SHODH SAGAR
Journal of Language, Art, Culture and Film
Vol. 2 | Issue 1 | Jan-Mar 2025 | Peer Reviewed & Refereed | ISSN : 3048-8281
Environmental Themes in Global Cinema: Exploring Eco-Criticism and
Climate Change Narratives in Film
Ashwani Mehta*
Assistant Professor, Delhi University
Accepted: 10/01/2025 Published: 31/03/2025 * Corresponding author
How to Cite this Article:
Mehta, A. (2025). Environmental Themes in Global Cinema: Exploring Eco-Criticism and Climate Change
Narratives in Film. Shodh Sagar Journal of Language, Art, Culture and Film. ISSN: 3048-8281, 2(1), 12-15.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36676/jlacf.v2.i1.26
Abstract:
worldwide cinema's depiction of environmental topics, with an emphasis on how films tackle
the urgent problem of climate change and interact with eco-criticism. This study examines how
cinema has evolved into a potent tool for bringing attention to issues of sustainability,
environmental degradation, and the human influence on the earth through a critical examination
of seminal films from different parts of the world. Climate change, natural catastrophe, and
ecological crisis films serve as political and social critiques as well as forms of entertainment,
reflecting worldwide fears and encouraging viewers to reevaluate their connection to the planet.
examining films from both the mainstream and indie industries, this article explores the stories,
aesthetics, and ideological themes that make up the increasing amount of films that are
environmentally concerned. The impact of cinema on public discussions about climate change
and sustainability, as well as how various cultural viewpoints impact the portrayal of
environmental issues.
Keywords: Environmental themes, eco-criticism, climate change, global cinema, ecological
crises, sustainability
Introduction:
With environmental issues taking center stage in world politics, films have become a potent
medium for tackling climate change, ecological disasters, and the human connection to nature.
Filmmakers are progressively integrating environmental themes into their work, ranging from
independent documentaries that investigate the effects of human actions on ecosystems to
megahits that portray end-of-the-world scenarios. The climate situation is becoming more
urgent, and the significance of film as an artistic medium and a platform for social and political
criticism is reflected in this developing trend. Eco-criticism provides a framework for
understanding how films address these vital global challenges by analyzing the representation
of nature and environmental issues in cultural works. Films that tackle climate change, resource
extraction, and environmental degradation have the power to educate viewers about these
issues and encourage them to reconsider their own connection to the natural world and their
part in ensuring its continued viability. the depiction of ecological issues and climate change
in films from throughout the world, with an emphasis on regional cinematic approaches. This
12
© 2025 Published by Shodh Sagar. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License
[CC BY NC 4.0] and is available on https://jlacf.shodhsagar.org
SHODH SAGAR
Journal of Language, Art, Culture and Film
Vol. 2 | Issue 1 | Jan-Mar 2025 | Peer Reviewed & Refereed | ISSN : 3048-8281
study explores the ways filmmakers use visual storytelling, narrative structures, and ideological
frameworks to engage with environmental issues through the examination of a range of films.
The films examined range from independent features like Beasts of the Southern Wild to
mainstream blockbusters like The Day After Tomorrow. In addition, the cultural backdrop is
examined in this article, which sheds light on the worldwide discussion of sustainability and
the impact of cinema on public debate by examining how these subjects are portrayed.
Environmental Apocalypse and Disaster Narratives
Cinematic depictions of environmental disasters and apocalypses have grown in popularity
around the world, reflecting public fears of ecological collapse and its effects on society as a
whole. Catastrophic environmental degradation, resulting in ecological collapse, mass
extinction, or society collapse, is a common plot point in these films. Cinematic depictions of
the dire consequences of environmental degradation force viewers to confront the planet's
precarious condition and the human race's complicity in its degradation.
