Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
47 used & new from $15.45

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

or

Get a $4.50 Amazon.com Gift Card
 
   
The Human Face
 
See larger image
 

The Human Face (2001)

Starring: John Cleese, David Attenborough Director: David Stewart, James Erskine Rating: NR (Not Rated) Format: DVD
4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)

List Price: $29.98
Price: $18.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $10.99 (37%)
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Tuesday, July 14? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
32 new from $18.99 15 used from $15.45
Also Available in: List Price: Our Price: Other Offers:
VHS Tape 15 used & new from $2.95

Special Offers and Product Promotions


Frequently Bought Together

The Human Face + Emotions Revealed, Second Edition: Recognizing Faces and Feelings to Improve Communication and Emotional Life + Unmasking the Face
Price For All Three: $45.50

Show availability and shipping details



Product Details

  • Actors: John Cleese, David Attenborough, Candice Bergen, Pierce Brosnan, Mali Finn
  • Directors: David Stewart, James Erskine
  • Writers: John Cleese
  • Producers: David Stewart, James Erskine, Michael J. Mosley, Nancy Lavin, Nicholas Rossiter
  • Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
  • Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
  • Number of discs: 2
  • Rating: NR (Not Rated)
  • Studio: BBC Warner
  • DVD Release Date: August 28, 2001
  • Run Time: 200 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00005LC1B
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,093 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
  • For more information about "The Human Face" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Anthropology, psychology, cultural history, and biology provide key filters in this breezy but substantial exploration of the focal impact of the face. Produced by the BBC as a four-hour series and broadcast in the U.S. on the Learning Channel, The Human Face benefits from host, narrator, and cowriter John Cleese's signature blend of erudition, enthusiasm, and wit. Along the way, Cleese presents information on the evolution of human facial features, the face's role in sexuality (including the biological significance of "bedroom eyes"), communication through facial expressions, and the face's essential role in defining identity. Ideals of physical beauty, the reasons why visual development and artistic expression focus on the face, and the nature of celebrity are examined, as are medical anomalies such as Mobius syndrome, a condition that eliminates the ability to smile. The presenter gets strategic help from guest Elizabeth Hurley, who gamely lampoons her own celebrated beauty in various sketches, and Cleese's fellow Monty Python alumnus Michael Palin, who pops up in Python-esque skits during the program's fourth segment on fame. Comments from scientific sources are augmented by thoughtful interviews with Pierce Brosnan and Candice Bergen, who convincingly address the downside of being drop-dead gorgeous. --Sam Sutherland

Product Description
THIS 4 PART BBC SERIES EXAMINES THE SCIENCE BEHIND FACIAL BEAUTY, EXPRESSION, AND FAME IN AN ENTERTAINING FASHION.

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Human Face

The Human Face

by DK Publishing
Unmasking the Face

Unmasking the Face

by Paul Ekman
4.5 out of 5 stars (11)  $15.63
What the Face Reveals: Basic and Applied Studies of Spontaneous Expression Using the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) (Series in Affective Science)

What the Face Reveals: Basic and Applied Studies of Spontaneous Expression Using the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) (Series in Affective Science)

by Paul Ekman
4.5 out of 5 stars (4)  $50.86
Darwin and Facial Expression: A Century of Research in Review

Darwin and Facial Expression: A Century of Research in Review

by Paul Ekman
$14.95
Telling Lies: Clues to Deceit in the Marketplace, Politics, and Marriage, Third Edition

Telling Lies: Clues to Deceit in the Marketplace, Politics, and Marriage, Third Edition

by Paul Ekman
Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below.
(2)
(2)
(2)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search
No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

 

Customer Reviews

20 Reviews
5 star:
 (6)
4 star:
 (11)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Quirky Romp, October 19, 2001
The Human Face is a fascinating but scattershot approach to the topic. John Cleese's approach is sure to delight his fans and annoy his detractors. He manages in his own unique way (while ripping Elizabeth Hurley's face off and shooting fellow Monty Python alum Michael Palin not once, but twice! Pythons always were excessive!) to convey many interesting and pertinent facts concerning the human face and our reactions to it.

Several sections were absolutely fascinating. The discussion on the evolution of the face claims that humankind's move toward an upright posture created an emphasis toward the eyes and visual stimuli and away from the nose and the sense of smell. Our profound reactions to facial expressivity are demonstrated in MRI brain scans that reveal activity deep in the amygdala as a reaction to faces showing fear although no conscious reaction was felt. Several curiosities reminiscent of "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" are explored, including a man who, following an automobile accident, wholeheartedly believed that his parents had been replaced by other people who looked exactly like them--he was able to recognize their physical appearance but had lost the emotional attachment that allowed him to recognize their relationship. Most heartening was a young woman with an exceptionally large jaw who had not only come to accept her looks but further to find her unique appearance a source of pride.

