Late in the film, for example, we see a young man in shorts swim across an icy river in winter. Further, his capture echoes the hart's, though the fact that he meets a happier end reminds us of the privilege we humans have arrogated for ourselves. But next we see footage of people being led from a hole in the ground, victims of some sort of bombing or mine collapse in another part of the world. But the image of emerging victims treats them as just another parade for the lens, a succession of faces seen only briefly. This footage is as reductive of humanity as the way we parse land into rectangular lots is of nature.
Chambers tells a very Canadian tale.
Toronto, Canada's most populous city, features ornate, Victorian architecture that has absolutely nothing to do with its surrounding locale, making the tackiest Chicago Prairie School knockoff look magnificently eco-centric. The city is mostly cut off from Lake Ontario by high-rises. Certainly the youth swimming the icy river is more likely conceiving of nature as something hostile or an excuse for publicity than connecting with it. Another juxtaposition, about halfway through the film, uses two overhead shots to contrast benign and deadly nature while also offering a biting implied critique of the newsreel style. This image is crisp, high-contrast, and summery.