The Plastic Planet Documentary Analysis

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Introduction
The Purpose of the Film
The Emotional Impact of the Film
Ethical Considerations
Filming Techniques
Conclusion and Recommendation
Reference

Introduction

Documentaries have been an effective method of creating awareness about social, scientific, and natural issues. From the early 1970s, the media used documentary films for entertainment and nature exploration, characterized by awe-inspiring global imagery of nature’s landscape and socio-cultural traditions. With the rise in environmental issues such as global warming that has threatened the survival of nature and humankind, documentaries began focusing on issues associated with environmental safety, conservation, and mitigation measures. “Plastic Planet” by Werner Boote is among the popular documentary films showcasing environmental degradation due to using plastics. This essay analyses the documentary’s cinematography and effectiveness in exploring and showcasing the environmental issue addressed.

The Purpose of the Film

Boote is a writer and director of documentary films, including “Plastic Planet,” one of his top documentaries on environmental issues and saving the world. “Plastic Planet” was released in 2009, showcasing plastic’s mass production and use in different set-ups and its environmental implications. The director’s principal contention is the effect of plastics on human health and nature, including plants, animals, and aesthetics. According to Boote, large-scale manufacturing of plastic products is attributed to its availability and affordability, which encourages high consumption. He suggests that although plastics have many advantages, they are harmful to the environment since the chemical properties of plastic give it a long life cycle with non-biodegradable properties (Boote, 2009). The effects are felt more in vulnerable natural habitats such as oceans, lakes, seas, and parks, eventually affecting their survival. Arguably, the director states that plastic products can affect human fertility through percolation into the reproductive system. Thus, the director intends to advocate for less plastic production by showing the dangers of plastic production and consumption to the environment and human health.

The Emotional Impact of the Film

Boote’s arguments are logical and evoke the audiences’ emotions through his narratives and interviews. The use of plastic is universal in almost all aspects of life, from packaging local items to manufacturing products, making utensils, medical equipment, and storage facilities for homes and offices. The uses of plastic products are endless, making the director’s argument of mass production and consumption authentic. The director begins the documentary with his life story, where he lived with his grandfather, a plastic producer. Using his personal experiences effectively constructs the basis of his story and evokes the audience’s emotions on the extremity of plastics in the world. His childhood memories create an impressive foundation for the documentary on the high rate of plastic production.

After narrating his childhood experiences, he sets out to explore the production of plastic in numerous regions across the globe. His travels around the globe add a logical appeal to his argument that the demand for plastic is worldwide regardless of socio-economic status and culture. The director shows the extent of plastic production and consumption by traveling across Europe, the United States, North Africa, and Asia. He presents the theory effectively when he asks people from different backgrounds and countries to show their plastic products. High- and middle-class dwellers produced as much plastic as people living in shanties and poor communities.

Conversely, the director interviews leading plastics manufacturers to show its production rate and universality. The method shows that plastic dominates the world, making it an actual plastic planet. Interviews with biologists, pharmacologists, and environmental and genome experts were well established to show the perils of plastics in the survival of the earth and its inhabitants (Boote, 2009). From the expert’s perspective, the audience is further convinced of the effects of plastics since the professionals exposed hidden truths that the general community did not know. Therefore, it enhances people’s empathy and the need for action to reduce plastic use and save the world.

Ethical Considerations

Notably, Boote’s selection of countries to visit and documentary interviewees is purposive to his exploration subject. China, Austria, Japan, India, North Africa, and the United States are highly populated regions, making them appropriate for demonstrating high production and consumption of plastic. European countries, characterized by low populations and high living standards, added logic to the directors’ arguments that people worldwide use plastic regardless of economic status and modernity. Apart from giving logic to the argument, exploring different regions is ethically appropriate to demonstrate equality in participation. Participants in each region were given equal opportunities to show their plastic and enough time to answer interview questions considered ethical in documentary films. Thus, Boote’s ethics and logical arguments capture the audience’s attention and evoke the appropriate emotions about plastic use and its effects.

Filming Techniques

The director’s filming approach is plausible for effectively conveying his concern about the significant production and consumption of plastics. Adopting the participatory and performative techniques of filming documentaries effectively persuades the audience of the risks of producing and consuming plastics. Like Michael Moore’s performative approach, personal experiences build a clear foundation for a story and evoke the audience’s emotions to bring out the documentary’s intention. From the explanation, Boote helps the audience understand where his conviction that plastic is produced massively originated. The director’s viewpoint gives the audience a better position to follow the story to discover what other manufacturers are producing from plastic and in what quantities to determine its impact on the environment. Similarly, the participatory technique provides more understanding and enlightenment to the audience on the high rate of plastic production and its dangers. Sharing the experiences and responses about plastic among different communities elicits a broader understanding and the need to slow down plastic production and consumption.

The director applies visual rhetoric to construct his arguments and convince the audience of the high rate of plastic production, consumption, and its impacts. He uses the technique of applying close-up and medium shots of people’s use of plastics. For instance, when he visits people across the globe, he asks them to show their plastic caches, which are captured in medium-range shots to show the large quantity of the stuff (Boote, 2009). The shots give vivid images and demonstrate the typical household of many homes globally that use plastics. People can easily relate the scenes to their homes and notice that they are part of the wider community using plastics which contributes to pollution, environmental degradation, and health risks. Likewise, visual rhetoric scenes, such as showing significant amounts of plastic packing in the sea, effectively demonstrate the pollution of natural habitats, which endangers wildlife and organisms living in water bodies. The staging is enhanced by excellent lighting, showing how humans use plastic without knowing its type or effects. Thus, Boote reveals to the world that plastics have various forms consumed by almost everybody leading to health risks and environmental impacts.

Conclusion and Recommendation

Overall, “Plastic Planet” is an exciting and insightful documentary that people worldwide may enjoy viewing. Today, plastic is produced at a high rate which translates to its widespread consumption in significant amounts, which has detrimental effects on the environment. The documentary’s narratives and images shed light on the implications of mass production and consumption and hidden truths that endanger the earth’s survival. From the directors’ logical arguments that evoke the audiences’ emotions, excellent filming techniques, and ethical considerations, the director effectively passes his message, making the film a must-view worldwide to help save the world

Reference

Boote, Werner (2009). Plastic planet. Web.

Click Here To Order Now!