The series closes with an examination of fame, and here it seems to go astray--so much so that Cleese resorts to acts of gratuitous violence against Palin. The focus shifted rather unsettlingly away from the face to the idea of fame. The linking premise, of course, is that in the modern day it is our faces which make us famous (or not), while in the past it was our actions, and before the days of photography and portraiture particular faces were unknown. This departure is not enough to spoil an otherwise excellent and wildly quirky series, though.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A great documentary with a nice touch of Python nonsense., September 2, 2001
By A. Gaston "Gadget Monkey" (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
John Cleese takes a different style in teaching us about the power of the human face. The documentary does contain tons of interesting facts about the human face and its role through history. What makes it stand out as a documentary is the twisted humor John Cleese, Michael Palin, and Liz Hurley (to name a few) inject into it. Subjects of Beauty, Expressions, Identity, etc are explained not only verbally, but with great skits and sketchs. Everything from skits with Michael Palin trying to get his face on a coin to Cleese and Hurley posing for the 18th Century French paparazzi painters, help make this as entertaining as it is educational.

Great for the whole family.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A light documentary that was both humorous and informative, August 28, 2001
By "wneils" (Wappingers Falls, NY United States) - See all my reviews
I enjoyed this series and learned some new and amazing aspects of human physiology. I would especially recommend this` for young teenagers who might be caught up in the "am I beautiful / handsome" worries of adolescence. Interviews with individuals who have rare facial disorders, gave me a special appreciation of the "inner beauty" hidden in all of us.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth EveryPenny!
This documentary interweaves science, psychology, sociology, and humor to create a very accessible, informative, and entertaining program. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Mrs. Entity

4.0 out of 5 stars John Cleese introduces the human face
A great series of hour-long episodes with host John Cleese introducing the human expression. It has some humor, but it is also factual with interviews with professionals and sad... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Sara F. Thomason

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, but before choose...
The product, this dvd, claims some type of "decode" software, if you want to see this in your PC, or a kind of domestic dvd machine capable of to read it format, from Englad, I... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Antonio Ney C. Braga

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun at first - last episode boring
The first 3 episodes are pretty interesting and use a combination of animation and strange setups to make the points vivid and entertaining. Read more
Published 22 months ago by VoteForTheLeastWorst

4.0 out of 5 stars entertaining and educational
I love good documentaries, and I really enjoyed this series. There was so much good and interesting information about the expression of emotions, beauty, fame, and a variety of... Read more
Published 22 months ago by MFinesilver

3.0 out of 5 stars it had me until... ZARA
ive watched this program before and ignored the one big part that can enable one to totally disregard the findings of that "beauty scientist": the fact that he agreed with the... Read more
Published 24 months ago by blah

5.0 out of 5 stars Educational
Anyone looking to learn more about non verbal communication, this video is wonderful and keeps your attention.
Published on June 26, 2007 by R. M. Sulfridge

4.0 out of 5 stars It's as plain as the nose on your face
John Cleese is not an academic but a comedian, so his approach to a serious subject has to be a little frivolous, but that is part of John's charm. Read more
Published on June 1, 2007 by N. Skelton

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent documentary with moments of shlock...
This documentary is entertaining and sometimes informative, but parts of it focus on half-baked pseudo science that is one step above phrenology... Read more
Published on May 30, 2007 by Paulybrooklyn

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting and funny
Very interesting approach to understand the human expression, John Cleese is a master comedian and a highly appreciated artist. Read more
Published on May 5, 2007 by Rolando De La Fuente

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   


Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)



Look for Similar Items by Category


Free Songs, Cheap Albums
Special MP3 Deals
Visit our Special Deals Store to find ultra-low prices on great albums, daily deals, and over 500 free songs.

Shop now

 

Instant Hot Water at Your Fingertips

Shop for an InSinkErator
Update the functionality of your sink with a convenient InSinkErator hot-water dispenser.

Shop for an InSinkErator

 

Craftsman Tools and Yard Equipment

Shop for Craftsman Tools
Craftsman, America's most-trusted tool brand, combines rugged durability, reliable performance, and inspired design in its quality products for the home.

Shop now

 

Not as Cold as Ice

Shop for De-Icers and Salt Spreaders
Don't let ice bring you down this winter. Check out the de-icers and salt spreaders in the Home Improvement Store.

Shop all snow removal products

 

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Where's My Stuff?

Shipping & Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue shopping: Top Sellers
Paranoia
Paranoia by Joseph Finder
My Soul to Lose
My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent
Finger Lickin' Fifteen
Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
Glenn Beck's Common Sense

Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates