Secrets of Life
Directed by James Algar
Written by James Algar
1956/USA
Walt Disney Productions
First viewing/Amazon Instant
“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” ― Albert Einstein
This is the best of the Disney 50’s nature documentaries I have seen so far.
The filmmakers use close-up and stop-motion photography to observe the life processes of subjects such as plants, insects, and sea creatures.
This is now sixty years old and is still amazing. It’s all fascinating but I liked the shots of plants the best. Watching the seeds disperse and plant themselves was great! There is also a wonderful long section on honeybees. Recommended.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnD3Ry4SpKo
Clip
