The Human Face

The Human Face

2001, Science  -   19 Comments
7.48
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Ratings: 7.48/10 from 25 users.

The Human FaceThe Human Face is a 4 part BBC series that examines the science behind facial beauty, expression, and fame in an entertaining fashion. John Cleese, actor, comedian, visiting professor, and best-selling author on psychology, sets out on an odyssey to discover the mysteries of identity, perception, creativity and sexuality hidden behind the mask of life itself. This four-part series combines art, technology and deeply moving human interest stories to uncover the secrets of the human face.

Here’s Looking at You. The series opens with an epic journey to uncover the secrets of the human face. In a world of six billion other faces, your face is unique. It reveals your personality, your genetic and cultural identity and it can be read like a book. Family resemblances, facial recognition and the purpose of the face and its features are all part of a story that begins in the oceans five hundred million years ago.

Fame and Infamy. Famous faces are everywhere. They stare out at us from billboards, magazines, and movie screens, beaming out messages.These faces sell sex, politics, glamor and power. Diana, Jackie O, Marilyn Monroe, their faces are sometimes more familiar to us than those of our nearest and dearest.

Survival of the Prettiest. What is beauty? Is it just a matter of personal taste? Apparently not; we discover that the same things attract lovers all round the world. A pretty face is a fertile face and ugliness suggests poor health. Big eyes, smooth skin and symmetrical features will win you fans everywhere.

Secrets and Lies. Every face contains a million secrets. And whether we like it or not, the face reveals our feelings and what’s really going on deep down inside. Secrets and Lies is about how the face communicates without saying a word; it’s about expressions, disguise and the mysterious art of face-reading.

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Shreya Mitra
Shreya Mitra
10 years ago

i liked this a lot..i felt it the actual mirror reflecting our true facial images and aspects..face is something that each one of us especially women always wanting it to be pretty and presentable...spending time in front of mirror is a regular activity..
this documentary is indeed a great work..:)
plzz watch this...its all facts and fun...

Umit Zafer
Umit Zafer
12 years ago

I like this documentary very much. I strongly recomend it it anybody. It is very funny to watch it with too much fun. It is not a stright forward documentary which gives some scientific info. I learned many thing with enjoy. I like that Prof. very much. He doesn't resemble prof. in my country. He is very funny guy.

adilrye
adilrye
12 years ago

Wow, so amazing. It makes me warm and happy that we have a scientific basis smiling, laughing and spending time with friends face to face. In this age of technology and the internet, where I can talk to hundreds of TDF users or friends who may be living a country away, it's nice to be reminded again and again that nothing EVER beats face to face interaction.

I think the robot was a cool gadget, but I don't see it's purpose. Technology is the problem in this regard, not a solution. I hope they don't honestly think a robot like Kismet can really replace a human face, do they?
A smile by another person, even a random person, can make you feel a lot better.

And to drive the point home, really cool documentary series :D
Very fun and entertaining, but very informative.

Also...was his assistant Elizabeth Hurley?

BennyB
BennyB
12 years ago

"you couldn't get that on the internet"
I just did

cezy
cezy
12 years ago

I thought I was so smart thinking that as one ages one's face reveals who one is and I find out Orwell said it many years before! I guess it makes it even more right...

gnomishwisdom
gnomishwisdom
12 years ago

I'm so sorry for you people with ugly faces...really I am.

Guest
Guest
12 years ago

In the second part i got to think, how would we react to each other if we were able to see each other....here on TDF.
Some people are quite friendly bordering on teaming up with ideas and opinions but what would happen after being in the presence of one another. Would that change the way these people agree with each other most of the time?
Also the doctor at 49minutes, has a sort of ressemblance to Neil DeGrasse Tyson, their demeanors are similar for a few seconds at a time.
az

Guest
Guest
12 years ago

just finished watching the first part....with a smile
az

June O'Reilly
June O'Reilly
12 years ago

best line... " that's 3 less than Michael Palin "

Kateye70
Kateye70
12 years ago

I've seen this before...I'm watching it again =) Thanks Vlatko!

dkillone
dkillone
12 years ago

Very good doc, if your interested in the face reading more. Google about Paul Ekman, his work is very interesting, his books are very good reads as well.

SpookyCheese
SpookyCheese
12 years ago

Whoever was narrating this, (I never managed to catch his name) was hilarious. This was just the light-hearted, good-natured thing I was looking to watch. I loved it

capriciouz
capriciouz
12 years ago

This is a fantastic documentary :)

NaoCat
NaoCat
12 years ago

I had no Idea that I'll see John Cleese and David Attenborough in a same program, what a treat! ^_^

Also, I'm very concerned with the lack of smiling in my day to day life >.>

Pangaea
Pangaea
12 years ago

Another opportunity i guess for another face to show my appreciation for this docu series

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