(punchy organ music)
(cheerful orchestral music)
(children laughing)
(monkey hissing)
- [Maestro] Oh!
Humboldt, come back here, you little monkey.
- Humboldt, what, is Humboldt a monkey?
- Humboldt was a great explorer, a very great explorer!
The Humboldt Penguin, so called because he discovered them.
But he discovered much more than that, much more.
Take the Humboldt Current, for example.
And there's Mount Humboldt in Venezuela,
many landmarks in the USA,
and the Humboldt Glacier in Greenland,
Mount Humboldt in New Caledonia, Humboldt Bay in New Guinea.
- How about the Humboldt Flea, Maestro?
(monkey hissing)
- Humboldt was more than an explorer;
he was an ecologist, someone who observes,
and tries to understand the harmony in the forces of nature,
a humanist, as well.
He would defend human rights at all times.
- You got a Humboldt Flea now, I'm pretty sure,
before you're (mumbling) you'll discover it.
- Humboldt!
- Do you mind if I continue?
- Yeah, we wanna hear!
Tell a story!
- There's so much to Humboldt's story.
Where do I begin?
I'll start at the beginning.
This is Paris in the year 1798.
(soft music)
(books clattering)
- Oh!
Ugh.
Well.
Pardon me, monsieur, I wasn't paying attention.
- Entirely my fault, monsieur, I was thinking.
- Permit me to introduce myself,
Alexander von Humboldt from Berlin.
- Aime Bonpland, La Rochelle.
- [Alexander] How do you do?
You are a botanist?
- A doctor, but plants interest me.
And you appear to be an astronomer.
- Well, not exactly.
I'm interested in a great deal, in all of nature!
- In all of nature?
I think we might work together.
It would be useful to compare notes.
- [Alexander] Maybe we could go together on expedition.
Why not?
- [Aime] It's true, the world's full of so much to discover.
Plants--
- [Alexander] Yes, the very laws of nature.
- [Aime] Human beings!
(items clattering)
- [Both] Oh!
- His Majesty, Carlos IV, King of Spain.
(footsteps clopping)
Baron Alexander von Humboldt of Berlin,
scholar and philosopher;
and Monsieur Aime Bonpland, French botanist.
Gentlemen, you wish to explore our colonies out in America.
Well, why is that?
- For pure science, your majesty.
In these regions are plants and animals never cataloged,
whole peoples unknown.
Only a Frenchman, Monsieur De La Condamine,
published a book about the area.
- These days, expeditions are costly, and we are not rich.
- But sire, the Baron von Humboldt is quite prepared
to finance the expedition entirely and graciously
without charge, give everything he collects to our museums.
- In that case, well, may I wish you a happy voyage.
I will instruct all my governors, and prefects,
and captains, and well, you know,
to assist you in any way they can.
But be warned: such places are very dangerous.
(footsteps clopping)
(easygoing optimistic music)
- An excellent specimen here in the prime of life.
Admire the man's teeth!
- Hmm.
- Slavery's wrong.
People have a right to be free.
I know that one day South America will follow
the example of North America and Europe.
There's going to be a revolution down here.
- [Aime] Do you really think so?
The Spanish are in power here, and they won't give it up.
- You are right, senors.
One day we will get our liberty.
- You can speak our language?
- Yes, senor, also many Indian dialects.
I know the area very well,
and I'm an expert at paddling canoes.
- Are you interested in working for us,
joining our expedition?
- Yes, I am!
Where are you headed?
- [Alexander] To the south, up the Orinoco,
all the way to the Amazon.
- [Carlos] Come over here, to where we can talk.
First, we have to cross the plains on horseback,
then we must find a dugout canoe to buy.
- What is your name?
- My name is Carlos.
If you want, we can leave tomorrow, sunup.
(easygoing music)
(knife slicing)
- [Aime] Careful!
It could be poisonous!
- It's a milk tree, delicious, not poison.
(knife slicing)
- I wouldn't drink that!
- If the Indians always drink it, why can't I?
(slurping)
It's really good!
(easygoing music)
Whoa!
- Be careful, senor, it is quite dangerous.
It will shoot lightning bolts so big
they will kill a horse, senor.
- Come now, Carlos, kill a horse?
- Si, senor, I saw one do it.
- Then I'll have to examine it.
This animal is unique.
- Now, wait a minute, I have an idea.
(speaking in foreign language)
(twig snapping)
(slapping)
(water splashing)
(electricity zapping)
(horses braying)
(grunting)
(electricity zapping)
- This is really extraordinary!
