Week 5- Morning of the Earth

I felt that the film "Morning of the Earth" had an interesting approach to presenting surfing in film. the film was drastically different than previous films we have watched. Compared to last weeks film "Muscle Beach Party", we see a completely different side to surfing. In "Muscle Beach Party" surfing was a group activity, a past time, and their lives continued on. In "Morning of the Earth" surfing was much more of an individual experience on the waves, shown my focusing on each individual as he rides the wave, and a life encompassing activity. For the surfers in "Morning of the Earth", the majority of their day is presented to be in or around the ocean, with other activities being sparse and far between. Their hangout time consisted of life necessities and cultural bonding: fruit picking, life in the tree house, DIY surf board building and repair, smoking with the natives and the fishing the natives brought to shore. I enjoyed seeing the juxtaposition in culture between the surfers and the natives - the natives with their fishing and cock fighting to the surfer's carefree surfing lifestyle. Unlike "Muscle Beach Party", "Morning of the Earth" is not a movie with a plot line, but instead tries to portray surfing as an  art-form to be appreciated. The film is completely without words, filled only with music, giving the film a mood of never-ending joyousness in the day long surfing.

 I can't help but to wonder what cultural information could have been gathered if they had brought anthropologists with them to these "unspoiled" lands.