Frozen Planet
2011
Original language: English
- documentary
The story
David Attenborough travels to the end of the earth, taking viewers on an extraordinary journey across the polar regions of our planet.
What it’s like
Vast, unhurried wide shots of ice shelves, glacier faces and snowfields under pale, low polar light, with the blues of crevasses and the stark white of winter landscapes carrying most of the frame. Telephoto close-ups bring in penguins, polar bears and reindeer at a patient distance, and high-speed and time-lapse sequences open up the slow breaking of sea ice and the turn of the seasons. The sound is a mix of crunching ice, wind, calls of seabirds and animals, and a sweeping orchestral score that swells at the big reveals and recedes to near silence around the animals. Attenborough's warm, measured narration sets the pace: steady and reflective, with wonder at the scale of the world rather than thrill. The vibe is awe-struck and calm, a long, sit-back series for a quiet evening or a slow weekend with a cup of tea. Its tone is hopeful with a current of concern for a changing climate. Intensity is low: predation and hunting appear as natural events, shown briefly and without gore, and the struggle for survival is observed rather than dramatised. Suited to anyone who wants gentle, educational nature viewing with sweeping, beautiful scenery.
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