An electric shock!
Look there!
That horse is practically dead!
(electricity buzzing softly)
(electricity zapping loudly)
(laughing)
You see, this organ builds up an electrical charge.
It's a powerful weapon for this strange creature.
(playful orchestral music)
- Red Bells, they are unknown!
I must have one!
(water sploshing)
(grunting)
Ugh!
(speaking in foreign language)
- This river is the Apure.
It will lead to the Orinoco.
It will take a few days.
- [Alexander] These trees are gigantic,
it's hard to believe!
- The Orinoco, you see it there!
- Welcome, welcome!
(paper rustling)
Hello, I am Brother Zair.
You are looking for a canal linking
the Orinoco to the Rio Negro,
which will bring you to the Amazon.
- Condamine, in his early explorations,
said that there was a canal.
- Brother Alonzo went up the Orinoco.
- Mm hmm.
- He shows me there can be no such canal.
- [Alexander] Well, that we shall see.
- In any case, you won't go far in that nutshell there.
You will need a much larger boat,
a sturdier one, and porters.
And, if you like, I will be glad
to accompany you on your journey.
- Ah!
- But now you must come to the monastery,
take your refreshment.
You will barter with the Indians.
There are some fishhooks, some leaves of tobacco,
two small kegs of alcohol.
- [Alonzo] Two more.
Bye bye!
Goodbye!
- Oh, whoa!
My oh my!
Oh my, my goodness!
(water splashing)
(dramatic orchestral music)
Protect us from the rapids.
(water rushing)
- Ah, man!
Whoa!
- All out!
Here, we carry!
- Oh!
(water sploshing)
- I think he got an animal.
I'll go have a look.
- Maul.
- Bring boat to shore.
Be better that way.
No!
- The boat is just a few feet away.
It's much simpler to drag it.
(water sploshing)
(laughing)
(water splashing)
- Piranha fish, eat up all.
You lucky this time.
(water splashing)
(Brother Zair humming)
- An alligator, quite a specimen!
Almost 10 feet long, that one!
(tiger snarling)
(water splashing)
(bats squawking)
(rifle booming)
(bats squawking)
- [Alexander] They should be near the Casiquiare Canal,
the one that Condamine wrote about.
(party members gasping inquisitively)
(bees buzzing)
(party members exclaiming)
(water rushing)
(Brother Zair humming)
- It's not just a boat; it's turning into Noah's Ark!
- Look at these, father.
The Indians gave us these as gifts, some tame toucans!
(groaning sleepily)
(scarfing greedily)
(chuckling softly)
How about that?
(chuckling softly)
Those toucans are becoming good parishioners, Padre!
(writing utensil scratching)
- Oh, I've a terrible headache.
My head is bursting!
- It's malaria.
All those mosquitoes, they carry the disease.
We'll return to Angostura.
You will be all right.
(trumpet music)
- Quickly, prepare the quinine!
Drink this.
This is quinine, just what you need.
Drink it up.
- How's Bonpland?
- He's no better, alas.
- Senor, your friend, and--
- Bonpland, you mean.
- Si, senor.
He does not move anymore.
- I go!
Bonpland!
Reaction in the pupil, his heart is beating: he's alive!
More quinine!
- There!
(gasping)
- A good sign.
- [Woman] Morning, father.
- Well, young man, feel better now?
We thought we were going to lose you.
- I feel better, Padre, only I would like--
- Yes, some more quinine.
- Not exactly.
A comb, if it's possible.
Carlos!
- You called me, senor?
- [Aime] Would you please shave me?
(woman humming)
There she is.
- Oh!
Oh no!
(church bells ringing)
- You're here to pray, my son?
- Yes, I am, Padre, I'm here to pray,
but I'm also looking for someone.
- Someone?
The young lady has returned to her village upriver.
- Oh, I'm much obliged, Padre.
- Senor, she is upriver at her home!
- I know, but I love her.
It's impossible to go on living without her!
- Senor!
- Why, it's incredible!
It's totally unknown, a mushroom big as that!
It's incredible!
A mackerelopodopterus, another species totally unknown.
It's fantastic!
A coleoptera.
Oh, I'd say that is a denrobotis but with many stripes.
Completely new.
- Ugh.
Ugh.
- Well, Carlos, do you think he'll ever come back?
- Fairly sure, senor.
He will return with his arms full of new discoveries!
- Alexander, look at this butterfly.
And how about this frog?
They're remarkable!
- Good for you, my friend!
You are finding everything that you're looking for.
- Go in peace, my children.
