Forget the classic apocalyptic movies we're used to, Don't Look Up is a different movie that throws a hard truth in our faces
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himForget the classic apocalyptic movies we are used to. Don't Look Up is a different film that throws a hard truth in our faces and tackles, between the lines, the disaster represented by the climate crisis
It's the most talked about movie and one of the most viewed on Netflix at the moment - we're talking about Don't Look Up, the new film directed by Adam McKay. To attract the viewer is first of all its stellar cast: Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, as two astronomy experts and Maryl Streep, who plays the role of an eccentric President of the United States.
Someone called this new cinematic work a film about the end of the world. But, beware, it has nothing to do with the classic apocalyptic films to which we are now accustomed (so to speak in the style of "The Day after Tomorrow" or "The children of men"). More than a film about the end of the world, it is a small masterpiece that shows the viewer how humanity is reacting to the disasters caused by the climate crisis. The reference reads between the lines because, in effect, the climate crisis is masked by a giant comet. (Read also: “Don't Look Up”, on Netflix the new film with Leo DiCaprio that we should all see)
The climate crisis in the background, disguised as a dangerous comet
The whole story, in fact, revolves around the discovery of a huge and dangerous comet, destined to hit the Earth within a few months. Warnings the world of impending catastrophe are Professor Mindy (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and PhD student Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence). But, in the face of scholars' warnings and scientific evidence, society appears to remain deaf. Nobody wants to take the emergency seriously, especially the media that deal with the delicate subject as they do with gossip. Even the shouted appeals of Mindy and Dibiasky, now in evident hyperventilation, on television will not be enough to convince everyone that mass extinction is now near.
It is no coincidence that the film has been greatly appreciated by those who study the effects of the climate crisis.
We live in a society where, although the climate danger is clear and worsening, more than half of the Republican members of Congress still say it is a hoax; - comments NASA climate scientist Peter Kalmus in the columns of the Guardian - a society in which world leaders claim that the climate is an "existential threat to humanity" while at the same time continuing to increase the production of fossil fuels; a society where major newspapers still run ads on fossil fuels and climate news is regularly eclipsed by sport; a society in which entrepreneurs push for incredibly risky technological solutions and billionaires propose and suggest that humanity be transferred to Mars.
How not to blame him? In Don't Look Up all this is present. The film confronts us with a terrible truth: despite the numerous alarms raised by scientists from all over the world, we are leaving our planet in agony.
We need stories that highlight the paradox of knowing what is happening, without taking action - adds Kalmus - I also hope that Hollywood is learning to tell stories that impact the climate.
How would we react to the impending catastrophe?
As we said, Don't Look Up is a film about humanity's reaction to catastrophe, in this case represented by the impact of the comet on Earth. Seeing the film it is impossible not to ask: how would I react?
In the final scene of the film we see the protagonists Randall Mindy and Kate Dibiasky having dinner with their dearest loved ones just as the comet is about to hit the planet. What is striking is the strange relaxed atmosphere, despite the awareness of having to die at any moment and despite the fact that the general panic is now out of the way. A kind of calm chaos before the end.
It was this scene that convinced Leonardo DiCaprio to take part in the film work of Adam McKay. The reaction of the protagonists was what the Oscar-winning actor liked the most.
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This is because I felt that in the end I would react like this - explained DiCaprio. - I would have stayed with the people I love, ignoring the upcoming Armageddon.
DiCaprio, who has always been attentive to environmental issues, said he was thrilled to have starred in this film that tackles the issue of the climate crisis between the lines. The Hollywod star liked the film because she helped him first and foremost to experience the difficulties and obstacles faced by climate scientists today.
“You can never tell what a film will do culturally, but the end of this film is really a slap in the face,” he explained.
The actress Jennifer Lawrence also shares the same opinion:
It is extremely frustrating to be a citizen who believes in climate change and is scared. This project was just fun and necessary.
If you haven't seen Don't Look Up yet, we recommend that you do so soon. It is a film that invites everyone to no longer keep their heads down, but to look up to face reality, even when it is dramatic.
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Sources: LeonardioDiCaprio (Instagram) / The Guardian / Los Angeles Times
Read also:
- “Don't Look Up”, on Netflix the new film with Leo DiCaprio that we should all see
