The Eco-Hip Flick

Bill Briscoe
11th Hour.jpg

Leonardo DiCaprio narrates and produces The 11th Hour, which expresses environmental catastrophe in a mélange of images showing multiple disasters around the world, intertwining it with commentary from experts of all backgrounds.

This fast-paced movie covers every corner of the environmental dilemma facing our society, offering glimpses of problems and possible solutions. The dramatic presentation of information is occasionally muted by reflective scenes of DiCaprio contemplating the issues at hand. Though designed for the average American afflicted with A.D.D., a disorder which the movie points out is potentially caused by environmental influences, the film succeeds in communicating urgency and a touch of hope for the environmental crisis we face.

In conjunction with the movie, a website with extra clips and interviews expands on many of the twenty-second sound bites covered in the movie. What sets the site apart from traditional movie sites is that it includes current news about environmental issues and links to relevant blogs, providing film viewers with a source of further information and action.

Comments

Anyone Seen it Yet?

Submitted by Jonathan Talat Phillips on Wed, 08/22/2007 - 09:12.
I read another review in "The Onion," which was pretty scathing, but then again they are fairly cynical about lots of things. I was hoping more RS participants out there had seen the flick and could say if it felt worthwhile (or not).

and, action!

Submitted by Morgan Maher on Wed, 08/22/2007 - 15:25.
I've not seen it yet but it looks pretty darn worthwhile. Especially as it involves people like Janine Benyus, Paul Stamets, Bruce Mau and David Suzuki.

Saw it, twice and recommend it!

Submitted by Greg Wendt on Wed, 08/22/2007 - 15:52.
I live in LA and know the people who made the film (Tree Media). Briefly, it is a film that I think is important for every thinking person in our culture to see. For all of us who saw Inconvenient Truth, the film tells more of the story of the environmental crisis on the planet. The criticisms that I would have is the film doesn't exactly know who the audience is... is it for the environmentalist left, for the middle, the unconverted? Secondly, the film is a series of very notable talking heads, mainly from the scientific/academic authorities who would be considered "credible" by the consensus media. It lacks views of people like Hazel Henderson, David Korten, Rianne Eisler, Bernard Lietaer, John Perkins and others who have successfully bridged alternative views into a more "conventional" framework. Naturally, for us RSers, the film does not incorporate much of the non-ordinary views of this time, yet that is to be expected from a mainstream film. I believe the upcoming film "The Shift" will have some of the elements spoken of here on RS. Bottom line, go watch the film. If you like it, great. If you don't you know how and where there is room for improvement.