I feel like a broken record but it bears repeating: anyone who loves nature documentaries should pick up anything that bares the BBC logo. This time, I will heap praise on Yellowstone: Battle for Life. I was never to deeply interested in nature documentaries until I saw Planet Earth awhile back, and now I look forward to every nature related video I get a chance to review. Thus far, the BBC’s Natural History Unit can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned.
In just three episodes, Yellowstone: Battle for Life documents the behavior of dozens of species over the course of a single year. Narrated by actor English actor Peter Firth, things begin with “Winter.” It’s in a cold, bleak and daunting atmosphere that we are introduced to a pack of wolves, intently hunting elk as a means of survival; a heard of bison looking for fresh grass under several inches of snow and ice and desperate foxes trying to catch mice under the snow; all as the unpredictable weather makes their pursuits even more difficult. As is always the case, the photography is stunning, and I literally jumped out of my seat when a fox leapt straight up in the air and down deep into the carpet of snow to capture mice burrowed deep below.
Winter lasts a solid six months in Yellowstone, but eventually the ice begins to thaw and the snow begins to melt which signals the coming of “Summer.” With that, the landscape undergoes a total metamorphosis. It’s April; bears come out of hibernation, the migrating herds return, and the wolves that so easily dominated elk in the winter lose their power. It’s during the rather brief summer months that Yellowstone seems to come alive—tiny animals emerge from their dens, flowers bloom (much to the delight of resident humming birds), and the waters flow freely. However, given Yellowstone’s harsh climate and ever-changing temperatures, even summer presents some problems for species that live there; forest fires that can last for weeks and smoke plumes are a danger for all, especially newborns.
As “Autumn” arrives, Yellowstone’s beavers, bears, elk, big-horn sheep, and moose prepare for another tough winter. As the snow returns, migrations have been completed, feeding grounds have been found, and hibernation’s have begun. Another year in the life of Yellowstone’s animal species has begun.
As anyone who has watched Planet Earth or any of the other BBC produced nature series knows, one of the things that makes these shows so good is that they go beyond the surface of the topic. Before delving into the different species at Yellowstone, Peter Firth provides some useful information about the Colorado state park and how it was formed. This information provides a nice entry into what comes later.
The three episodes provided are utterly captivating, and nature lovers will undoubtedly be left wanting more. The photography, Firth’s narration and overall production value are all first rate. The BBC Natural History Unit has produced a winner again; as I wrote this, I couldn’t help but wonder what we might get if they got together with Ken Burns…I bet that would be amazing.
Presented in widescreen format at 1.77:1 aspect ratio, Yellowstone: Battle for Survival, looks amazing even in standard definition. Colors are bright and vibrant and blacks are inky but clear. I hate to keep saying this, but for a standard DVD, they don’t come better than this. There are no digital artifacts to be found.
Audio is provided via a 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound track. The whole thing is rather immersive, with narrator Peter Firth’s voice emanating mainly from the center channel. While the sounds of animals, water, etc surround you. Within minutes you will feel as though you’ve been transported right to the center of Yellowstone national Park.
Yellowstone: Battle for Life includes three decent featurettes.
• Jeff Henry: The Snowman (10 minutes) focuses on a local photographer who assisted the BBC team.
• Mike Kasic: The Fishman (10 minutes) follows suit with a sound recorder.
• Geyser Gazers (11 minutes) introduces a group of experts that helped the BBC crew capture some of their most striking Geyser footage.
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