaking masterwork. 10/10 Bethany Cox
Gems are so many in decades-old worth of work that is remarkably consistent in that there is not a bad thing in it, something extremely rare for anybody. If asked what is my favourite of his it would actually be impossible to give an answer, as said before a number of times in older reviews just like it would be if asked what my favourite opera is, what my favourite ice cream flavour or what my favourite book is because they all change constantly. 'The Life of Birds' is though by any standards one of his masterworks, superb in its own right and when it comes to documentaries on birds it is ground-breaking and very much quintessential. It has everything that makes so much of his work so wonderful and deserves everything great that has been said about it.
Was not disappointed by any of the previous eight episodes of 'The Life of Birds'. Was not disappointed by the penultimate episode "The Problems of Parenthood" either, doing so much with a relatable subject with a lot of educational value and emotional investment.
Visually the episode is made with a natural intimacy (a great way of connecting even more with the birds), way, never feeling static. Its remarkably near-cinematic look makes one forget that it is a series, with the editing flowing smoothly and coherently and the scenery is gorgeous. Animation is also brought into the mix, not only does it hold up well it also is used sensibly, making an impact without being over-used and never jars.
No intrusion or inappropriate placement in the stirring music. Have at times found music intrusive in some documentaries, Attenborough's work not exempted, but did not find that here or the rest of 'The Life of Birds'.
Once again, a great job is done engaging and educating, found myself also emotionally involved and unable to look away. In terms of the facts there was a very good mix of known and unknown, written with the usual tact and sensitivity. It is all well-researched and backed up. Likewise with the different species themselves, the information presented was illuminating and saw any familiar ones in a different light so familiar information instead felt fresh. Knew little about the European Cuckoo and Gouldian finch before this episode and saw the egret in a different light. The subject of parenthood is a very relatable one with humans going through the problems themselves on a regular basis.
When it comes to presenting/narrating nature documentaries, and documentaries full stop, it is hard to think of anybody on the same level or better than Attenborough, being consistently one of the main reasons as to why his vast body of work is so highly regarded. Not many presenters and narrators in documentaries know and live their content better in the way Attenborough does, if at all, and he times and pitches it all beautifully and with not a foot wrong. His delivery not once loses its typical sincerity and enthusiasm and for me it is a distinctive voice that one can listen to for hours on end without ever being bored or annoyed. Similarly it is understated yet always riveting, never preachy.
All the wide-ranging traits of the birds continually interest the viewer, whether prey or predator, and they are rootable without giving them too much humanity. The episode doesn't feel too cramped with information, amazing for an episode with a lot covered in a short space of time, and it doesn't feel rushed in pace and the information doesn't feel cliff notes.
"The Problems of Parenthood" has nothing unnatural about how it flows, nothing is choppy and instead it feels smooth and cohesive. There is plenty of emotional investment, did shed a tear when the coots and pelicans turned on each other and the starvation. Following what is going on and being said is never a problem, as we are guided along gently and it doesn't feel episodic. Facts are not compromised in favour of telling a story without any backing up and there is not a problem of over-speculation. It is easy to do both and both have been in documentaries, not so here and that is the same for the whole of 'The Life of Birds'.
Concluding, wonderful penultimate episode of a ground-breaking masterwork. 10/10 Bethany Cox
