AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (2006)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
I admire Al Gore's stance on Global Warming - it is a vastly important issue that needs immediate attention. I remember back in the 80's when we, the high school class of 1989, were told that we needed to stop using hairspray so much because the ozone layer was starting to rip open. Hence, so many years later, we have had far too many earthquakes and hurricanes and tsunamis, thousands dead in France thanks to high temperatures, Alaska having its share of warmth during the winter season, and so on. "An Inconvenient Truth" is a necessary and vital film but it too often coasts along on good intentions, and sometimes good intentions are not enough.
Granted, Al Gore's presentation of this global crisis is persuasive. First, he shows us early images of the planet Earth. Then he shows us beautiful nature shots, especially creeks in his hometown. Then we see what is happening in the North Pole where icebergs are breaking apart. Then there are the various glaciers from around the world shown in before and after photos - they are clearly eroding. We see a polar bear in an animated segment trying to survive in glacier-free waters. And just to be sure we don't miss the point, we see a hilarious clip from the cancelled animated TV show "Futurama" where valid points are made about global warming (remember the animated segment from "Jurassic Park" that wrapped up the basic theme of how dinosaurs could come back? That's what the "Futurama" segment reminded me of).
And there are other truths that have been unwisely ignored. Temperatures from many parts of this country alone are so warm that bears and other wildlife are seeking food in the nearby towns (of course, this problem can also be attributed to the explosion of suburban housing developments and deforestation). We have also had weirdly warm temperatures in January of 2001 in New Jersey - 75 degrees in January as I recall! But if you check out daily local weather reports, you'll notice even warmer temperatures during the same month back in the 1800's!
"An Inconvenient Truth" plays like a series of visual exclamation marks. Baby seals seeking their mothers while swimming in glacier-free waters (once again)! The crisis of how much carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide and other odor-free gases are pumped into the atmosphere every day, thus causing an increasing rupture in the ozone layer. Don't drive your SUV's and switch to walking or biking! Get some solar panels for god's sakes and stop using electricity! Stop burning fossil fuels!
Al Gore presents all these claims with graphs, charts and photos, but not much more to support such outrageous claims. I have no doubt that global warming exists but I'd like to have heard from some of the experts as well - I don't want to take Gore's word for it 100%. This is a filmed record of one of many of Al Gore's slide and video lectures. Less emphasis, however, on his 2000 campaign and personal tragedies and more evidence of global warming would've been welcomed. As it stands, "An Incovenient Truth" is an often compelling documentary but it lacks the polish and stamina of truly invigorating reportage on such a pressing problem. I think we needed less Gore and more truth.
