"The Human Body" - the IMAX version
The now ubiquitous Professor Robert
Winston became a household commodity when he narrated The
Human Body, the show that literally took
viewers into parts that others could not
reach. Where else could you see inside a full
stomach or watch blood cells flowing in
arteries? These were amazing images to
medics and the viewing public alike.
Now the “incredible story of life” is back
“on a screen the height of five double decker
buses.” Yes, The Human Body has now made it
to the massive IMAX format and, it has to be
said, the result is quite impressive.
This release represents the end of a
three year collaboration between the BBC,
the Science Museum in London, Discovery
Pictures, and the Learning Channel, all
funded by the National Science Foundation
in the United States. The large format
version is in fact a whole new 45 minute film
with no footage used from the original TV
series, although Winston (voice only)
returns as the narrator.
The film focuses on a family unit of four
as the “day in the life of” subjects. We are
introduced to Heather, the pregnant mother
to be, who will be followed through to the
baby's birth at the end of the film. The day
starts early on a weekday morning in what
seems to be a genteel Oxfordshire town
(“London” as the family calls it). Things are a
bit slow getting going, however, and it's not
until everyone is well on their way to school
or work that it gets down to
the nitty-gritty of what's going
on inside the body.
That said, once we start
looking inside the people the
visuals are stunning. Some of
the most advanced techniques
available have been used to
generate the detailed three
dimensional animations and
images on the grand scale
offered by IMAX. It's a radiology fan's dream, even though
there is some clear use of
computer generated images
to spruce things up.
Seeing the currents of
hot air radiating away from
someone's body, filmed using
a special form of thermal
imaging, to cool them down
after they have cycled to
school was fascinating. However, this paled as a seven storey high
skeleton of a baby came crawling out of the
screen towards the audience.
In combination with a loud digitally
reproduced soundtrack the overall effect is
imposing and enthralling. The spectacle
does, however, reach a premature climax
when, at around the 30 minute mark, the
audience is taken on a tour of the beating
heart, the body's “engine”; the roaring
blood flow is deafening, the slamming shut
of the valves pounding. When this is
combined with the almost violent visuals of
the aortic valve turbulently opening and
closing, the experience is breathtaking.
That, however, is representative of what
is debatably this production's one weakness.
It seems to be much more about spectacle
than education; there are plenty of amazing
things to be seen and many fascinating statistics, soothingly spoken in Winston's
dulcet tones, to be learnt, but the film never
really delves into mechanisms or processes
in any great detail. But then, would the
public really want a crash course in physiology? The Human Body—IMAX opened in
London, at the Science Museum, last
month. It will be showing in IMAX theatres
around Britain (see below) and is expected
to run for at least a year. Go see it. You may
not learn that much but you will enjoy it.
The spectacle is . . . well, spectacular.
Navin Chohan, editor, studentBMJ
studentBMJ 2001;09:399-442 November ISSN 0966-6494
The Human Body—IMAX will be showing at
the Science Museum, London; the National
Museum of Photography, Film and Television,
Bradford; Glasgow Science Centre; UCI Printworks, Manchester; @Bristol; IMAX Theatre at
Millenium Point, Birmingham
IMAX® is a registered trademark.
