The poignant 2006 documentary Hurricane on the Bayou is acutally two documentaries in one. It is a tribute to the musical heritage of New Orleans, as well as, an environmental documentary calling for the preservation of our country's vanishing wetlands. Narrated by Academy Award Actress Meryl Streep, and featuring a phenomenal musical soundtrack of jazz, blues, gospel, and Cajun music performed by New Orleans legends Allen Toussaint, Aaron Neville, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and Marva Wright, this documentary is not only a reminder of our need to be good stewards of our environment, but a beautifully filmed, musical tribute to the survival of New Orleans in the post Katrina era.

The film begins 3 months before Hurricane Katrina, with some gorgeous underwater photography of the bayou, set to a saucy Zydeco tune. Meryl Streep begins her narration with the following introduction: "for thousands of years each Spring the Mississippi River overflowed it banks as it neared the sea. Muddy water left layer upon layer of soil, plants took root. Three hundred years ago French traders founded a city sheltered from deadly hurricanes, by a thousand miles of protected wetlands. New Orleans, Queen of the River, rose to the challenge of its soggy location, to become a city that's character and soul are unique in the world. With music as it's beating heart, New Orleans stood ready to shake your blues, rock your soul, or jazz up your romance."

The remainder of the documentary takes the viewer on a musical journey through the rise of jazz music, the technical innovations that lead to the diminishing of the protective wetlands, the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina, the harrowing aftermath, and the rebirth of the city. Originally planned as a warning of the potential effects of a deadly hurricane, this documentary took on greater relevance, when Hurricane Katrina came raging in, almost prophetically, in the middle of the film's production.

The narrative includes personal experiences by a number of New Orleans natives including a young violin prodigy, Amanda Shaw, blues musician Tad Benoit, and Cajun musician Chubby Carrier. They speak of the erosion that has destroyed much of the wetlands due to the building of the levees by well-meaning engineers to protect the farms from yearly floods, and the digging of canals for boat navigation, which brought in salt water that killed the marsh grass and trees.

The city was primed for the devastation of Hurricane Katrina; the mostly costly natural disaster in our country's history. The film includes actual Weather Channel reports during the evacuation and a re-enactment of other storms leading up to Hurricane Katrina, as well as, dramatic footage of the devastating storm itself, featuring interviews by people who lived through the experience. While Meryl Streep may sound like a curious choice as narrator for this documentary, she does a commendable job, although the lion's share of the narration falls to the New Orleans natives.

The photography features a number of panoramic still shots of beautiful sunsets, along with, stunning aerial views of the wetlands, and even the live hatching of alligator eggs, and commetary explaining that the the species was nearly extinct, until a massive effort was mounted to save the gators. In one particularly moving segment, a young girl talks about fighting off the snakes on her roof in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and Amanda Shaw describes the devastation of the total loss of her childhood home.

The documentary ends with a call to action, that much in the same way that they saved the alligators, conservationist are challenged to plant a thousand of acres of plants and flood gates to help naturally replenish the wetlands. It reminds us all of the importance of preserving our natural resources like the Louisiana bayou, where "the land and water live as one."

Produced in part, by the Audubon Nature Institute, Hurricane on the Bayou, originally shown in IMAX format, is a moving, and stark reminder of the debt we own to nature, and the importance of preserving our natural resources. If there is one drawback, it is the fact that this concise, 40 minute, film loses some of its splendor on the small screen. Still, it is a spectacular feast of sight and sound, with a message that should continue resonate for future generations.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older