Academical Review on "The Age of Stupid"

An African woman who economically suffers from environmental damage, Iraqi kids who miss their father, dead in the Iraq war, an old man who is sorrowful with disappearing the glaciers are the main characters of the film. A family who works to curtail CO2 emission and establish a wind farm is also a main character. Another old man who has devoted his life to oil industry but wants to spend his life in nature and an Indian man whose dream is to have every Indian take plane are main characters of this film, too. This film shows perfect balance of logos, pathos and ethos by showing objective analysis, different and somehow unfair situations of diverse characters, form and setting, and experts’ prospects on global warming.

1. Dilemma 

To start with, the best part of this movie is that it shows the ironies existing in the environment problem.

This film probably made the viewers to look back their daily lives. For example, I fell into such similar dilemma. Watching the film, I now know airplanes produce tremendous amount of CO2 and it would somehow negatively affect people in inferior conditions. Also, I am against all these people above making discordance between their words and actions. But ironically, I am planning to go volunteer service IN INDIA. Then, maybe I am the same with all other people in the film, act differently from what I know I have to do.

2. Eco-imperialism

Another thing impressed me in the film, and always impresses me in the topic of environment is the eco-imperialism. Because of the globalization, the notion of environmental problem has been engaged with global economic, and capitalism. On the surface, capitalism makes perfect equal. People deserve what they did. But I think in reality, as the wealth and status being passed down, and being affected by the social constitutions, now some people shoulder the others’ burden while some people abandon their responsibilities.

Here also, in the film, I could see many of these things happening. This is another kind of colonial domination, although it might seem indirect and less harmful. In the future, (if any left) our descendants may record these events as the most cruel and hostile exploitations in the history. This film did a successful job in indirectly show this fact with contrasting situations happening around the globe.

 

3. Do we have the chance?

At the very beginning of the film, the old man says that the question he has been asking is, “Why didn’t we save ourselves when we had chance to?” However, the question I’ve been asking is “Do we really still have the chance?” The film ends with a question mark. “The end?” I think the director is trying to say it is not, we still have chance. However, I think it is somehow too late for us.
 

There are two reasons why.

First of all, there are people make effort to recover the environment, but there are more people with more influence and more power whose action can be devastating for environment. They seem to be never convinced and change their attitude. Although many families and individuals work for and are considered about the environment, there are industries, cooperation, or even some governments which pursue profits over the environment.

Second reason is Capitalism. It justifies pursuing profit, culminates people’s selfishness and encourages consumerism. Within these notions, there always will be great portion of people whose profit is the priority. Some say there can be green energy, and sustainable development, but to me that sounds too ideal and unrealistic to happen in a society based on capitalism.
 

There are people slowly pouring water in the tank, with hope that one day they might fulfill the tank. However, there are more people secretly hiding below the tank, taking away great amount of water every day. They are greedy and never satisfied. The tank might get little less empty, but I am sure it will never be fulfilled again. It might sound extreme, but unless everyone becomes one to protect the environment, which seems very impossible, I think we can never be able to recover the damage we had on earth. “The Age of Stupid” is called “stupid” because there are two kinds of effort made; one to recover andone to countervail the recover, and I believe this has already taken our chance away.

 

 

 From the moment you watch this film, now we know the truth and the problem. We know what sorts of people cause the problem and what sort of people suffer. It’s time for us to do our responsibility. Although it might not ultimately solve the problem, we can at least slow it down. All we have to do is to make efforts, not for me, but for you and all.