January 1, 2012

By Isabella Blyth Currie

‘The Bachelor King’, premiered on Sky 3D on New Years Eve and repeated on Monday January 2, which follows the life-cycle of an individual penguin, proves yet again that Sir David Attenborough has lived up to his legendary status as Britain’s finest wildlife broadcaster.

At 85, with a wealth of documentaries behind him little remains that Sir David has left unexplored and the King Penguins of sub-Antartic South Georgia are the latest to be added to his extensive repertoire.
The film was not without its challenges, even for Sir David, who has witnessed a series of explosive developments in technology and camera equipment, “I feel hugely privileged to have started my life in 405 black and white and now be working in 3D”, few figures in television today could make such a claim.
Many of the crew, unfamiliar with 3D equipment, faced a seemingly insurmountable challenge in filming their subject. Outside of a studio navigating the harsh terrain of the sub-antartic these challenges take on a completely new dimension.

It is not yet possible to use a long lens with 3D cameras, consequently the crew must be incredibly close to the subject in order to film it, part of the reason why they chose penguins is that the inevitable intrusion into its natural habitat goes largely unnoticed, ‘a penguin as you can see doesn’t care about cameras too much… an ideal subject really.’

The film crew faced the additional difficulty of shooting some scenes underwater, including remarkable footage of an Orca Whale targeting it prey, made all the more difficult by the camera’s housing imploding the first time it was used.

Aware of recent criticisms regarding his previous film ‘Frozen Planet’, Sir David has taken care to reveal the entire process necessary to produce such a narrative and guard himself against any allegations of deception or fraud in his work. ‘We were always aware of what we were trying to do with this film, which was to composite a story and we felt people should be made aware of that at the end of the film. At the same time, any broadcaster after the discussions about Frozen Planet would have made sure there was no misunderstanding.’

The viewer is made aware that the film follows of a select group of penguins and not an individual as the narrative suggests. Again the complexities of such an endeavour become apparent, the story aims to cover the full eighteen month life-cycle of the King Penguin, but of course a film crew can not be stationed for the full amount of time.

Different penguins are used to portray the different stages of their lives. ‘The story is held together with conviction because of the skill of the editor. He makes you think it was the same penguin.’
The film without doubt shows Attenborough’s most splendid skill. His wise and reassuring voice takes us through the journey of the most challenging aspect of the King Penguins life.

Our hero has to reckon with establishing a habitat, finding a mate and nurturing a family, simultaneously fighting off Sub-Antartic predators.

As always Attenborough’s films mark us with a wider resonance, ‘It’s crucially important for our own welfare that we understand the natural world.

Natural history is not just a pastime, its an essential part of someone’s comprehension of the world in which we live and we depend upon that world.’ Herein lies the brilliance of Attenborough’s film-making.

The Bachelor King, Sky 3D, 6pm, Mon January 2

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