"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
Matthew 5:5

In Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, "meek" is defined as 1) being pliant or gentle, 2) patient and mild; not inclined to anger or resentment, or 3) being too submissive.

For better or worse, all of those definitions apply to the meek that inherit the emotionally gripping "Winged Migration," director Jacques Perrin's majestic follow-up to his magnificent 1996 documentary "Microcosmos" (which he produced). Where that film explored the wonderful world of insects that live in our own backyard, Perrin takes to the skies for an even more ambitious and exhilarating project that looks at the awesome journey that birds must take in their never-ending fight for survival.

Over the course of 4 years, 5 teams of more than 450 people followed a variety of species along their migration patterns through 40 countries spanning each of the 7 continents. By using cutting-edge technology, including planes, gliders, helicopters and balloons, the filmmakers were able to get a (dare I say it) bird's-eye view of their travels by flying alongside, above, below, in front of and behind their subjects. The results will surely make your jaw drop, as the cameras are often so close to the birds that you can actually hear the flapping of their wings.

The film's captivating beauty is incredible to behold, whether the birds are flying against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the late World Trade Center in New York, the Great Wall of China, the jungles of Africa or the deserts of Monument Valley. To put their journey into a broader perspective, some species may fly only 600 miles, while others fly more than 10,000, only to have to turn around and do it all over again. Whatever the case, Perrin makes it clear that these world-spanning journeys are essential to their survival, even if they have to endure searing heat, brutal blizzards or extended flights over hundreds of miles of water.

Yet, as gentle, as patient, and as mild as the meek can be, their submissiveness can also be their undoing. Despite their uncanny ability to fly in formation and know exactly where they are going, the birds are often at the mercy of various predators, game hunters and industrial pollution. In a film that already runs a gamut of emotions, there is nothing more disturbing than seeing one of the helpless birds get trapped in the sewage of a gloomy factory, while others are plucked out of the sky by the sounds of popping shotguns.

It is worth noting that of all the birds that fly in flocks to their various destinations, only one is depicted as more of a loner--the Bald Eagle. At a time when America is more-or-less going it alone in an international conflict, there is something rather foreboding and ominous about seeing the bold, weathered and haggard symbol of the American people flying over the rough desert terrain as its struggles to survive.

While the touching, funny and devastating "Winged Migration" is just as informative and entertaining as it is breathtaking and beautiful, Perrin wisely chooses to keep his dialogue sparse and let the fantastic imagery speak for itself. As it is, there is nothing more fantastic than embracing the "personality" of each species while marveling at their stamina, lust for life and will to survive (especially in one poignant scene, where a caged parrot frees itself and soars back into the wild blue yonder).

To that extent, I guess the meek aren't too submissive after all.

Scott Mantz, 2003