Manufactured Landscapes (2007)
85%RT Audience Score: 80%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Manufactured Landscapes leaves the work of drawing conclusions mostly to the viewer, although the imagery makes director Jennifer Baichwal’s arguments well enough on its own
Manufactured Landscapes is a visually stunning documentary that exposes the harsh reality of man’s impact on the environment. Critics rave about the film’s ability to make viewers feel like they are part of the problem, and the incredible camerawork that captures the grotesque beauty of industrialization. However, some critics feel that the film lacks depth and a clear subject. Despite this, the awe-inspiring work of photographer Edward Burtynsky speaks for itself and leaves viewers feeling anxious and sad about the state of our planet. So, if you’re looking for a documentary that will make you think twice about the products you buy and the impact they have on the world, Manufactured Landscapes is definitely worth a watch.
Production Company(ies)
Walt Disney Pictures, Marvel Studios,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Shanghai, China
MPAA / Certificate
Unrated
Year of Release
2007
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English, Cantonese, Mandarin
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Mar 6, 2007
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, Edward Burtynsky, industrial landscapes, slag heaps, dumps, factories, Chinese iron factory, Shanghai, wealth and poverty, Jennifer Baichwal, Nick de Pencier, Daniel Iron, produced by, cinematographer, Dolby, box office, gross USA, budget, reviewed by, critic reviews, Tomatometer, audience score, MPAA rating, genre, actors, director, writer, Jennifer Baichwal, Peter Mettler, Richard Brody, Hank Sartin, Mark Holcomb, Lisa Schwarzbaum, Marta Barber, Jordan M Smith, Amber Wilkinson, Jeffrey Chen, Jeffrey M Anderson, Tim Brayton, Marc Mohan, documentary prism, environmental concern, artist’s moral duties, ecological impact, political content, rapid industrialization, urbanization, featured reviews, MCU movies, horror movies, Netflix series, TV shows, streaming movies, box office performance, critic submission, licensing, advertise, careers
Worldwide gross: $349,220
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $500,281
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,743
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 54,556
US/Canada gross: $240,239
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $344,159
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,425
US/Canada opening weekend: $9,129
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $13,078
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,643
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Nick de Pencier – Producer
Daniel Iron – Producer
Jennifer Baichwal – Producer
Peter Mettler – Cinematographer
Director(s)
Jennifer Baichwal
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (63) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (53) | Rotten (10)
Proves even more revealing than the photographs it celebrates.
June 1, 2020
Richard Brody
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
An astonishing visual indictment of man’s inhumanity to Mother Earth, as seen through the documentary prism of Jennifer Baichwal.
May 23, 2018 | Rating: 4/4
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
November 18, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Hank Sartin
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Mark Holcomb
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
September 7, 2011 | Rating: A
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
What the film does well is to make us part of the problem: After all we demand the lowest prices in everything we buy and that probably means it was made in China.
October 19, 2007 | Rating: 2.5/4
Marta Barber
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
An enchanted layering of grotesque visual perfection, environmental concern, and the questioning of an artist’s moral duties, not only in a political sense, but of one’s authorship in documentation turned art turned different art form.
November 17, 2020
Jordan M. Smith
IONCINEMA.com
There is nothing wrong with Baichwal’s camerawork, with a fascinating opening eight-minute shot of it roaming across a Chinese factory floor, particularly stunning – but everything lacks depth.
February 28, 2008 | Rating: 2/5
Amber Wilkinson
Eye for Film
Burtynsky’s awe-inspiring work ultimately speaks for itself.
December 28, 2007 | Rating: 8/10
Jeffrey Chen
Window to the Movies
Each of Burtynsky’s subjects is impressive in its scale, but terrifying in its ecological impact.
December 6, 2007
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
A film in search of a subject.
September 12, 2007 | Rating: 6/10
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy
Burtynsky avoids any political content to his work, but it’s hard not to feel anxious and sad at the spectacle of the rapid industrialization and urbanization of the world’s most populous nation.
September 7, 2007 | Rating: B+
Marc Mohan
Oregonian…
Plot
“Manufactured Landscapes” is a documentary that explores the environmental impact of industrialization through the lens of photographer Edward Burtynsky, showcasing the beauty and devastation of industrial landscapes around the world.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any goofy or funny comments about Manufactured Landscapes, but they do mention that the film features photographer Edward Burtynsky exploring industrial landscapes and the contrasts between wealth and poverty in Shanghai.
Jennifer-Baichwal.jpg
