Film Review: A Community of Equals: Animals in the Upper Paleolithic Art of Europe

The film being reviewed is a film about art and history written and produced by Holly Cecil. The film, which is titled “A Community of Equals: Animals in the Upper Paleolithic Art of Europe, was produced in 2015, and it mainly talks about the relationship that some of the early people had with animals and art. The film showcases different art that was drawn on stones and cave walls. These art are life-like renditions of different animals that these humans somehow interacted with or watched and lived together with on the same landscapes. The drawings are very interesting to look at as the artists involved in creating this art were clearly observant and tried to capture the anatomy of these animals. The most interesting thing about the film is that it takes the viewer on a series of drawings and their significance and explains the outstanding aspect of these paintings, with the help of the narrator, who did a great job at explaining the most important elements of the film.

In general, the film is about art and how the Paleolithic peoples used this art to express how important animals were to them. The short film reveals that these people valued the animals more than the contemporary human does. The film reveals that the modern bias of evaluating animals in purely utilitarian terms hinders people’s understanding of the profoundly different ways that the early peoples might have perceived their land and the animals on this land. The film, using the art showcased, reminds us of a time when human beings engaged with animals as a community of equals.

My first impression about the film is that it is about art and that it is informative as it begins by showing different life-like renditions of different species of animals engraved on stones and cave walls, which are supported by the sound of the narrator. The images of these arts throughout the film are exciting to watch as they show the different levels of skills of the Paleolithic artists who used charcoal, clay, and other materials obtained from nature to make these drawings. The general feel of the film is artistic, and one can clearly see that it is about art animals from the many drawings of animals seen throughout the film. The narrator’s voice helps the viewer to understand each drawing and what makes each different from the others. Both the visual and audio of the film are important in the film as they work together to communicate with the viewer, and this enhances the film’s informative nature.

Being a film about art and history, the film informs the viewer of the relationship that the Paleolithic peoples had with the animals that live on the same land they dwelled on. The film reveals that art had a vital role in expressing the importance of these animals to the Paleolithic people. The drawings and paintings featured in the film show that these people valued the animals a lot more than modern people do now. The artists tried to capture the outstanding features of these animals and highlighted the uniqueness of the different animals in these paintings. The paintings tell us about the art’s creators and what mattered most to them. The art featured in the video consistently preferenced the representations of the different animals and show the uniqueness of the different species that human beings came across in new lands. The film tries to analyze why animals mattered too much to these peoples. These peoples viewed animals as equals and did not see them as sources of food. Instead, they considered animals to be “good to think with.” Hence, they copied some of the animals’ unique traits to get ideas on how to make their tools and other needs they needed, such as the use of fiber to make textiles, which might have originated from viewing the way spiders wove their webs. The art presented in this film reveals the strong relationship that existed between humans and animals. These paintings seem to appreciate the distinctive traits not present in human beings that different species had. For instance, the thick and shaggy coats and the horns shaped differently on different animals, all of which are captured in the paintings.

The film is interesting to watch as it uses top-notch cinematography, which makes it fascinating to watch. The images of different paintings shown in the film are clear and capture the eye of the viewer, making him/her more interested in watching the film. Additionally, the narration is clear and helps the viewer understand the film even better. The film is a good source of information for anyone interested in learning about the art produced in the Paleolithic age when humans viewed animals as equals and valued their uniqueness in the different species. The film is also a good source for anyone interested in learning about the relationship between art and anthropology in relation to the Paleolithic peoples and how they expressed their appreciation of nature.

Bibliography

Ceci, Holly 2020. https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/humananimalstudies/art/, accessed March 5 , 2020.