Serengeti Symphony (1998) User Reviews

Wonderful portrait of the Serengeti with only classical music and no commentary

[avdvelden · 8/10 · 26 April 2000]

This was Hugo van Lawick's last project before he broke up his permanent tented camp at the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. It's like his other movie for cinema,"The Leopard Son", but this time no story but just pictures of animals and landscapes with classical music, a lot like the acclaimed "Fantasia" 1940 and "Fantasia/2000", the difference of course being that this is no animation but reality.The film only lasts 81 minutes which is disappointingly short but probably just long enough for a child's attention span. It shows animals, thematically grouped together like small animals, birds, predators. The classical music is of a lighter variety than in both "Fantasia"'s. In the beginning even too light, but gradually it becomes quite enjoying for concertgoers. The highlight is a scene where a lion attacks a buffalo, whereafter the herd marches together to come to the rescue,all accompanied by Tchaikowski's great "Overture 1812". The film is suitable for young children as no animals get killed and Serengeti looks like an animal's paradise where all animals live peacefully together, except for one or two short hunts. This is a real Eden. It seems as if it didn't take much trouble shooting this film, but when you know Hugo van Lawick's dedication and also know how few animals one gets to see as a tourist, it's obvious that this took quite some time to make. Watch "The Leopard Son" if you prefer the kind of animal- films-with-a-story, but this one if "Fantasia" is more your kind of movie.I rate it an 8/10.

dvd version expected

[vasconovaes · 11 June 2002]

I saw this movie on the plane returning from Kenya and at the time it helped making me believe I was not returning. The music goes quite well with what one lives there, though you don´t get to see as much wildlife as in the movie. It´s a pity there are no versions in either dvd or vhs, since this is quite good for watching on a leisure end-of-the-day sunday or to quiet down your little ones