David Attenborough, A Life On Our Planet (2020) - Maybe The Best Way...

 

★★★★☆

This is a very beautiful film to see, as well as a very sad one, since it's pointing out the fact that Earth's dying because of us human the so called most intelligent yet the most selfish, destructive, aggressive therefore stupidest species on the planet. The film's Sir David Attenborough's witness statement and vision for the future of Earth and mankind. Frankly I've only watched a very small number of TV shows that he hosted about natural worlds and history, but I know well what he's been trying to tell and make us aware of, and what he's been standing up for. Still I doubt how much we've learned from the lessons he's given! Probably not much since Earth's seemingly dying much sooner than later!

As a documentary, 'David Attenborough A Life On Our Planet' is absolutely magnificent and striking. Sir David's presentation is charming, logical, scientifically convincing and at times melancholy. He's even about to burst into tears at some point while delivering some emotional lines concerning what we've recklessly done to the damage of the natural world. In the film, Sir David's not only raising the problem and reasons why, but also solutions to it. I doubt however, how serious we've taken it, and how determined and willing we've truly been to do what he suggested to stop the doom and gloom of Earth and the lives on it including us. Men are undeniably selfish! The awakening ones are unfortunately few! The majority of us are still in the struggle with our ridiculous idea and delusion that we own the planet. Truth is, like it or not, it's the planet that owns us!

We're nothing but a fragile species of many, many others on Earth, and like Sir David said, if we wish to thrive, we must help those around us thrive too. But are we really learning it? How many of us has awakened? Have we done enough to stop the course? If not, how much time do we still have left before the point of no return? Or have we already passed it in fact? Sir David's asking us to save Earth in order to save ourselves! Maybe the best way or the only way to save Earth is, I guess, us human to die out!

Documentaries like this may not be your cup of tea. Sir David may sound pretty old fashioned and boring though! You may care more about how to increase your income, what to do and where to go to get high, than, like suggested in the film, being a vegetarian eating less meat, sparing those animals we've been hunting, saving wilderness, forests and oceans, and hopefully in the end making Earth a better place for all species. Yet this is the film we human must all see at least once in our life time. It makes us see one simple but easily forgotten truth, that is, Mother Earth will be just fine without us, but we'll be certainly not without her!