Expository Documentary in March of the Penguins

Throughout history, there are many ways of creating films. Some film makers desire to create a fantasy or false reality through film, while there are those who desire to capture reality. The method of creating film through capturing reality is known as documentary. It is a non-fictional film that documents the happenings of the world with minimal manipulation of the structure of it (Nichols, 2001). Film makers strive to create films with ultimate authenticity through documenting real life scenarios without realising that the ideology or pure authenticity of reality is but only a dream. This is due to the fact that with any film there is always at least one person manipulating certain aspects of it such as the framing of each shots. Slight manipulation of film distorts reality. This report aims to examine the sub-genres of documentaries – poetic, expository, observational, interactive, reflexive, performative based on the teachings of Bill Nichols (Nichols, 2001) as well as the dominant application of expository documentary in March of the Penguins directed by Luc Jacquet.

Documentaries classify as a genre of film as it consists of various film makers contributing their voices to the genre theory of cinema (Nichols, 2001). Documentaries can be further classified into 6 sub-genres which are poetic, expository, observational, interactive, reflexive and performative. Although these sub-genres have their own individual principles, documentary films often overlap these genres to create the desired outcome (Nichols, 2001). There is a dominant sub-genre which guides the structure of film but it may not dictate the narrative development of each scene (Nichols, 2001).

The report is going to analyse the dominant sub-genre found in March of the Penguins which is expository documentary which is also known as the classical mode of representation (Nichols, 2001). Firstly, its main defining principle is the voice-of-God commentary, usually with a deep-voiced male being the main narrator that is never seen but evidently heard (Nichols, 2001). In contrast with traditional film making which focuses on the visual aspects to ensure narrative development, expository documentaries emphasizes on the spoken word as the authority to explain the images in an objective manner (Nichols, 2001). This leaves little to no room for audiences to interpret the images of film (Nichols, 2001). Furthermore, expository documentaries practise evidentiary editing. This is when they sacrifice spatial and temporal continuity just to provide evidences to support the film’s argument. By advocating objectivity through film, expository documentaries tend to generalise and encourage large-scale arguments (Nichols, 2001). Therefore, expository documentaries are descriptive and informative which provides additional supportive evidences to the common sense of the world that discourages subjectivity.

March of the Penguins documents the life of penguins migrating throughout the year as a way of surviving the cold and harsh winter. The film started with penguins migrating to lands where the icy ground was thicker to ensure their survival. Then, the film documents how penguins find mates as well as the roles and sacrifices of male and female penguins as parents protecting their young. Furthermore, the film documents how penguins of both sexes survive the harsh cold winter by alternating duties as parents and uniting as a species. It also shows how the way of nature with penguins as the prey and predator. In short, the film encompasses the struggles of penguins to ensure the continuation of their species.

In the film, it Is evident it features the voice-of-God as an authoritative narrator explaining and exaggerating the regular routines of penguins. This voice possesses the power to objectify a situation as a way of supporting common sense or the majority’s argument. For instance, the narrator claimed that young penguins tend to rush which makes them clumsy during the process of exchanging eggs that causes their young to die (visual 1). 

Visual 1

This statement stereotypes real-life situations and disregards contingency as the clumsy young penguins directly represents the irresponsible behaviour of young adults as parents. By associating young penguin parents with young human parents, it contributes to the stigma of society towards young parents. Furthermore, the film encourages objectivity in terms of being very descriptive and repetitive of the penguins surviving as a group; therefore, highlighting the importance of normative conformity to society. For instance, the penguins were always shown uniting as a group during the harsh cold winters as well as migrating as a group. When a penguin drifts from the group, it has a low chance of survival and is very likely to die. This scene of the film also applies the principle of evidentiary editing as a shot of a group of penguins (visual 2) was cut to a shot of another location of a different time with a loner penguin walking weakly as if it was about to die (visual 3). 

Visual 2

Visual 3

Hence, the scene did not follow the rules of spatial and temporal continuity. The structure of the film emphasizes the importance of functioning as a society for survival as it is represented by the survival nature of penguins as a cohesive species. Lastly, the film attempts to convince audience that the content is truthful by framing shots of the entire movie from a distant and hidden perspective (visual 4). 

Visual 4

Therefore, the film makers pose no manipulation to the behaviours of the penguins. The film overall is an analogy between penguins and human as the survival nature of penguins such as mating and functioning as a group resembled human behaviour.

To recapitulate the report, expository documentary encourages objectivity in terms of determining what is true. It does not stage events as it attempts to provide authentic content. March of the Penguins encompasses principles of expository documentaries by featuring the voice-of-God, using evidentiary editing and generalising a particular situation. These principles function as arguments to support an objective common sense by providing information to further strengthen the belief of society that pre-existed the film (Nichols, 2001).

References

Nichols, B. (2001). Introduction to Documentary. Bloomington : Indiana University Press.