Change Your Image
dixty
Reviews
Diplomatie (2014)
As Allied forces close in, the fate of Paris hangs in the balance.
By late August of 1945, Allied forces that had broken out of the Normandy beach head in July were racing across France and were approaching Paris. It was their intention to bypass the city and continue their push toward Germany. French Partisan fighters rose up against the German troops occupying their capital, but lacked the strength to quickly dispatch their enemies and take control of the city.
Adolph Hitler had ordered the Paris commander to blow up or burn much of the city before leaving it, and the Germans set explosives and prepared to follow those orders. Learning of this, Allied Supreme Commander Eisenhower gave the go ahead to Charles de Gaulle's French forces to take Paris, but their ability to prevent the city's destruction was in serious question.
In 1965, the Collins/ La Pierre historical book, "Is Paris Burning?" was published and became a best seller. A movie of the same title was released the following year. This book describes in broad detail how the situation in Paris developed and how it ended.
Almost half a century later, Zeitgeist Films released "Diplomatie". This film focuses on the dramatic interchange between German commander Von Choltitz, who felt compelled to carry out his Fuhrer's orders, and Swedish consul Nordling, who hoped to change his mind.
The acting and the dialogue of these two main characters is a tense and captivating debate. Rarely do contemporary films focus so intently on a non-violent confrontation between adversaries. The acting is excellent, the script top notch, and the attention to period detail marvelous. This is an outstanding motion picture.
Nature: Triumph of Life: The Four Billion Year War (2001)
6 hour Nature series examines the history of life on Earth
Though this series was produced late in the 20th century, its educational value will persist well into the 21st.
"The Triumph of Life" examines life on our planet with artists' renderings depicting prehistoric life and actual film footage of contemporary life in the wild.
Six episodes of about 50 minutes each comprise this series. Each episode focuses on key aspects of the evolutionary process. The first is called "The 4 billion year war" and describes the overall concept of life forms competing for survival.
Episode 2 is "The Mating Game" and describes how sexual reproduction plays a fundamental role in evolution. The 3rd, "The Eternal Arms Race", shows how the abilities to hunt and attack vs. those to escape or defend must improve for species to survive.
The 4th program is "Winning Teams". It examines the role that cooperation, not just within species but between them, provides advantages in the struggle to live. Number 5, "The Brain Game", examines how increased intelligence and cognitive ability contribute to the success of animals.
The 6th episode, "The Survivors", discusses why today's plants and animals have succeeded while most species have become extinct. "The Survivors" also contemplates what the future may hold for life on this planet.
This "Nature" series deserves high marks for every aspect of its production. The overall concept is brilliant, and each episode is clear, cogent, and entertaining. Its organization is very effective in telling the story. It is not surprising the series required three years to make, given the remarkable footage of animals in the wild which serves to illustrate the narrative.
"Triumph of Life" does a marvelous job of conveying how life evolves through competition, but it does more than explain evolution. What I found to be amazing about this series is how watching it changed the way I view the nature of life. It provided me with a much clearer, deeper, and more coherent understanding of what is going on, and that is priceless.