The Oil Drum

27 comments on Syriana: the next oil awareness movie

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DuncanK on October 9, 2005 - 4:36pm

In fact, Three Mile Island could possibly have been swept under the carpet (or at least downplayed) if it weren't for the fact that 'The China Syndrome' detailed exactly the same kind of accident.

I think films like this can influence the general public and make them aware of issues.

We've had a couple of films from here in NZ that have greatly influenced how NZers think about and relate to the local Maori people. They were "Once Were Warriors" and "Whalerider".

Other movies can be very educational. The vietnam war movies of the 80's ("Full Metal Jacket", "Platoon", "Hamburger Hill") did a lot to highlight how bad that war actually had been. And films like "Sophies Choice" and "Schindler's List" help us not to forget some truly terrible times in our history.

And let's not forget that Michael Moore has done pretty well out of presenting some issues very close to the American bone.

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Yankee on October 9, 2005 - 10:14pm

Well, the China Syndrome example is a good one, but re: Michael Moore, I think that's actually a case of a missed opportunity. In theory (and I'm not discussing this politically), had that movie fulfilled its goal, the whole country would have seriously questioned Bush's fitness to be president. But clearly, it didn't convince enough people and Bush was reelected.

It's also true that historical movies help us remember horrifying past events, but I'm talking about movies that lead us to make positive change in the here and now. I just can't think of any good examples. And as Descolada notes down below, I don't think any of these oil movies are focused on peak oil per se, but rather on reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Thus, a movie like Syriana is probably not going to inspire the public to demand the implementation of alternative energy on a faster timescale. Or even worse, it could lead people to clamor for drilling in ANWR.

(Too bad Oil Storm was only a cable movie on FX, or else more people would have been shocked to see Katrina do exactly what had been laid out in the movie.)

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Davidh on October 10, 2005 - 2:38am

Briefly digressing on ANWR. I think its a near absolute certainty. It may not make any sense even in the short term (it won't in the long term. We need as many relatively stable ecosystems as we can get, not to mention that burning more oil is always bad), but we're addicts. I can only hope that the movie will not be too hollywood--for example like "The Day After Tomorrow." While I've not actually seen it, my impression is that it depicts some very improbable events (timescale wise, not necessarily magnitude). Had it focused instead on the reality of what a stopped gulf stream would do over the course of say a YEAR or DECADE that might've been more realistic or at least less easily dismissable. We need something like a modern day "Grapes of Wrath." But I guess that can only really truthfully written after the fact.

But my point is that I think it is very hard for any MSM movies to adequately address any kind of serious problems. The hope for Syriana and others of its ilk is that they are not MSM movies (although it seems to be that way), and instead tackle issues head on, and deal with profitability second.

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Gloomy on October 10, 2005 - 9:52am

Re: Re: Michael Moore's film

People in the USA (and all around the world actually) are not electing politicians based on whether they are corrupt or not - they generally take this part for granted. People are electing those that they think will make their lives better; in the case of US - those that promise to continue their pretty unsustainable way of life at least a little longer.

This is the sour truth and at least according to my observations there is a huge group that on the surface is expressing their rage against the Iraq fiasco, oil dependance etc., but when they get home or get on their SUVs, they start thinking in other terms and finally vote for Bush. And will vote for him even after their world starts crashing down before their eyes.