Ape to Man

A Documentary Film Analysis

Presented to Prof. Ron L. Daracan Faculty Metro Manila College U-Site, Kaligayahan, Novaliches, Quezon City

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements In Social Science 114 (World History and Civilization 1)

By:

Roy Java Villasor BSEd 2

4 December 2012

I. Summary: This documentary film presents and explains the theory of evolution, illustrates the places and significant facts concerning excavations and discoveries. Scientists from the mid-nineteenth century search for the fossil remains of the "missing link" in evolution - the half-man, half-ape that would explain where mankind came from. Beginning with the discovery of ancient fossils found in Germany at a time when Charles Darwins The Origin Of Species had not even tapped into the publics consciousness, over the last century and a half, it has been the idea of what a missing link is that has evolved. The history of scientific quest - peopled with fanatics, frauds, amateurs, professionals, the lucky, the unlucky, the unfairly neglected and the undeservedly praised - is the subject of Ape To Man. It is an engaging and entertaining documentary that features both reenactments of various archeological expeditions and their discoveries as well as dramatizations depicting how ancient ancestors to contemporary humans might have appeared and behaved. Reenactments depict scientists making their discoveries and then stretch back hundreds of thousands, even millions, of years to depict the typical lives of our human and human-like ancestors. Interviews with leading scientists and distinguished Professors in the fields of anthropology, palaeo-anthropology, anatomy, philosophy and biology, each discussing the ever-changing understanding of humanitys origins support the documentary.

II. Reaction/Critique:

A. Technical Aspects:

Animation/visual effects The documentary film maker uses unique sound effects suited to convey ideas presented. It also has good visual effects reflecting each change from narrative to interviews to reenactments and dramatization. As we view this documentary film, I also notice that there are instances that the dramatization repeats which helps the viewer understand more on the facts being presented. On the other side, clothes wore by the Neanderthals were too realistic to believe. Voice Dubbing/ Audio Although most of the films part was narrated, dubbing was clear and comprehensive. Viewers can easily jot down notes of important facts presented in the film. Facts Presented The film features both reenactments of various archeological expeditions and their discoveries as well as dramatizations. One of the best scenes in the documentary has a scientist literally drawing a multi-branched evolutionary tree on the beach and using skulls of the various ancestral discoveries as markers to reveal that not only may there be many missing links instead of the one creature. The films also uses interviews to support further the facts and ideas.

B. Content Analysis: 1. Historical The film content gives much proof of scientific basis of the human origin. Even history books starts with the chapter Origin of the World and Origin of Human Beings. Dates of discoveries and facts presentation to the scientists and historians were detailed. It is therefore relative to every aspect of studying history. 2. Geographical Places of excavation and discoveries were presented continentally basis. Specific places like Java, Indonesia; South Africa and Tanzania were presented with narration that could be easily understood. 3. Sociological/Anthropological The film also tells of how the new discoveries and evidences are subject to acceptance of the council of scientists/guru that would examine/determine the reliability of the presented evidences. If it is found reliable, then it will be accepted as new idea/knowledge. It shows that not all discoveries and ideas could be accepted. 4. Psychology As we examine the content of the documentary film, we can see interesting insights revealed that the size of the brain was not so much a deciding factor in development of the species, but how they used their environment to create tools going

as far back to the first upright walking descendent to move from one tree to the next for food and safety millions of years ago. 5. Philosophical This documentary film also raises some profound questions that quite frankly no one is certain what the answers are, but the field of discovery is becoming so broad that findings are rapidly changing what we thought we knew about our ancestors. 6. Theological As far as the religious belief concerns on creation, this film strongly contradicts the statements written on the bible. So it still remains as theories concerning human origins that anyone could believe or not. III. Conclusion: Insights gained from the documentary film: All facts were based on theory being discovered, tested, analyze, and later accepted Field of science does not explain all aspects of existence in the universe