Wild China
Wild China
| 11 May 2008 (USA)
SEASON & EPISODES
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  • Reviews
    TheLittleSongbird

    Am a big fan of nature documentaries, especially the work of David Attenborough. Having been recommended 'Wild China' through Amazon and here, it was instantly put down on my list as a must see. Also heard nothing but praise for it, which has nearly always been a good sign, so that further sparked interest. 'Wild China' is as good as others have said and there is not much to add, actually feeling much more than just a documentary. Throughout it's an awe-inspiring, utterly transfixing experience where one forgets they're watching a documentary and instead feeling like they're watching art. This may sound like extreme hyperbole, but to me 'Wild China' is completely deserving of its praise and even deserving of more.It is hard knowing when to start with the praise. 'Wild China' for starters looks amazing, reasons enough to make book a trip to see the more naturalistic parts of China. It is gorgeously filmed, done in a completely fluid and natural, sometimes intimate (a great way of connecting even more with the animals), way and never looking static. In fact much of it is remarkably cinematic. The scenery and habitats are some of the most breath-taking personally seen anywhere, whether in visual media and real life. The rich colours just leap out and the scenery from this part of the world has rarely looked more beautiful. The music here is a remarkably good fit, throughout it not only complements the visuals but enhances them and there is an authentic flavour to it.What of the narrative and information aspects? Can't fault 'Wild China' in this aspect either. The narration has a great well-balanced mix of facts that will be familiar to the viewer and others that will induce the right amount of surprise. In short, it's just fascinating, informative and thoughtful.From start to finish, 'Wild China' managed to intrigue and illuminate, and there is a freshness to the material, not feeling derivative of anything. The narration is delivered articulately by Bernard Hill, there's an enthusiasm and precision about the delivery and it never feels preachy and always lets the scenery and such speak for itself.The wildlife themselves are a wonderful mix of the adorable and the dangerous, and one actually finds they're rooting for them in exactly the same way they would a human character. Not just that we also see how humans interact and adapt which was just as great and interesting to watch. There is a good deal of suspense and emotional impact. There are some scenes where one is amazed that they managed to be filmed in the first place, like with the snakes.In all the six episodes, 'Wild China' feels much more than a series and it doesn't feel episodic or repetitive. The episodes instead feel like their own story, without being too reliant on that approach, with real, complex emotions and animal characters developed in a way a human character would in a film but does it better than several.Overall, wondrous in every regard. Not to be missed. 10/10 Bethany Cox

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    clibat2

    This is by far the moat self serving "nature documentary" that i have ever seen. When i watch a nature documentary that is exactly what i want to see.... the animals and land of the region, but this documentary was just as much about the religion and beliefs of the people of China than it was about nature. The Tibet episode was almost entirely about the beliefs of the people. It seems as if the people of China have already killed off all of their animals so they couldn't fill 6 full episodes with nature. How can you make a nature documentary called "Tibet" and in that episode only mention Mt Everest in passing? I do not recommend these shows if you are looking for a good nature documentary. Maybe the last episode, because i didn't bother to watch it.

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    BRFyFasan

    This is a very interesting documentary that should have been seen by so many more. Thanks to Netflix for making this available for a bigger audience. If more Chinese people were shown this in school, maybe many of them would have different thoughts towards animals and wildlife in general. After visiting China a couple of times last year, it was fascinating to see a different kind of China from what I experienced in my travels. Of all the episodes I enjoyed Shangri-La, Tibet and Beyond The Great Wall the most. The amazing animals in the rain forest in Shangri-La and the peaceful Tibetan lifestyle living in harmony with nature are some of the best highlights.The last episode was also important in the mind of the future of China and in fact the world in general. Hopefully the mindset of Buddhism will continue, and not be overthrown by western/eastern influences and economic growth. As for the use of shark fin soup, it's been a large decrease the last years, much thanks to campaigns using high profile stars as the popular basketball player Yao Ming. Luckily it seems to be a better understanding of animals and environmental problems by the younger generation.So there is still hope… but China will play a big role for all life in the future, whether we like it or not!

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    Foxy Black

    As someone who have been in China for a few years, I'm awed by this film. This is what BBC does best.I say it's a piece of art, because it's really quite beautiful, the editorial work has been wonderful, location selection, angles, slow motion, all of those add on to make it a surreal and beautiful reflection that you may not even notice living there. It's capturing the moment at the right time in the right place, something often overlooked even by the natives. I have to say, amongst the crowd, the sometimes dirty environment, the construction sites, and the clashing of architecture styles caused by the east/west infusion in recent years, increasingly you can only find the authentic beautiful signature Chinese landscapes with clever and observant eyes. It awes me but at the same time, worries me a little.We'd be quick to jump to the conclusion that the Chinese government need to do more to protect its environment, or that the Chinese people need to be more aware of their environment. Didn't it sound incredibly sad when the narrator said that out of 25 species of turtles in China, only a few survived, and that happened in merely few decades. But as pointed out in the series, they ARE aware. They've been aware for thousands of years, having such a long history and witnessing the rise and fall of numerous dynasties, their appreciation for harmony and sustainability runs a lot deeper than we might think, it's imprinted into their culture. It's sad really, but they're given the tough choice of either economic growth or preservation of their environment, sacrifice one and their children will starve, sacrificing the other and their children's children would eventually starve. It's a fine balance which they're increasingly focusing their attention on, and I really do wish them the best, I want my children to one day be able to travel to that beautiful land and be in awe at how much more the world can hold.

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