Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 7885 Location: Halfway between here and there
Posted: Feb 08, 2010 10:43 am Post subject: The Age of Stupid
Quote:
The film opens in 2055 with Pete Postlethwaite, archivist of a ruined earth, looking back at images of the present day, trying to answer the question of why humanity didn't save itself when it had the chance. Archival news material and animated sequences are used to provide background and context, but the focus is on documentary stories of real people facing the effects of our hunger for fossil fuels.
As a result, the film does not labour under the burden of attempting to sway the undecided through facts and figures - though it's possible that even Sarah Palin herself could not fail to be affected by the story of Fernand Pareau, an octogenarian French mountain guide, showing us the glacier he loves as it withers away before his eyes.
As we explore the ageing archivist's question, we encounter "not in my back yard" anti-wind farm protesters, committed climate change activists and an entrepreneur who dreams of ending poverty by starting India's third budget airline. Blame is ultimately laid at the feet of our culture of consumerism, and the implication is that profound social changes will be required to survive the present age - poignantly exemplified in a sequence involving Alvin DuVernay, a hurricane Katrina survivor who, having lost all of his possessions, philosophically reflects on what it took for him to realise what was actually important to him
I watched this movie with the wife yesterday. And while yes, there is a degree of scare tactic to the whole thing it is hard to deny that we as humans have had a big impact on the climate of this planet and left unchecked could ultimately lead to our destruction.
All the facts and videos show are the truth (apart from anything past 2008/2009 obviously, what with it being set in the future and all). But some of the things shown are quiet shocking. Seeing how big oil companies walk all over people and governments. How Nigeria, one of Africa's largest oil suppliers has some of the poorest people there and how they have to wash any fish they catch with washing up powder to get the oil off. How they burn off the gases that come up with the oil and produce crazy amounts of carbon by doing so, when the gases could be put to use for Nigerians citizens for cooking, heating etc.. But instead is just wasted because it's cheaper for the big companies to just burn it.
But it also raises the interesting question of if Oil has catapulted our civilization forward then what would happen if it ran out before we discover or have time to build a more renewable, sustainable energy source?
So all in all an interesting movie. I liked it, and I liked the angle it worked on. A lot more interesting than some other movies of it's kind I have seen and just blockbuster movie enough to possibly make some of the more ignorant people out there stand up and force some change.
And while I do not agree with the timescale the movie offers as I think the earth is a lot more resilient than it seems to suggest, I agree that given enough time humanity could destroy this beautiful planet... or at least make it inhabitable for us humans... one thing I know is that life always finds a way.. and long after we are gone this planet and at least some of it's wildlife will still be here. It's up to us to make sure we survive as a species long enough to see it.
7/10 _________________ Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now
A true awakening for us all to reflect on the impact of lifestyle on the environment, and the hypocrisy of the West have enjoyed the lifestyle that we have everything in dictate to countries like India and Africa should not be allow aspiring to be the same.
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