Around 2005, Bruce Parry travelled to the remotest parts of the globe to meet around 15 isolated tribes over 3 years. His object was to learn the ways of each tribe by living with them for about a month. Each episode starts with the journey in, meeting the liaison-translator, diplomacy with the village elders, an invitation to stay, and getting settled with a tribal family. At this point, Bruce usually shows his willingness to muck in by taking on the menial tasks of children & women. Early on, he is generally invited to eat food that makes a Bush Tucker Trial look like a Cordon Bleu entree. As the tribe begin to trust him more, he is typically invited to participate in hunting parties and animist religious rituals. The most exciting episodes lead to an initiation rite, often involving mind-altering drugs. Other finales include partially controlled fights and a cattle drive. Bruce is extremely affable, and brings out the best in all the people he meets. This enables the viewer to get a taste of what makes each tribal culture unique. He is aware that the modern world is getting closer to even the remotest indigenous people, and that change is inevitable in the not too distant future. It is clear that he hopes his documentaries may help tribes make the transition to civilisation on their own terms. To complete so many programmes in 3 years is an amazing achievement by Parry, even if much of the prlmary research & liaison was completed by others. He shows unbelievable durability to withstand extreme climates, barefoot hunting trips, nauseating cuisine, and bouts of illness. Remarkably, he is so strong that he is able to maintain his good humour and a positive outward focus no matter what is thrown at him. It is difficult for Parry to entirely escape from the colonial tradition of the C18th & C19th explorers & missionaries who set out to chart & contact foreign lands. However, it is clear that his heart is with the good guys, like Schweitzer & Lawrence, rather than the imperialists, like Eyre & Curzon.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Had me on the edge at times,blimey Bruce is a brave man.Superb footage,feels like you could be there.Looking forward to watching them again cos few times had to turn my head away.....Just BRILLIANT!!!!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Was bought as part of fathers pressie. Hubby always made an effort to watch series on tv. However there was always an interruption of some kind so knew he wud appreciate watching this at his own pleasure-which he does!
Is 'Tribe' one of the greatest television programmes of the past 10 years? Absolutely. And all because it manages to show real people, living real lives, with genuine unflinching insight and touching emotion. No other television programme has come close to genuinely captivating the viewer, raising serious issues - and that covers issues of family and society - in a meaningful, relevant way that does not feel 'forced' or sugar coated. 'Tribe' is, simply, brilliant. Bruce Parry is the perfect anchor for the series. He is perfectly normal and down to earth in every way, and - of course - the fact that he constantly makes an idiot out of himself endears him to the viewer. From drinking blood, to tripping out, spewing, getting naked, breaking important hunting equipment, almost falling off a cliff, allowing reindeer to drink his urine, leaping over cows, killing cows with a spear, losing vast amounts of weight, being whipped, bitten, stung, laughed at...the guy takes it all in good spirits. He gets by on sheer determination and the fact that he just gets stuck in 100% with NO reservations. The fact is you can't manufacture these moments. It's edited to form a coherent form for every episode (usually based around Bruce undergoing initiation rituals) but no other programme could ever attempt recreate the genuine humanity on show throughout this series. Another important aspect of this series is that it truly shows our society to be a consumer mad engine that is devouring these lands and forcing these people to adopt to our ways, when it's really not necessary. Indeed, it gives one chance to think that maybe the tribe have got it right? That's why 'Tribe' is in my opinion one of (If not the) greatest television programmes produced to-date. It's more than Bruce Parry making a fool of himself. It's much more than seeing how other people live and feeling content with what we have. It's a series that is a genuine look at humanity, at what development and society is, at what is being lost forever in the name of progress. It's an essential purchase. It's a brilliant series. 'BUY-IT-NOW' :-)Read full review
What an amazing series! I was glued to this from the moment I put the 1st DVD into my player. As well as being interesting and informative, it opens your eyes to how some people around the world actually live. Bruce Parry literally throws himself into everything he does, from having tribal scars to having highly poisonous tree sap put into his blood system. You can see from the reaction of the tribes that nobody outside of there tribe (including previous film crews) would attempt any of this and they all grow to appreciate him and most of them adopt him as there son. This is a must see for anyone, my family are queuing to borrow it.
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