DbcultAccessing Vault...
A definitive 6.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Private Life of the Gannets remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old-school nature documentaries that don't have a hyperactive narrator or CGI, then yes. It’s a quiet watch. If you need explosions or a plot twist, skip it. You’ll be bored to tears in about thirty seconds.
I sat down with The Private Life of the Gannets expecting something dry. It’s from 1934, which is ancient by modern standards. But the birds? They don't know it's 1934. They just dive.
The cinematography is surprisingly sharp for something filmed on a rock off the Welsh coast in the thirties. There’s this one sequence where they hit the water like little white missiles. It’s oddly satisfying.
You can tell this was made for schools. It has that polite, educational rhythm that feels like a teacher turning down the lights on a sunny Tuesday afternoon. It lacks the frantic energy of The Destroying Angel, which is a totally different beast, obviously.
I found myself wondering if the people filming this were just freezing to death on that island. They stayed long enough to get the shots, though. Commitment to the bit, I guess.
It’s not trying to be a deep, philosophical statement. It’s just birds. Fishing. Doing bird stuff. It reminded me a bit of how weirdly specific some of those old shorts get, like the ones you find buried in a box set next to A Cuckoo in the Nest.
It’s a tiny slice of time. A bit dusty, maybe a little scratchy on the eyes, but it’s real footage. No tricks. Just birds falling from the sky. Can't really argue with that. 🐦