I chose to compare these two scenes because I think they interchange relationships between humans and animals and the idea of truth. In the first still, the penguin knows his truth and has decided he will waddle his way into central Antarctica to certain death. They state in the film that there would be no use in trying to stop this penguin because he would most certainly make his way back to the exact spot. In the second still, scientists have their ears to the ice trying to listen to hypnotic seal sounds. The scientists have instruments they use to listen to the seal sounds, which resemble that of science-fiction noises. The imagery of these scientists listening to the ice gives more light to the idea of a world on the other side, which can be said of the same for the penguin in the first still, he is wandering into a new, unknown, world. I suggested the interchange between human and animals because the penguin in the first still is very determined to exhume his truth while the scientists are using more animal like tactics (never mind the instruments) by laying on the ice listening for seal sounds. The ideas of many different worlds comes from Herzog’s belief that truth can be fabricated through poetic and artistic choices.
Ideal Truth
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