B1062-JAS136
DVD Review Of The Crown Of The Continent
Copyright © by Jessica Schneider, 1/1/11
Readers will recall my review a while back of a nature documentary by filmmaker John Grabowska called Crown of the Continent. It was a highly poetic and beautifully crafted experience—taking viewers to deeps of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, in Alaska. Now, what is the difference, you wonder? Note the article: The Crown of the Continent is a 42 minute nature documentary by Ambassador Video on Glacier National Park in Montana. Originally, it was the title that caught my attention, as I’d encouraged many to watch Crown of the Continent within my review of it.
Yet, I can say that The Crown of the Continent is a delightful experience, and while not as poetic as Grabowska’s, the film does offer a good overview of the beauty and scenery of Glacier National Park, the animals present, the history of the park and even how it got its name. In 1910, President Howard Taft designated the land as a National Park, and while Glacier National Park does not have the highest mountains or the largest falling streams or the highest trees, the beauty of the park offers a diversity of life (over 1,600 square miles of mammals, birds, insects and plant species).
In fact, it was the clip below that piqued my interest in watching the film—the spotlight upon the wolf and its habitat. There was a time the wolf almost went extinct and when it was not welcome in our National Parks. Thus, population of other species soared, and this only caused an upset in the balance of nature. Thankfully, such is not the issue anymore, however.
The film also contains footage of grizzly and black bears, mountain goats and bighorn sheep. In one scene, we watch while mountain goats attempt to lick salt off the sides of the peaks, and despite their hooves, they climb incredibly well. Glacier National Park is located along the Canadian border and does suffer fits of temperamental weather, but the video offers many different shades to the park, from the beautiful turquoise lakes, to the waterfalls, to the many different mountain peaks and hiking trails, to the spotlight upon the myriad of mammals the park is home to.
Just like with Big Bend National Park (another park located on the border of another—this time, Mexico) there is also lodging available within the park. Such is only noted briefly within the DVD, but this is good to know, especially if one is planning a trip.
The Crown of the Continent provides awesome scenery and a pleasant voiceover with music. It is a rewarding watch for anyone interested in this area specifically, or even if your passion resides with nature and her documentaries—it is hard to go wrong when dealing with such beauty. For more information, I recommend readers visit this website on how to purchase The Crown of the Continent.
Also, check out some images of Glacier National Park and see what it’s all about. The park is open year round, but then again, nature always is.
http://www.examiner.com/cultural-events-in-austin/dvd-review-crown-of-the-continent
http://www.glacierassociation.org/store/product/1149/DVD-CROWN-OF-THE-CONTINENT/
http://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm
[An expurgated version of this article originally appeared on the Examiner.com website.]
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