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The Ancient Woods Review

By David Kempler

Slow, Loud Nature Doc

Biologist-turned-filmmaker Mindaugas Survila brings us "The Ancient Woods," a nature documentary filmed in one of Europe's last remaining old growth forests, in Lithuania. It took 10 years to film, and to be perfectly honest, this project seems hardly worth 10 years of anyone's life. Then again, we all waste lots of time and don't end up with a film.

There is only one human being in the film, and he makes only a few short appearances. He doesn't talk, which is reasonable, because there's no one to talk to. In one scene, he takes an axe to what appears to be round pieces of wood. I've never before seen round pieces of wood, so I'm only guessing as to what he's chopping.

The most interesting thing about him - rather the only interesting about him - is the look on his face. Without being too unkind, he looks to not be entirely normal. The closest comparison I can come up with is Dieter Laser as Jose Heiter, the crazy scientist in The Human Centipede.

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Most nature documentaries are incredibly violent affairs. Predators hunt prey and eventually the prey gets dismembered and eaten. In "The Ancient Woods" there is zero violence and only one scene where we see a predator after his prey. It's a snake stalking a mouse. We then see the aftermath where the dead mouse is in the jaws of the snake as it slithers away.

The one and only one thing that's initially interesting is that Survila has the volume turned up very loudly, almost to an absurd level, so we can feel immersed in the sounds of the forest.

If you're a nature lover you might like this. Might. If you're not, you will most likely only make it through 15 of the 130 minutes. I watched all of it because I had to, and it wasn't torture. However, that's about the most praise I can muster.

What did you think?

Movie title The Ancient Woods
Release year 2021
MPAA Rating NR
Our rating
Summary This nature documentary has images of animals hanging around and very loud sound and that's about it.
View all articles by David Kempler
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