You both deserve some good rest.
More than 2,000 kilometers in this strange land.
- Now much less strange.
- Yes!
And having the company of alligators
and of boa constrictors, vampire bats,
it's hardly ever boring here.
- I have a nice delivery of 60 slaves,
every one in excellent health.
- You should be ashamed!
They have a right to be free!
Every human being is free!
- What? Who does he...
Yes, who does he think he is?
- We just couldn't live here without slaves.
- Everybody knows that blacks aren't human!
(whip snapping)
- I agree, slavery is something we must never allow.
It must be stopped, of course.
But what can we do?
After all, we're just two!
- I don't know.
We'll leave this country, go someplace else, to Bogota!
And there we can explore the Andes.
- The Andes?
The Andes. The Andes.
- The world's longest mountain chain, 7,000 kilometers long.
The peaks are more than 6,000 meters up.
Snow that never melts.
Volcanoes always erupting.
So, leaving from Quito, the ancient Inca capital,
2500 meters above sea level,
our friends set off to explore the Andes mountains.
(suspenseful mystical music)
(condor squawking)
- Oh!
Hmm.
(condor squawking)
- Oh!
- It's all right.
No need to worry.
The condor never attacks, not a man or any living thing.
They feed on dead carcasses.
They're scavengers.
- Yuck!
- Mustn't think bad him.
They keep everything clean.
Look!
(condor squawking)
- Chimborazo, goes up 6,000 meters.
A mountain no one's been able to climb.
- No wonder!
Much too high to climb.
- We will start our ascent tomorrow.
- Hey, who's we?
- We will go no further.
- But without you, we can't go up!
- This mountain's sacred.
Indians cannot go up.
We stay here.
- I go all the way up!
- And so will I!
- Then let's go up!
(playful optimistic music)
(sighing)
- We're at 19,000 feet.
We will keep going.
Ow!
(groaning)
- Hold on!
Got you.
(grunting)
- [Aime] Oh yes, I slipped.
- No one's ever climbed this far.
Nosebleeds, it's oxygen.
(sniffing)
It's the low air pressure, the lack of oxygen.
We are very high.
It causes the bleeding, and it's serious.
We'll go down.
- Yes, but we're nearly there; let's go on!
- We could wait, and see when
we get accustomed to the height.
- We're almost at the top!
- Ah!
Too bad, we're within a few hundred meters of the summit.
Nobody has ever climbed higher.
- The record!
- [Alexander] But now we have to go down.
It was right here the Inca emperor Atahualpa
told the conquistador Pizarro he'd fill up a whole room
with gold as high as he could reach for his freedom.
- He might lead an attack if you release him.
It's a trick. - So what do we do?
What else?
- At last, here we are, at the Pacific Ocean!
- That's strange, so few trees about.
- In fact, very little vegetation; I wonder why.
Oh!
Water's cold, I mean cold!
All right, shove off, let's go.
You see the water is cold.
That's why this particular region has little rainfall
and is as arid as a desert.
- Yes, but what explains it?
- It's because the cold water
cools down the air just above it.
Cold air holds less moisture;
but, when it reaches the land,
it warms up and absorbs moisture.
There is high humidity, and this turns into heavy fog.
- [Aime] So it rain.
- Mm hmm.
But not before passing over the mountains.
The humid air rises over the mountains,
the Andes going to the east.
On the other side is where it rains.
- [Maestro] Washington, the brand new capital
of the United States, which has just won its independence.
- All rise for Thomas Jefferson,
President of the United States of America.
- Baron von Humboldt, it is a pleasure to welcome you.
I've heard much about your explorations and your good work;
and of yours, too, Monsieur Bonpland.
- Mr. President, the countries of South America
are about to be free and democratic, just as your country.
But a problem still has to be resolved, sir.
- [Thomas] And what is this problem?
(whip snapping)
- An enormous problem, Mr. President: slavery!
You cannot maintain your democracy when you put
human beings in slavery because they have black skin.
- Mm hmm.
(paper rustling)
- Baron, the people of Berlin
are rising up against injustice.
They're shooting in the streets!
- That's right, Karl.
There are still some ready to die for liberty.
I want to see this.
- [Maestro] At the age of 90, Humboldt completed
the last volume of his great work, Kosmos.
He tried to explain that all the forces and physical parts
of the world come together to form a unity.
What causes winds and currents is just a part of the whole.
Humanist; liberal; founder of ethnology and anthropology,
the study of human society, Humboldt died having completed
a body of work that was gigantic.
(adventuresome mysterious music)