Film Viewing Guide: "Babies" Movie Review

- “Babies” This film follow the development of four different babies from four different cultures. This film captures the early life of humans around the world
- I chose to watch this documentary because I was interested in how other cultures parent.
- The central point of the film was the development of the babies. The goal of the director was to show diverse parenting techniques around the world. The director wanted to expose individuals to all area of the earth and tell the story of life there.
- The director conveys the message by telling the story through a third person narrator. Many different photographic elements such as lightning and camera shots illustrate moments in life. Close ups on the babies and light hearted moments represent innocence. Facts are conveyed by the narrator and are meant to inspire interest in cultural diversity.
- I would recommend this film. The great diversity depicted in both educational and entertaining. The babies themselves are normal yet interesting because of their environment. Shots of the environment around the children is really what tells the story of life there,
- Among my favorite scenes in the film was the story of the Mongolian baby. I was captivated by the idea that Mongolian babies are left on their own all day while their parents work. This is so vastly different than the parenting techniques I am familiar with in my culture. The interaction of the small child with the livestock shows a unity and trust with earth. I noted that we have seemed to lose this trust within our own society. The scene with the American baby was in stark contrast to the Mongolian baby. The American baby was very spoiled and never let out of the parent’s sight. I think we can learn a lot by watching this film. Finding a healthy balance between the different parenting techniques of different cultures is essential.
- The natural environments of the Mongolian and African child were in stark contrast to the manmade environments of the American and Japanese child. The sounds and lighting reflect this as well. Since the babies do not speak much of the film focuses on their expressions. Close ups on these expressions present a joyous air to the film. The shots that pan across the landscape show just what type of environment that babies dwell in. he shots of objects around them whether it be chickens or extravagant toys give a glimpse into their life. The photography is great , and music adds just the right soundtrack to the images shown. One of the most interesting shots in the film, is that of the drought ridden landscape of Africa. This dire situation figure predominantly into the African child’s lie. We learned that the search for water was critical to the child’s life. The shots of dry cracked land and dust set the tone of the particular story. Overall, the visual impact of the scenery coupled with the expression of the babies made the piece very interesting to watch.