REVIEW: ‘Hippos: Africa’s River Giants’
Image courtesy of PBS Distribution / Provided by official site.
Nature on PBS has always turned the eyes of audience members toward some of the most biologically interesting and ecologically stirring parts of planet Earth. One of their latest programs takes viewers into the heart of the Okavango Delta in Botswana to examine the life, procreation, rearing and death of hippos, Africa’s so-called river giants.
The one-hour documentary, narrated by David Attenborough, is now available on DVD. Hippos: Africa’s River Giants is a marvelous look at an animal of extremes — a big-toothed river dweller who doesn’t know how to swim, a vegetarian who is deadly to humans and other animals, a species that can seem so docile and yet so violent.
Hippos are captured in all of their underwater and overwater majesty in the Nature episode, which was produced, directed and filmed by Brad Bestelink. The access to the underwater shots is particularly fascinating, allowing audiences to view the hippos from a unique vantage point. So often the image of these creatures is of a submerged submarine with periscoping eyes checking out the dangers ahead. Hippos: Africa’s River Giants still has that characteristic perspective, but there are so many different viewpoints to watch these beasts: from drones in the sky, as they speed through the wetlands of the delta system; from cameras on land when the hippos move about in the heat of the sun; and beneath the surface, when all hell sometimes breaks loose amongst sparring males and protective mothers.
The Okavango never looked better, and that’s saying something because this unique area of Botswana in southern Africa is a frequent stomping ground of Nature and other safari programming on the continent. As with all Nature episodes, there is a wonderfully complementary narration from Attenborough, but no humans actually appear in the landscape or as talking heads. It’s almost as if the hippos share these environs with no one else but the elephants, crocodiles, lions and birdlife, like they are enjoying an Edenic paradise.
The documentary goes through the seasons of the year, showing a female hippo giving birth and protecting her young, exploring how the species survives when the rivers dry up, and investigating how hippos interact (and sometimes fight) with other animals in the environment. Using the seasons to build a narrative structure is a tried-and-true wildlife documentary technique, and it serves Hippos: Africa’s River Giants well because there are so many variations in the calendar year for these mega creatures.
Nature is one of the most consistently rewarding TV experiences. The program remains the best of the best when it comes to nature on the small screen, and now thanks to PBS, some of that cinematographic magic can be enjoyed on DVD.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Hippos: Africa’s River Giants. A Nature program on PBS. Produced, directed and filmed by Brad Bestelink. Narrated by David Attenborough. Running time: 55 minutes. Click here for more information.
