MICROCOSMOS: LE PEUPLE DE L'HERBE
(MICROCOSMOS: THE PEOPLE OF THE GRASS)
A film review by Cynthia Bussiere
Copyright 1997 Cynthia Bussiere
France/Switzerland/Italy Documentary
Directors: Claude Nuridsany and Marie Perennou
Screenwriters: Claude Nuridsany and Marie Perennou
Cinematographers: Thierry Machado
Claude Nuridsany (interior)
Marie Perennou (interior)
Hugues Ryffel (exterior)
Editors: Florence Ricard and Marie-Joseph Yoyotte
Music: Bruno Coulais
Executive Producers: Michel Faure, Phillippe Gautier,
Patrick Lancelot, Andre Lazare
Producers: Christophe Barratier, Yvette Mallet, Jacques Perrin
Co-Producer: Jean-Marc Henchoz
Narrator (English version): Kristin Scott-Thomas
This documentary film (which I have affectionately dubbed LITTLE BIG BUG) observes a day and a night in the lives of a bunch of bugs in a pre-selected field in Aveyron, France. The extraordinary point of the film and, of course, the reason to see it, is that the cameras get right down into the grass -- not to mention into the honeycomb, inside the ants' storeroom, and behind the dragonfly in flight -- to give us a bug's- eye view (and, occasionally, a bird's-eye view) of life.
A lot of things happen in a day, to humans as well as to bugs, and this film captures the essentials common to both species: Birth, death, dinner, sex, fights, weather, physics, and endless grooming. Birth is fascinating because quite often it includes re-birth in the form of the emergence of a winged insect from its cocoon. Death and dinner are inextricably entwined, inasmuch as there is generally a causal relationship between the two throughout the film. Sex ranges from a ladybug quickie to a stately, erotic, lovely encounter between two snails. The fights are cool because, at this range, you might as well be watching GODZILLA vs. ANY LAND-BASED CREATURE. The weather aspect is interesting because the film examines the effect of "massive" raindrops falling not only on a single ladybug sitting on a blade of grass, but also on a crowd of skeeters floating on the surface of a pond. The physics aspect is great fun as the camera observes a beetle confront and ultimately solve the problem of contin- uing to roll uphill a ball of dung that has become stuck on a stick. (Rest assured that the Sisyphean nature of this task has not been lost on the filmmakers.) In fact, the physics of water and air play out in unusual and enlightening ways throughout the film, and your name doesn't have to be Dr. Science for you to figure them out. Finally, the grooming pays off because these bugs *look marvelous* -- sleek, shiny, and beautifully colored. Moreover, they are set in gorgeous backgrounds of foliage and flowers designed to make them look their best.
The film took three years to complete and an additional six months to edit. Apparently, some of this time was spent creating and perfecting the photographic technology to complete the picture. To say that the film makes extraordinary use of close-up photography is a redundancy. Additionally, the film uses time-lapse and slow-motion photography to great effect. Finally, the film makes outstanding use of feature film- making techniques. The work of Jean Renoir and Theo Angelopoulos came immediately to mind as I watched particular shots.
There are several reasons why this film is eminently watchable by all but the most diehard bug hater. First, because these are beautifully photographed bugs in a natural, clean, lush environment, rather than an ugly bunch of cockroaches living in filth, the disgust factor is eliminated. Second, because most of the bugs are shot almost exclusively in close-up, and therefore appear to be larger-than-life size, the creepy-crawly factor is kept to a minimum. Third, because the bugs are *never* shown attacking humans or other non-insect life forms, the fright factor is eliminated.
Overall, this is a delightful and witty anthropomorphic film with mercifully low cute and gross-out quotients. Its displays of humor and, occasionally, high comedy, are tempered by the overriding intelligence and compassionate empathy that pervade the film. The film has great respect for its subjects, and at no time does it laugh at them. Moreover, the film's use of music, both instrumental and vocal, only serves to enhance the expression of its viewpoint. In a very sweet, conclusory touch, the end titles list and describe the creatures in the film under a heading that translates as "With the participation of, in order of appearance:"
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