Search - Alaska: The Inside Passage (PBS) on DVD

Pretty dull, not a lot of depth

M. Smith | Virginia, USA | 12/26/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this for my in-laws, who are taking a cruise to Alaska next summer. We all sat to watch the DVD after dinner, with high expectations. I, for one, was really disappointed.

The focus of the film is on the culture of the area, which was nice for getting a better understanding of place. Unfortunately, it was about as good as the films you usually see in free museum exhibits, and had about that much depth. In fact, I kept feeling like that's exactly what we were watching, and wouldn't be surprised to find that they play this at some museum or other in Alaska as part of the exhibit on native Alaskan culture.

The photography is predictably pretty, although there are a LOT of prolonged shots of drops of water, individual leaves, stylized sunsets, etc. It felt very dated, and very little of it described what you were looking at, or gave you the slightest indication of why it was significant (rather than just a pretty picture). The images rarely had much to do with the narrative, which was dominated by readings from 19th-century travelers or short legends told by a couple of Alaskan story-tellers. Overall, the cinematography wasn't remotely as well-done as the National Geographic or Discovery specials that have come out in recent years.

As a history film, cultural film, or just for getting a person excited about a trip to this area, this DVD was really sub-standard. I can't recommend it except as a one-view add-on to a better gift. I can't imagine this will get a second viewing from anyone in our family, and I'd send it back if I could."