Crude: The Incredible Journey of Oil (2007)

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General		Extras
Category	Documentary	None
Rating
Year Of Production	2007
Running Time	90:00
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL (77:16)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	None Given
Studio Distributor	Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	None Given
Case	Amaray-Transparent
RPI	?	Music	None Given

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.78:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

    It is a rare thing indeed that two documentaries on the same subject, both excellent, would be released at about the same time. It is an even rare thing that they should be complementary with minimal overlap. Today I look at Crude and shortly I will review A Crude Awakening.

Peak Oil is a phrase that has been tossed around since the 1950's. M. King Hubbert coined the phrase to explain the point at which oil production reaches it's maximum before beginning a steady and irretrievable decline. Not suprisingly his views were treated with a good deal of skepticism. After all, this was the glorious 50's in the U.S. Cars were getting bigger, oil exploration was continuing and , what's more, the Middle East had just entered an exciting stage of discovery. His critics wrote him off as a crackpot and the World continued to burn up juice like there was no tomorrow.

If there was ever a more sobering call to attention it came when, only a few weeks ago, when the chairman and chief executive officer of General Motors, Rick Wagoner , admitted in a speech that the supply of oil was finite and retreating and that they would have to look for other forms of power for automobiles.His exact words:
There is no doubt demand for oil is outpacing supply at a rapid pace, and has been for some time now. As a business necessity and an obligation to society we need to develop alternate sources of propulsion. So, are electrically driven vehicles the answer for the mid- and long-term? Yes, for sure. But we need something else to significantly reduce our reliance on petroleum in the interim.

In 2005, the US Department of Energy published a report titled Peaking of World Oil Production: Impacts, Mitigation, & Risk Management otherwise known as the Hirsch report. The report is a detailed analysis of the future of World oil. The conclusion?:
The peaking of world oil production presents the U.S. and the world with an unprecedented risk management problem. As peaking is approached, liquid fuel prices and price volatility will increase dramatically, and, without timely mitigation, the economic, social, and political costs will be unprecedented. Viable mitigation options exist on both the supply and demand sides, but to have substantial impact, they must be initiated more than a decade in advance of peaking.

In the light of the Report and the announcement by General Motors there is never a better time to invest in these two documentaries. Viewers should not be concerned that they are repetitive. A few of the same speakers appear in both but otherwise they are equally informative and interesting.

Crude: The Incredible Journey of Oil is an Australian made documentary. In fact, it consists of three 30 minute sections.

Each is presented and narrated by biologist and general science enthusiast Dr Richard Smith. He is a clear and energized speaker and what the program lacks in voice-over polish is more than made up for by the enthusiasm of Dr Smith.

Beginning with some nifty CGI work featuring the Jurassic seas we ae taken through the life of a single carbon molecule as it works its way through the food chain and eventually into the sludge at the bottom of the ocean that became the Worlds oil reserves. The programme takes the time to explain the origin of oil as well as the practical uses. This is useful as I suspect I am not the only person whose knowledge of the origin of oil begins and ends with - it comes from the ground!

Of course, the good and bad news is that we are entirely dependant on oil for all aspects of modern society. If it didn't help make the food or the product it probably helped power the machinery that did.

This is a problem for the simple reason that oil is a non renewable resource and the uses for it and demand for oil are increasing. One only has to consider the fact that nations with enormous populations like China and India are becoming industrialized and modernized to the extent that the average person can afford a car to know that trouble lies on the horizon.

This program tries to explain the reasons why the World has been so conducive for oil creation in the past and the news is not good. The theory it posits is that carbon dioxide levels rose so high due to the effect of global warming such that the oceans became pea soups of dead phytoplanktons and creatures. The depletion of the oxygen in the sea created an huge toxic swamp which led to the creation of thick layers of material which, over time, became the oil we know and love.

The further bad news is that the melting of the polar ice caps and gradual warming of our planet are leading us towards a repeat of those conditions.

The documentary has high production values and consists of a blend of talking heads, clever animation and stock and historical footage. Of the two films, it should be watched first. It is definitely worth going to the ABC website for the show http://www.abc.net.au/science/crude/. Not only does it have added interviews not included on the DVD but it has a wealth of additional scientific information.

Video

   Crude was shot on digital at an original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. This DVD preserves that ratio and is 16x9 enhanced.

The transfer is pretty good throughout. The CGI, as said above, may not be cutting edge but it is quite good for the ABC . There is stock footage included as well as archival footage and these vary according to the original condition of the material. The talking heads segments are fairly crisp and clean. There are no compression issues and the the original material is all free of any defects bar a small amount of aliasing.

There are English subtitles which are clear and easy to read.

Video Ratings Summary

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Audio

    The sound for Crude is English Dolby Digital 2.0 running at 224 Kb/s.

The sound is perfectly adequate for the show. There are no technical problems with the sound transfer and it has been competently mixed. All the interviewees speak clearly. Audio sync is perfect.

The music is well matched to the film.

All in all a good sound transfer to match the visuals.

Audio Ratings Summary

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There are no extras however the website above does function as an addenda to the film.

   Regrettably this DVD does not appear to be available outside Region 4.

    Crude is an excellent Australian documentary that conveys the important historical and geological story of oil with a thought provoking look at the future.

The production levels for the DVD are high and the transfer matches it in sound and vision.

The lack of extras is disappointing but the website is an excellent source of futher information.

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