Life Without People poses the question of what would happen if humans were to suddenly disappear. What would happen to our planet? What would become of the things that define our species and leave our mark on this Earth? This is both an amazing visual journey and a startling graphic documentary of our fallen civilization. If there ever was a necessity to maintain human infrastructure, this documentary makes the case. What would become of the things that define our species and leave our mark on this Earth? Visit the ghostly villages surrounding Chernobyl (abandoned by humans after the 1986 nuclear disaster), travel to remote islands off the coast of Maine to search for abandoned towns that have vanished from view in only a few decades, then head beneath the streets of New York to see how subway tunnels may become watery canals. This is a thought-provoking adventure that combines visual effects with insights from experts in the fields of engineering, botany, ecology, biology, geology, climatology, and archeology, to demonstrate how the very landscape of our planet will change in our absence. (Gary Reber)
Special features include additional documentary footage (HD 18:38).
The 1.78:1 1080i VC-1 picture is documentary-quality throughout, with variation in imagery quality, due to low-quality archive footage, noise, and other artifacts. Still, while the image quality is rather underwhelming, the dramatic visuals make the point that after people, nature will reclaim the earth. This is a frightening scenario of what would happen if people were removed. The documentary depicts nature as much more resilient than one would imagine. (Gary Reber)
The Dolby® Digital 2.0-channel soundtrack features excellent narration quality supported with commentary that is always intelligible. The music score heightens the mood in this post-apocalyptic depiction. Overall, the sonic presentation effectively speaks for humankind's absence. (Gary Reber)