In 1994 a cave was excavated after being buried under a rockslide for 15,000 years. During the exploration of the cave, they found what is now considered the oldest cave drawings ever discovered, many of them dating back 32,000 years ago.
Cauvet Cave is located in Southern France. Once it was discovered, the French government sealed it off with an air tight metal door and strictly limited access to the cave, in order to keep the drawings from fading. This was a good idea, considering the rockslide limited the air flow, and as a result the drawings still almost look fresh. One can see the great detail in many of these paintings.
What struck this reviewer was how well done the paintings and drawings were. Keep in mind these are the oldest paintings any human has ever drawn, and they are not simply stick figure men. In fact, there are no drawings of humans at all, only animals; lions, bears, horses, rhinos. And while they lack certain 3 dimensional aspects, the drawings are all very detailed. It seems that artistic creation was not something that slowly evolved in humans, but rather burst onto the scene quite drastically.
Some of the drawings are more recent, from 26,000 years ago; including some people adding on to drawings that were made 5,000 years prior to them. It is almost impossible to imagine adding one's own ideas to a painting made five thousand years ago, but these humans were not locked into history.
Director Werner Herzog gives the audience breathtaking images of the drawings, and of the caves—which after being sealed off for so long have developed some beautiful and bizarre cave growth. Herzog was only allowed 3 other men for his film crew while in the caves, and their time in them is severely limited. The only other people allowed in the cave are a team of scientists, studying the artwork in order to understand early man. No one is allowed to touch anything, and they cannot step off of the 2-foot wide metal walkway that has been built. Herzog ventures outside the cave at points and asks these researchers about life for early man around the area of the cave. The cave was never lived in, but rather served as some type of gathering place. Perhaps for festivals, or religious ceremonies. These early humans walked with mammoths and Neanderthals during the ice age, hunted with spears, and wore very warm clothes.
The film was shot in 3D in order for the audience to see just how these ancient artists used the cave walls to create the illusion of movement, and give several of the drawings a flowing quality.
Herzog's documentary is fascinating and beautiful. Perhaps some may think a documentary about cave drawings boring, but the artwork is so beautiful, the discussions so interesting, and the researchers such colorful characters that one must go out of their way to be bored by this film. A marvelous and wonderful documentary, this should not be missed.
http://thatguythatlikesmovies.blogspot.com/
Cauvet Cave is located in Southern France. Once it was discovered, the French government sealed it off with an air tight metal door and strictly limited access to the cave, in order to keep the drawings from fading. This was a good idea, considering the rockslide limited the air flow, and as a result the drawings still almost look fresh. One can see the great detail in many of these paintings.
What struck this reviewer was how well done the paintings and drawings were. Keep in mind these are the oldest paintings any human has ever drawn, and they are not simply stick figure men. In fact, there are no drawings of humans at all, only animals; lions, bears, horses, rhinos. And while they lack certain 3 dimensional aspects, the drawings are all very detailed. It seems that artistic creation was not something that slowly evolved in humans, but rather burst onto the scene quite drastically.
Some of the drawings are more recent, from 26,000 years ago; including some people adding on to drawings that were made 5,000 years prior to them. It is almost impossible to imagine adding one's own ideas to a painting made five thousand years ago, but these humans were not locked into history.
Director Werner Herzog gives the audience breathtaking images of the drawings, and of the caves—which after being sealed off for so long have developed some beautiful and bizarre cave growth. Herzog was only allowed 3 other men for his film crew while in the caves, and their time in them is severely limited. The only other people allowed in the cave are a team of scientists, studying the artwork in order to understand early man. No one is allowed to touch anything, and they cannot step off of the 2-foot wide metal walkway that has been built. Herzog ventures outside the cave at points and asks these researchers about life for early man around the area of the cave. The cave was never lived in, but rather served as some type of gathering place. Perhaps for festivals, or religious ceremonies. These early humans walked with mammoths and Neanderthals during the ice age, hunted with spears, and wore very warm clothes.
The film was shot in 3D in order for the audience to see just how these ancient artists used the cave walls to create the illusion of movement, and give several of the drawings a flowing quality.
Herzog's documentary is fascinating and beautiful. Perhaps some may think a documentary about cave drawings boring, but the artwork is so beautiful, the discussions so interesting, and the researchers such colorful characters that one must go out of their way to be bored by this film. A marvelous and wonderful documentary, this should not be missed.
http://thatguythatlikesmovies.blogspot.com/