Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22110 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-08-23
• Rating: Exempt
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 50 minutes

Synopsis
Dangerous, powerful, but above all breath-takingly beautiful, tigers have for centuries sparked awe and admiration. Yet, it is their very uniqueness which has made them a prized object for hunters. This film could be the last complete portrait of tigers in the wild as there is a real chance they could be extinct within the next decade.

Their elusive lifestyle has made filming difficult, but after 25 years of the Project Tiger scheme operating in India's Madhya Pradesh, these big cats have become more trusting. An award-winning team of producers and cameramen have teamed up to follow the lives of several tigers by day and, by using low-light cameras, at night. The result shows the majesty of these fascinating animals and the importance of saving them from extinction.

Customer Reviews

An overlooked little gem. Tiger.
I came across this wonderful work when it was aired on BBC 4. It was listed as an hour long program & referred to as "A Wildlife Special", usually code for not very special at all by programme pushers.

Even with David Attenborough billed as the narrator (he does not present or appear except holding a tiger cub at the very beginning) I prepared myself to watch not expecting much at all, but instead was greeted with this masterpiece of a work.

The quality of the photography is utterly superb. If you've a decent TV or a Plasma/LCD you'll relish the extremely sumptuous glorification of colour throughout.

There are no wasted scenes or seconds of footage. Every image has direct & pressing relevance to the story being told which unfolds in a relaxing manner allowing the viewer to really 'feel' what is being portrayed.

The music score is masterful too. There is a fantastic long shot at the start of the piece which zooms in from miles away to a warden on an elephant walking through the forest timed absolutely perfectly as they emerge into a clearing against the natural greens and orange of the surroundings. Film making of a very high order indeed.

I was totally taken aback by the warmth and feeling of this portrayal - the story of which is adequately dealt with by other reviews here.

Sadly, at the start of the closing credits it states that one of the main photographers (Chip Houseman) died before seeing his own undoubtedly superb work on this programme.

Rent it or buy it. Either way it's a steal at the price. I have watched it many times now, and it just gets better.

David Attenborough is as always perfection itself in his role as narrator being able to properly convey the appropriate level of gravitas, emotion and tragedy for the events that take place here.

Deserves 8 stars
The documentary is set in Kanha National Park in central India - a sanctuary that I have been to dozens of times. It is a place that all Tiger enthusiasts should see at least once in their lifetimes.

The documentary is superb. I have recorded videos of Tigers in Kanha and can vouch for the difficulties one faces when filming in a thick deciduous forest that is almost impenetrable in places. In addition to the excellent footage, there is a good story which reaches a climax at the end.

All in all, a great video and probably the best documentary on this fast vanishing species available on the market.

Lakshmi - a tiger's story
This is the story of a tigress in the heart of India and her struggles to rear her family in the Kanha National Park. Lakshmi - named after the Hindu goddess of fortune - walks (as the narrative puts it) - "a tightrope between success and failure". There are the usual wildlife scenes of her mating and the hunting of prey to feed her cubs;but what makes this such an oustanding account of this heart-stoppingly-beautiful cat is the way she entwines herself round your heart-strings with her courage and her devotion to her often-troublesome and boisterous cubs. There are no doubt those who mock such sentiments, but those who love tigers will find no fault with it. There are some very anxious moments at the end of the story when it seems that Lakshmi and the cubs may have met disaster; but, have no fear, it has a happy ending.