[This is a re-post of my Before the Flood review from the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. The movie premieres on National Geographic channel tonight, October 30th, at 9pm ET and is available for free on Natgeotv.com, VOD, iTunes, Facebook, and a number of other outlets until November 6th]
Climate change is happening. That’s a fact. The science is sound, and in July we just had the hottest month ever on record. Sea levels are rising, ice is melting, and dangerous weather patterns are becoming more and more frequent. It’s no coincidence that we’re seeing more news reports of horrible flooding and violent tornadoes at odd times of the year. So yes, climate change is happening and it’s terrifying. But what is there to be done about it? That’s one of the central questions of the documentary Before the Flood, which is directed by Oscar-winning The Cove helmer Fisher Stevens and produced by Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio doesn’t simply pop in and out of the documentary at his convenience—he’s in nearly every scene, speaking with some of the world’s top scientists and the individuals that have the power to do something about climate change, from President Obama to Pope Francis.
Before the Flood is very much an educational and advocacy documentary. It’s a cliffs notes version of what’s happening to the world we live in, what’s going to happen to the world we live in, and what we can do to prevent the worst possible outcome. In that respect, it’s kind of like a less boring version of An Inconventient Truth with some high-profile interviews.
The first question you’re probably asking is what the hell is Leonardo DiCaprio doing making a documentary about climate change? That question is addressed at the very beginning of the film, as DiCaprio is appointed U.N. Messenger of Peace and then, through voiceover, wonders if he’s the right man for the job given his lack of science background and pessimistic worldview. This smashes right into a collection of clips from news reports (most from Fox News) lambasting DiCaprio’s involvement in the U.N. and climate change advocacy. Indeed, Before the Flood knows it’s more than a little ridiculous that an award-winning actor is the one leading this climate change documentary, but it also proves that DiCaprio’s heart is in the right place.
It’s immediately clear that the performer is passionate about climate change, and DiCaprio’s “Hollywood actor” status is put to great use as he frequently plays the layman opposite the many experts he interviews in the documentary. DiCaprio serves as a stand-in for those that might not know too much about climate change, asking pointed questions that tee up the various experts to drop copious amounts of knowledge, sometimes shocking, oftentimes troubling.
Before the Flood covers most all of the bases. The influence of corporate money into politics is touched on, and DiCaprio travels the globe to see how other countries like China and India are handling climate change, and getting a first-hand account of the effects of climate change on communities that could very well be a preview of much worse things to come. We see first-hand how Greenland’s melting ice is causing a change in color of its terrain, which in turn no longer reflects the sun but absorbs it, becoming a heat creator instead of reflector. And we see how Miami Beach, Florida is having to literally raise the elevation of its roads to combat rising ocean waters.
We also see how developing communities in places like India are already battling pollution even as their population doesn’t entirely have access to power. If and when they do make coal-produced electricity widely available, the climate change problem only becomes worse. Amongst these growing issues, everyone is turning to the U.S. to be an example across the globe, as money continues to be a deciding factor that’s dividing our politicians and making widespread change impossible.
But Before the Flood isn’t simply interested in showing how terrible everything is. It also does a fantastic job of highlighting solutions, both short-term and long-term. When asked if a president who doesn’t believe in climate change could undo the policies he’s already put in place, President Obama says the truth has a way of catching up with you. Indeed, the film points out that public opinion tends to sway political opinion, using gay marriage as an example—Obama was against it when it wasn’t popular, then for it when the majority of the country approved. Thus, the future is in the hands of the people.
The film even highlights specific changes citizens can make that are as simple as changing one’s diet. The methane produced from the cattle industry is a massive polluter, but if citizens simply excised eating beef from their diet, a significant portion of that pollution would be quelled.
DiCaprio serves as a suitable guide throughout this all, especially doing quite well as an interviewer when speaking with subjects like Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry. Moreover, since the production of Before the Flood took place during the massive shoot for The Revenant, there’s even a significant portion of behind-the-scenes footage from that film as DiCaprio and director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu were forced to move the production from Canada to near the South Pole just in order to find snow. The film zips along at an entertaining pace, buoyed by a terrific original score from Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Mogwai, and Gustavo Santaolalla.
And DiCaprio even addresses the large carbon footprint that he himself has left on the planet, admitting that he sometimes questions the morality of what he’s doing. So while folks will no doubt be coming after this film with knives sharpened, DiCaprio has the good sense to address these criticisms upfront. And yes, the production took efforts to offset its carbon footprint during filming, including taking on a voluntary carbon tax.
At heart, Before the Flood is a film made for mass consumption in an effort to inform and spur the public into action. In that respect, it’s incredibly effective. There’s a fantastic blend of cold hard facts from expert scientists as well as discussions with world leaders and those directly effected by the effects of climate change. Following a worldwide release, the film will be shown on National Geographic, which is a swell move. This thing should be seen by as many people as possible.
Climate change is real, and it’s scary. Our first line of defense is an informed public. And while a feature film couldn’t possibly encapsulate everything there is to know on the subject, Before the Flood serves as a not-insignificant piece of education that will hopefully spur people to enact their own further research. And maybe, just maybe, it’ll incite some action.
Rating: B+
