PBS
As a native Texan, I was raised to be proud of our state’s glorious flora and fauna, no matter how deadly (rattlesnakes) or bewildering (horned lizard) they may be. So even I was surprised by just how much more there was to appreciate about the landscape within Big Bend National Park. Nestled along the border of Mexico, separated by the Rio Grande River, with both a desert (Chihuahuan) and mountain range (Chisos) ecosystem, Big Bend exemplifies many points of pride for Texans.
The PBS Nature documentary Big Bend: The Wild Frontier of Texas tells a familiar Texas tale, one of escape in search for freedom. The film starts and ends with the story of the migration of the Black Bear, whose population north of the border had severely been depleted by the 1940s. However, in the 1980s, transplants from Mexico crossed the Chisos Mountains and began to re-populate the now wildlife-protected National Park.
Texas is home to numerous immigrants, people, and animals alike, creating a diverse population. Big Bend captures just how varied life is within the park, with several unique animals that can only be found within its borders. Some of this is due to the resiliency Texans pride themselves on, such as the beavers that swim between Mexico and Texas daily that were able to avoid the trappers that decimated the rest of America’s beaver population in the 1800s.
The film’s narrator, Thomas Haden Church, is himself a Texas transplant. Born in California, but now calling the Lone Star State home, Church brings a sense of Southwestern authenticity with his colloquialisms and pronunciations.
For fans of nature documentaries à la Richard Attenborough, you may be thrown off by the frenetic editing. Rather than long, lingering shots slowed down to capture the slightest of movement, Big Bend is frantic in its pacing, with shorter shots and much more cuts. This, however, isn’t necessarily a negative. The kinetic energy would be appealing for a younger audience, who may not find the typical, melodic pace of traditional nature documentaries appealing. Another boon for parents is the fact that Big Bend lacks violence. No lions attacking gazelles here, just a few moments of insecticide.
Overall, the documentary’s reliance on humor and feel-good narratives widen the audience for its viewing. Highly Recommended, Aud: I, J, H, C, P.