From Ape To Man

[sshender]

../images/Emo41.gif From Ape To Man ../images/Emo44.gif

Ape to Man סרט מבית היוצר של ערוץ ההיסטוריה המגולל את סיפור התפתחותו של האדם הקדמון לכדי האדם המודרני. מומלץ בחום! (ברוח עידן הקרח האחרון

) Ape to Man begins with the 1856 discovery of a piece of bone over 40,000 years old. Found in the Neander Valley of Germany, it would become the first evidence of a species of man to predate our own. As you may have guessed, this bone (a skullcap) was part of what would be called Neanderthal Man. And with that discovery, science had to begin the controversial quest of explaining just how exactly this creature fit into the historical and anatomical scheme of things. Soon other fossils from several not-quite-human species began to emerge, and based on their age, a pattern formed that indicated that there may be a link between us and the animals biologically closest to us - apes. This search for a missing link (or "links" as the show illustrates) is as complex, convoluted and confounding a detective story as anything Raymond Chandler came up with, full of red herrings, dead ends, exciting breakthroughs and oh so many clues. Ape to Man hits upon the major evolutionary discoveries of the past 150 years, using the History Channel's standard arsenal of deft recreations, detailed graphics, sagely scholars and the voice of Edward Herrmann. And though this is the standard storytelling technique of the HC, it is also one of its finest examples. The recreations are excellent, with highly cinematic lighting and camerawork. The actors are believable and restrained, even when taking on the potentially campy roles of cavemen and apemen, and those portraying foreign explorers speak in the native languages without subtitles, enhancing believability and avoiding the pitfalls of clumsy dialogue in outrageous accents. The talking heads are clear and succinct, well-lit and well-placed in their backgrounds. And, of course, Edward Herrmann makes you feel as if you're sitting on his lap. All of the parts integrate seamlessly and should provide fascinating viewing from start to finish.