Around South America

After a brief introduction setting the historical perspective, Around South America does precisely what it says: takes viewers around the continent. Beginning with the Panama Canal, the camera moves through choice spots in Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil, with an excursion to the infamous Devil's Island. While the photography ranges from good to stunning, and the narration maintains interest, two drawbacks make this travelogue less than it could have been: 1) although a map of South America appears on the back of the videocassette box, and appears intermittently throughout the tape, the names or borders of countries are absent so that viewers are not always sure which country they're in; and 2) a sense of continuity (which, to be fair, is often characteristic of travelogues) is lacking as viewers are skipped from one sight or observation to another without any thematic bridge. These faults aside, this program--because of its scope and the lack of similar titles--is recommended for larger public and school library collections. (Available from: International Film & Video, 1321 N. Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103).