When you stop to think about it, trees really are an integral part of our daily lives: we record our most sublime thoughts on paper, carry on conversations routed across telephone poles, create music on wood instruments, eat fruits and nuts which help sustain our bodies, and much more. In this beautifully animated "poemation" (or animated poem), a boy (unrealistically voiced by Roger Blonder, an adult who wrote and directed the film) is urged by a talking "wisdom tree" to spread the word that trees play an important role in the world's art, business, and general health. The first half of the film, in particular, is truly magical, as the "wisdom tree" opens the boy's eyes to the many specific instances where trees perform vital functions in the natural environment and serve as raw resources for many key products. In the second half, however, the tone turns more ominous. While few would argue that the world has practiced poor stewardship of late in protecting our natural resources, trees included, the finger-pointing here reaches a level usually associated with religious fanaticism. Citing clearcutting, slash and burn techniques in the rainforest, poisoning of the soil and other valid environmental concerns, the "wisdom tree" asks viewers to "stop this holocaust of the trees," warning that the trees themselves are "fighting back" with storms and earthquakes. In the most alarming comment, the tree, referencing global warming, claims that trees will "watch [our] skin fry as the ozone depletes." Maybe the filmmakers would argue that we're well past diplomacy in the fight to save the forests, but I found this otherwise wonderful film both a little scary and a mite too cavalier in tossing off scientifically unsupported statements. An optional purchase. Aud: K, E, I, P. (R. Pitman)
The Common Sense of the Wisdom Tree
(1998) 19 min. $49.99 ($95 w/PPR). Poemation Productions. Color cover. Vol. 14, Issue 3
The Common Sense of the Wisdom Tree
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