In the Nova
natural history documentary Decoding Neanderthals the filmmakers took the role
of reporter in telling the story of what happened to the Neanderthals and how
that relates to us as modern humans. I enjoyed the presentation, though I thought
it could have used some polish, as the structure of the program served not to
lead the viewer naturally through an exploration of the subject, but instead to
undermine the clarity of the main questions it was seeking to answer.
Through interviews, close-ups of bones and
artifacts, B-roll footage of typical human cultures today, computer graphic
images of DNA strands, more B-roll footage of scientists engaged in work, and a
few historical recreations of Neanderthals and ancient humans, the documentary
set up a strong theme of searching for our roots as humans by examining
misconceptions and new evidence about our closest extinct relatives. Edited
with a narration voice-over, and typical cutaways to help tell the story or
illustrate points, the program did a good job of introducing the stereotypical
way most people think of Neanderthals and why this is mistaken.
Building from that well-written
introduction, the documentary went on to show new research that Neanderthals
had much more sophisticated technology and language than was previously
thought. The practical demonstrations of creating the Neanderthal flint stones
and the likely method used to extract pitch were particularly effective in
showing that though Neanderthals had limited means available to them, they had
highly refined methods of creating the tools they needed for survival.
At this point the documentary
naturally segued into a discussion of DNA, and how mapping both the human and
Neanderthal genomes has allowed scientists to determine that we share DNA with
Neanderthals in key areas relating to speech and language. Computer models of
DNA were shown to great effect. Even a viewer who only knew of DNA by name
could understand the basic function and form of the little strands, as well as
understand fairly clearly how it was that scientists came to the conclusion
that the DNA of Homo sapiens clearly had some segments of Neanderthal DNA
included. I was particularly impressed with how brief the filmmakers managed to
make this explanation, but how thorough.
After this
remarkable revelation I expected the program to then look at why modern humans
would continue to keep ancient Neanderthal DNA, but instead the film went on to
examine further similarities between humans and Neanderthals, including personal
ornamentation with paint and beads, possible hunting trophy collection, and
forms of ritualistic burial. While the visuals and interviews served to
wonderfully illustrate and explain the evidence and artifacts, I was puzzled by
the tangent back into material the filmmakers had already covered.
Honestly, looping back on itself
didn’t reinforce anything, but rather served to undermine the flow and
structure of the film. If this information had simply been included in the
similar discussion before the examination of DNA sequencing, I think the
documentary would have been stronger and more engaging, as it would have built
a sense of wonder and suspense about our previous assumptions of Neanderthals.
Once this tangent was over, the
program resumed what I felt like should have been the natural line of
questioning in asking what benefits Neanderthal DNA had for modern humans.
Though there are many gene sequences left to explore, scientists have been able
to determine that important functions in our immune systems are dictated by the
sequences of Neanderthal DNA. This shows that our continued survival as a
species is aided immensely by keeping these genes, and adds further evidence to
back the film’s conclusion that it is likely Neanderthals intermingled with ancient
humans and were eventually bred out.
Though I was frustrated by the
convoluted story structure, I very much appreciated how the film dealt with
loose ends in the research, such as in the production of pitch. Science creates
many new questions with each one that it answers, yet the Nova program gave me
a sense of closure when it came to the particular question of why Neanderthals
matter to us at all. I left wanting to know more, but not feeling unsatisfied.
