The Botany of Desire

In the relationship between plants and humans, who has the upper hand (or leaf)? That's the question posed by Michael Pollan's bestseller, The Botany of Desire, the source for Michael Schwarz's PBS documentary. Of course, the query isn't intended literally; as Pollan (who begins the film puttering in his garden and offers observations throughout) admits early on, plants don't possess consciousness and can't actively manipulate people. But our needs and tastes have led us, he argues, to prize certain plants so strongly that they have developed a power over us even as we have tried to manipulate them for our purposes. The film offers four examples: the apple, which appeals to our ingrained love of sweetness; the tulip, which answers to our appreciation of beauty; cannabis, which responds to a need for a feeling of well-being; and the potato, which satisfies both hunger and the drive to control nature. Each is the subject of roughly a half-hour treatment that offers not just analysis but historical data dealing with figures such as John Chapman (alias Johnny Appleseed) and events such as the Dutch tulip “bubble” of the 17th century, the 19th-century Irish potato famine, and the more recent “wars” over marijuana use and the dangers posed by genetically engineered vegetables. The Botany of Desire is an informative adaptation of the book—an engagingly told and beautifully shot study of what Pollan has aptly portrayed as a symbiotic relationship. DVD extras include four deleted sequences, a half-hour interview with Pollan, and an academic panel discussion about his work. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)