A Review by Phil Calabro
2006, Paramount Classics/Participant Films, Dir. Davis Guggenheim - Starring Al Gore
Al Gore is a figure all Americans are used to seeing and hearing. After the 2000 election, the former senator and vice president made his media rounds by joining Apple Computer's board and booting up a new cable channel. Somehow, his presence is as ubiquitous as his political views. Speaking from the point of view of someone who has disagreed with Gore's behavior in the past, I will make this decree: whether liberal or conservative, like or hate Gore, see 'An Inconvenient Truth'. This is not a left-wing bonfire such as Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11', this is a convincing, well-paced, poignant argument against the dangers of global warming. Facts are unfolded, statistics are put on the table, and some startling possibilities are at hand here. Despite its occasional partisan preachings thrown in for no apparent reason, there isn't much to complain about 'Truth'. Gore's polemic will leave its audiences shaken, but also given ideas of how to solve the problem. Never savagely seditious, director Davis Guggenheim respects his viewers with cautious explanations and an array of visual aids. As I left the darkened theater and entered the fluorescent hallway, I could only hope the theater owners could conserve a little bit of energy.
Global warming, according to the all-knowing Wikipedia, is a term to describe "the observed increases in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and oceans in recent decades." (link) It draws its source from both human and non-human activities, and if not tended quickly, the results will bring on a devestation to the entire planet. The sun's heat and CO2 levels have begun to rise rapidly in the past five decades, leaving the hottest year on record as being 2005. As a result, glaciers and ice caps have begun to melt sporadically and quickly - raising the sea water to alarming levels. Gore's presentation revolves around yearly comparisons of famous landmarks (Kilimanjaro, Greenland) and how the earth's heat has begun to effect the way the world looks. There is a distinct emphasis on global warming not being solely a political issue, but something that will effect every human's life. Humor, Gore's personal life, and the occasional political jab is thrown here and there to leven out material.
Sometimes director Guggenheim deifies Mr. Gore through side narration, but it's when he leaves the politician to present his case that the film excels. I'm not going to state that every audience member will take Al's argument entirely to heart, but without a doubt he will raise important questions for each viewer to rattle over. Charts, scientific studies, 'friend-of-a-friend' stories, and even cartoons are part of the politician's multifold manifesto. He presents himself as a folksy, concerned person rather than a respresentative of the Democratic Party, but that's not to say Republicans aren't left without a good scold here and there. There were times I wished the director focused less on the current administration rather than the people's choice, as preaching to the converted could cause polarization for audience members. Rather, this is a universal case, and sometimes Guggenheim shies away from convincing both sides of the spectrum. A 'Futurama' clip and a set of childhood memories enlighten what could have been a boring lecture on Gore's part - the film revitalizes the robotic representation of Gore that some Americans were so used to.
Intrigue and interest sparks 'An Inconvenient Truth's wick, and Al Gore provides some of the most startling arguments in recent documentary history. This is what 'Fahrenheit' could have been, but was so caught up in its own attitude that it hindered itself. But if Guggenheim filmed those montages of Gore's political narration for a reason, could a 2008 run be a possibility? Who knows.
