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0 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 On the issue of integrity apart from this video. Aug 27, 2009
I find it repugnant that year after year that a man like Charles Darwin is heralded as a genius and a great man. He had several vices that if he were a contemporary and these vices were popularly known today, he would be torn to pieces. First off, the full title of his now infamous book "The Origin of Species" is actually "The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life." The title alone would cause people to cringe and shrink away from this work if it had been written today, whether his theories were correct or not. He also married his first cousin, and because of this whenever 1 or more of his 10 children fell ill, he feared that they might have inherited weaknesses from inbreeding due to the close family ties he shared with his wife and cousin, Emma Wedgwood. He also was very open about his poor view of women (as compared to his high praise of men) in his work "The Descent of Man." So, from this, you could say he was racist, incestuous, and a sexist. What a lovely human being to hold up as a great man. Why do we go beyond celebrating ideas and celebrate this man who we would not want in our own home?
Just the right mix. Feb 18, 2009
This is a very well conceived and executed documentary which will keep your interest. It has a good mix of historical re-creation drama and, just as you might become a bit bored with wandering thoughts, it brings in a completely relevant bit which demonstrates the point being made...to wit, the portion about how the HIV virus can mutate in the manner of evolution. Good acting, good cinematography, with certain location shots. All in all a true 4-star production, in my highly-evolved yet humble opinion!
3 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 A respectable man comes up with a dangerous but brilliant idea!! May 04, 2007
XXXXX
"If I were to give a prize for the single best idea anybody ever had, I'd give it to Darwin for the idea of natural selection, ahead of Newton, ahead of Einstein, because his idea unites the two most disparate features of our universe: the world of purposelessness, meaningless matter and motion on the one side and the world of meaning and purpose and design on the other."
The above quotation is found at the beginning of this fascinating docudrama that traces the genius, torment, and secrets of Charles Darwin (1809 to 1882) beginning after the time he came back from a trip to islands that sparked his thinking. It documents how he developed his theory and why his theory is so relevant in today's society as well as the future. Through astounding dramatized sequences and footage of solid scientific research today, Darwinism is made clearly understandable and brought into sharp focus.
It should be mentioned that this film is the first and most important in a seven program series titled "Evolution." This program alone is for those who do not want to shell out the $90.00 (the price at the time this review was written) for the entire boxed set series and want to understand the important but often misunderstood basics of Darwin's theory.
The dramatic sequences are well done with the actors doing an excellent job. I was amazed by the recreation of mid-1800's England. The science sequences are narrated by actor Liam Neeson. Brief comments are made throughout the science sequences by such people as university professors, biologists, researchers, and biographers. Exquisite animation is used to highlight important concepts.
This program as a whole explains important concepts such as common ancestry, the tree of life, natural selection, mutation, and complexity. It even examines God and religion.
Finally, the DVD itself (the one released in 2002) is perfect in picture and sound quality. It allows for access to an Internet site.
In conclusion, if you want to understand Charles Darwin and his revolutionary theory, then this is the film to see!!!
(2001; 2hr; made for TV ("Nova"); wide screen; 12 scenes; closed captioned)
XXXXX
7 of 8 found the following review helpful:
a great look at Darwin's life and ideas Jan 29, 2007
I thought this documentary was good because it was interesting and informative. It combined reenactments of episodes from Darwin's life with modern-day scientists discussing his theories and their continuing influence. Watching it, one sees that Darwin was not the cold, arrogant scientist that we are sometimes led to believe, but a very compassionate, caring man. I feel that watching this DVD helped me understand evolution better and place it in the context of the author's life.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
A documentary about Darwin's life Jan 04, 2007
This is a documentary about the life of Charles Darwin. It details both the content of his ideas and the contrast with religious and scientific norms at the time. This is a movie and not a soundtrack as stated in the title. For those that have Netflix, it is available for rent.
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