A Brief Review of Darwin’s Nightmare

One famous observation, which was made by an American critic named Pare Lorentz, that a documentary is a “factual film which is dramatic (Pare Lorentz Retrieved in 2016)” undoubtedly gives an accurate definition of unique features of this realism-based, non-fiction genre. In addition to focusing on the display of concrete facts and unfolding backgrounds, whether natural or historical, a documentary distinctly develops through conveying opinions as well as putting into proper use educational elements. Darwin’s Nightmare, with its incomparably striking portraits of disastrous effects of ecological jeopardy near Tanzania’s Lake Victoria and heart-shaking revelation of the dark side of economic globalization, represents the highest artistic standard of documentary works. By the extraordinary use of cinematic language achieved by a fusion of narrating and presenting techniques, it plays as the most potent visual and psychological weapon not only in informing global audiences of the natural world’s peril but also evoking profound thoughts on the nature of human race.

As the 78th Oscar nominator, Darwin’s Nightmare, premiered in 2004, displays exceedingly exquisite and versatile filmmaking skills through a successful manipulation of sound effects and visual instruments. Under persistent efforts of a small filming team mainly composed of the director, Hubert Sauper, and his photographer, the global sensation maker maintains admirable existence with clearly recognized nature film features and a thorough foundation in human elements. It mainly deals with irrevocable impacts, which result from the introduction of the Nile perch into Lake Victoria, on lives of residents inhabiting Mwanza, Tanzania, as well as blameful involvements of many European countries concerning trades between fillets and war weapons. Starting from artistically beautiful scenes where a cargo plane is recorded fly over the ocean and land in the city, the film unveils a tragic and wrenching story regarding issues of impoverishment, corruption, disease, as well as the invasion of capitalism. Long shots, which are applied in rather extensive and useful manners, apparently play an indispensable function in the film’s process of reflecting a vivid picture of the natives’ daily life built around the fishing business. Under the camera, images of fishermen taking boats and catching fish in the sea, wanderings and fights of street children, as well as displaced laborers’ eye-stinging activities of drying rotten fish carcasses, are intensely presented. With this efficiently adopted approach, the movie’s purpose of offering honest and accurate knowledge of locality and manifesting truths, which are strictly addressed as essential principles in creations of documentaries, is hence perfectly accomplished. Besides from entirely capturing objects and including surrounding environments, close-ups can be easily identified as an adept utilization to recall local dwellers’ appallingly desperate situations shaped by poverty and exploitations. One of the most memorable examples appears in the depiction of one prostitute’s facial expression during an one-on-one interview arranged in the darkness. With the help of lighting and a silent atmosphere, the capture of a wistful look where beautiful eyes and bitter tears are highlighted provides a new chance for the audience to interprete prostitution, a highly controversial occupation in many areas but one important means of livelihood in the region.Without any question, music is another prominent factor used to deepen the documentary’s themes and elicit sympathetic emotions. The haunting background music contributed by a male singer who sings in a language of local colors, accompanied by folk songs performed by local women, is played to remind viewers of the vigor and beauty of life itself. Instead of resorting to voice-over, a skill referred to the commentary uttered by the film creator during the shooting course, the director makes the event naturally explain itself during various interview conversations. Combined with other technological elements, this complementary design functions to enhance pure authenticity of the work.

Historically, a high significance has been placed on the ever-worsening environmental problem, which is particularly alarming in the eye of a population composed of environmentalists and scientists. With the acceleration of modernization, the issue is transformed into an unprecedentedly agonizing puzzle due to the bottomless greed of human race engaging in maximizing economic capabilities and winning resources. In this sense, the completion of this documentary is motivated by desires of reiterating the warning severity of facts, not only in the natural world but in the loss humanity’s glory, which is apparently withering in the film. Of all intriguing aspects, the documentary’s title is immeasurably beneficial. It suggests that the golden law of “survival of the fittest”, as the essence of the eternally conquering evolutionism, is materialized through the perch’s voracious behaviors of quickly extinguishing other types of fish. On the other hand, it encouragingly invites the audience to reach a more complicated concept defined as social Darwinism. The claim, with an increasing consensus from professionals of different circles, is borrowed from the biological field into “sociology and politics (Raymond Williams 2000)” to indicate an inclination of a stronger group’s acquisition of superior powers and profits through competitions. Throughout the film, both layers are carefully tackled to allow viewers to see shocking pictures of soil erosion and massive pollutions, which are results of environmental degeneration. At the same time, condemning messages get across in the show of immoral operations conducted by some groups and nations, who are obsessed with enlarging their individual interests through doing lucrative business. An unswerving consistency in terms of Sauper’s political and moral position is not only evident but plays as one useful tool of irony as he includes meetings held by the European Union in the horribly suffering place. The participators’ official declaration of offering humanitarian aids to Tanzanian people, and the film’s heavy exposure of smugglings of guns, helps global fans fully sense a denouncing voice expressed against the hypocritical faces of politicians from western countries, as well as the inability of local governments.

From many perspectives, Darwin’s Nightmare brilliantly fulfills its mission of providing highly reliable information and meaningful education as other outstanding documentary works. Considering the notoriously sensitive nature of the subject involving the ecosystem and transnational interests, a synthesis of artistic techniques is put into best use to transcend the film into a masterpiece featured by world-shaking images reflective of the catastrophe of the suffering region. Unsatisfied with merely revealing the unpleasant environmental and economic status quo, the work keenly lays its target on a more fundamental and thought-provoking matter, which is the human conscience itself. Truthful depictions, from the uneven distribution of wealth among varying classes, rampant regional wars, to covert transactions made to worsen the already devastating circumstances, call for deep introspections on human animals’ ideological status and actions. In well-pronounced ways, it suggests ultimate solutions would be extremely time-consuming and require active coordination and cooperation from multiple sides, who are supposed to awaken to the harsh reality and take instant remedies.