David Attenborough (still going strong with no signs of tiring for such an amazingly long career) is the unrivalled king when it comes to nature/wildlife documentaries. It is hard to not be captivated by him, with him having a voice that one can never tire of. Everything he's done (some of it ground-breaking or the quintessential documentary on the subject in question) is so well made, educational, always compelling and have always felt a lot of emotion from a vast majority of them. The best documentaries are landmarks and some of the best ever produced, nature or not.
Attenborough's filmography is a very, very rare case of not having anything bad in it, even find the more flawed work decent. 'Dynasties' is the latest jewel of his. Not one of his very best, but again only because the gems are so many, but everything so amazing about his work is present here and in a way that doesn't feel tired. The animals covered are familiar ones, but actually the approach 'Dynasties' takes is for an Attenborough documentary not one done much before if ever. In that it follows specific families within specific species with a tighter focus than one expects.
"Chimpanzee", focusing on chimpanzees (with a big focus on one called David) in the Senegal and their alliance shifts and conflicts, is an amazing start.
It looks amazing for starters. The scenery takes the breath away but it is more than just beautiful scenery with also an unforgiving nature. The scenery is complemented by photography of quite cinematic quality, not just a gorgeous feast for the eyes but it is also expansive and intimate in equal measure, enhancing the impact of the emotional and tense scenes. These include brutal battles, threats to leadership and resorting to deception.
As one can expect, the narration is very thought-provoking and never rambles or speculates. The habitat and chimpanzees are familiar subjects, but the approach and tighter focus that they are explored in feels fresh and sees chimpanzees in a refreshing light, or so that's how it felt. "Chimpanzee" feels like its own individual story rather than just an episode of a series, one that as Attenborough puts it more than aptly is full of wonder, beauty and drama.
The portrayal of the chimpanzees and David, as well as the family interaction, is not as reassuring as one would think on the most part judging from the criticisms 'Dynasties' got before it first started and certainly never one-sided but instead complex and uncompromising, also surprisingly brutal. The Senegal landscape has more than looking glorious and nothing feels sugar-coated or over-humanised. A lot of information is covered but felt properly explored and not rushed or disjointed, and the facts educate and illuminate while not being compromised for the emotionally complex storytelling. David is an amazing character, with a wide range of emotions and expressions in his eyes alone (calculating, weary and pained namely), with a story and struggles that one is fully immersed in.
Once again, Attenborough's distinctive and unequalled narrative delivery is sincere, enthusiastic as well as understated. One can listen to him for a long time and not tire of him, no other nature/wildlife documentary narrator/presenter has made me feel this way. The behind the scenes footage fascinates and also leaves emotional impact at how inspirational the crew are.
All in all, amazing start. 10/10 Bethany Cox
