By now, many of us have at least heard of the movie “Don’t Look Up” with its stacked cast and numerous reviews. Before it came out, there was excitement about how this movie’s metaphor for climate change was going to unravel and how this cast would really deliver. Sadly, the reviews haven’t been great. One review I agree with, written by Manohla Dargis, argues that, “[McKay is] not always in control of his material, including some cheap shots that slide into witless sexism. Presidential vanity is always a fair target, but too many of the digs directed at Streep’s character play into gender stereotypes.”
Jennifer Lawrence played Kate Dibiasky, the astronomy Ph. D. student, very well. But what is not talked about enough is how accurate her situation was portrayed. She discovered the comet that was projected to directly hit Earth. She showed the urgency of the situation. But, Kate was not given the credit she deserved. And she was turned into a meme because she “overreacted.” But is it really overreacting when others are really just underreacting and just keeping things aloof? Scientists are reviewing this movie, commenting on the accuracy of the peer-review system and the reality that we are running out of time. Today, Greta Thunberg is called names, judged, and criticized, but she is truly calling for us to “Look Up” and react to the overwhelming scientific evidence right in front of us.
The Portrayal of Politics
The role of politics in this movie is essential in its message to the audience. The scientific research uncovered by Dibiasky and Dr. Mindy was highly disputed throughout the film, despite it being accurate. Many people today will simply believe the rhetoric that their preferred politicians are using to mask scientific fact. Politics should not impact or determine one’s ability to look around and see that the Earth is on fire and that the world’s temperature has increased and is causing unpredictable natural disasters. No matter what a politician says or what party you belong to, it will not change the fact that climate change is occurring and worsening the state of Earth.
In the end of the movie, when one of President Orlean’s supporters looked up at the sky and saw the comet, they realized that they were spreading lies. But the act of just looking up should not have been politicized as it was. This is just as true for climate change. It has become far too politicized. This is humanity’s issue, not one party or a group of people’s issue. This movie further shows the extent to which premature judgments are made, following the idea that if you support this politician, then you must ascribe to their beliefs. This cannot be the case for climate change. This is an issue about the fate of Earth and everything on it, not political parties.
Conclusions
This was not the best movie I have ever seen cinematically. Some reviews say it was confusing or messy or missing something. Others say the characters didn’t add anything and that the movie is just yelling at humanity. Dargis adds, “McKay isn’t doing much more in this movie than yelling at us, but then, we do deserve it.”
For a movie that made a clear metaphor to the current climate crisis that demands our action, what new action has this movie actually caused? What are people now doing that they weren’t doing before they saw this film? In personal experience, this movie often induces eco-anxiety more often than it empowers us to make a change. Hopefully, its message of science across the aisle and the need for action has inspired some of its viewers.
While I won’t ask you to “Look Up,” I will ask you to take action to help avert the climate crisis in whatever way you can. The issue is right in front of us, but we still have the power to lessen it. While climate change is often out of our control, what you do next is within your control.
0
0
Average Rating