Early in the film there are
peaceful and beautiful shots of a world that we all fear is disappearing. It is
magical and delightful, even comical, like the series of shots of birds talking
to one another. Honestly, there are several shots that made me laugh out loud,
such as those birds peeking out from the holes in the tree, making me think of
a reclusive neighbor watching the world through her window. We can almost read
the birds’ thoughts, as those shots are combined with shots of the birth of a deer. Another
shot that made me laugh out loud is that of the bird poking its head out of the
water. It caught me by surprise. That entire sequence is a joy to watch. One of
the most delightful sequences is of young birds jumping down from their nest
and then following their mother along the forest’s floor. There are several
shots of animals with their young, feeding them, taking care of them, as well
as looking for food and even playing. And the way the film is cut, it is almost
like some animals are being entertained by others, and there is a sense of
everything being connected.
The film is full of dramatic
moments too, such as those wild horses. And there are even some action
sequences, as when a pack of wolves chases down a wild boar. The shots
during the heavy rain storm are wonderful. And yes, there many shots that left
me wondering how they managed to place the camera in exactly the right spot. How did they manage to get those reverse shots? What is also
striking is the soundtrack provided by the animals. There is a wonderful
musical score too, but the sounds of the animals are so distinct and
expressive, you’d swear they were actors following a script.
Every once in a while, the film
shows us glimpses of a person. At first, it is someone hidden, who is watching
the animals, just as we are. But then mankind creeps in more and more, and we
see someone chopping wood. These moments, of course, are staged, and so at
first pull me out of the film. The people feel intrusive in what is the
real story of nature. But of course that is the very point. The people feel
unwelcome, both in the world of the forest and the world of the film. Trees are
chopped down, as the advance of man continues. And whereas once the horses were
wild, now they are ridden by men. Particularly moving and distressing is the
footage of the hedgehogs putting up their natural defense at the sign of
danger, just as we’d seen them do successfully earlier in the film, not
understanding this new threat is beyond their defenses. They curl up into sharp
balls on a road, as a horse pulling a carriage comes barreling down on them. It
seems that the carriage does run over one of them, but a credit at the end
states, “No animals were harmed in the
making of this film.” Some of these later scenes did make me wonder just how
much of the animal footage was staged.
Seasons does contain some narration, but it is kept to a minimum,
and most of the action is allowed to play out without comment. As mankind
begins to take over, the narrator tells us, “The
golden age of the forest is over.” The forests begin to disappear and large
animals abandon their territory. The narrator says: “Man has become a climatological force. He modifies nature and the
seasons.” The message is that if people can build magnificent cities, they
should also be capable of preserving nature, and should apply their energy to
that endeavor. And the film does offer hope at the end, with the narrator
saying, “It’s not too late.” Let’s
hope he’s right.
Special Features
The DVD contains several
special features, including Through The
Seasons: Behind The Scenes, a documentary on the making of the film. It
opens with footage of them shooting one of the early scenes with a human
character, showing us the way it was staged and directed. We also see that many
of the birds that appear in this film were trained, or at least acquainted with
the people involved before shooting began. The same goes for many of the other
animals. Particularly interesting is how they raised a lynx and fawn together
in order to get a certain chase scene. Also interesting is the machine they
built in order to capture the footage of animals running through the forest. We
learn how these filmmakers achieved many of those incredible shots. This
documentary also contains interviews with Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud,
and others involved in the making of the film, particularly those responsible
for the animals. Cluzaud tells us, “We
want the film to be like a fable.” This behind-the-scenes look is approximately
fifty-three minutes, and is nearly as fascinating as the film itself.
The special features also
include a filmmaker panel discussion, which is conducted in English. They talk
about the precarious state of our natural world, and about the need to be close
to the animals in order to tell the story they wished to tell. They also do
talk about achieving the sound, something that wasn’t really addressed in the
behind-the-scenes documentary. This is approximately sixteen and a half
minutes. There is also a featurette on the film’s score, as well as a series of
five short promotional featurettes whose footage seems to be taken from Through The Seasons. Also included are a
photo gallery and the film’s trailer.
Seasons was directed by Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud, and was
released on DVD on February 21, 2017 through Music Box Films. It is presented
in its original French, with English subtitles.
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