The Appeal of Apocalyptic Films: From The Day After Tomorrow to Snowpiercer
Films depicting the end of the world, especially those that deal with ecological disaster, have
captivated viewers all around the world. Popular science fiction films depict wildly imagined
futures in which catastrophic environmental catastrophes, frequently associated with global
warming, wipe out human civilization. Examples of such works are Snowpiercer (2013) and
The Day After Tomorrow (2004). In these films, environmental commentary and exciting
action sequences show how human carelessness can have devastating effects and how far-
reaching the effects of climate change can be.
An ice age, brought on by climate change, wipes out cities and makes people face the question
of whether or not they will survive in The Day After Tomorrow. The film uses spectacular
visuals to illustrate the impacts of severe weather events, highlighting the vulnerability of
contemporary civilization in the face of the might of nature. In spite of its factual errors, the
film manages to make a strong impression by appealing to the increasing panic over a potential
climate disaster and the pressing necessity of taking immediate action.
In contrast, Snowpiercer delves into a bleak future in which the planet has been frozen due to
an unsuccessful climate experiment, trapping the surviving people on an eternally rolling train.
The video is a scathing indictment of environmental degradation and social stratification,
showing how the wealthy hoard resources while the poor live in abject poverty. The
interdependence between ecological deterioration and human systems is highlighted in
Snowpiercer by tying environmental collapse to social inequality.
Environmental Catastrophes as Allegories for Global Crises
Apocalyptic tales are often used in environmental disaster films as metaphors for larger world
problems including resource loss, economic injustice, and governmental graft. These movies
make viewers think on how environmental problems are related to political and economic
13
© 2025 Published by Shodh Sagar. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License
[CC BY NC 4.0] and is available on https://jlacf.shodhsagar.org
SHODH SAGAR
Journal of Language, Art, Culture and Film
Vol. 2 | Issue 1 | Jan-Mar 2025 | Peer Reviewed & Refereed | ISSN : 3048-8281
systems by showing environmental breakdown as a result of and a symbol of larger social
problems.
Earth has become uninhabitable due to environmental degradation in the 2014 film Interstellar,
therefore people are looking for a new home in space. Through portraying the environmental
collapse as a result of human carelessness, the film subtly criticizes humanity's lack of long-
term planning in relation to resource extraction. A similar dystopian future ruled by despots
who starve their citizens to death is shown in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). The environmental
collapse seen in the video is a symbol of the repercussions of unregulated resource extraction
and environmental damage.
In these stories, nature takes center stage, not as an object of observation but as an integral part
of the story whose destiny is intricately tied to that of the human race. Many of these films use
the end of the world scenario to warn people about the terrible consequences that will happen
if we do nothing to change our destructive relationship with the planet.
Environmental Apocalypse as a Catalyst for Change
Despite the prevalence of apocalyptic themes in films about environmental disasters, there are
a few that highlight the possibility of rebirth and change following the collapse. These stories
show how terrible environmental crises may be, but also how they can be forces for good,
leading people to reconsider their place in the natural world and to implement greener lifestyle
choices.
Earth is shown as an inhabitable wasteland in the 2008 Pixar film Wall-E as a result of
excessive consumption and disregard for the environment. Wall-E, a robot who relentlessly
cleans up the earth, nevertheless, emerges as the film's hopeful message bearer. His quest for
environmental redemption begins with the finding of a surviving plant, which implies that there
is still hope for regeneration even in the midst of ecological devastation, provided that mankind
is ready to change its ways.
In a similar vein, a new life is born into a planet that is about to end in disaster because to
pollution and sterility in Children of Men (2006). The environmental catastrophe is portrayed
in the film as a time of reflection and a chance for significant transformation, and the themes it
covers include human perseverance, rebirth, and survival in the face of an apparently hopeless
world.
The Role of Science Fiction in Environmental Narratives
Filmmakers can go into hypothetical futures that act as cautions or thought experiments within
science fiction, which makes it a good fit for environmental apocalyptic stories. In order to
comment on contemporary environmental issues, these films frequently use imaginative
settings and futuristic technologies to take current worries, like pollution, deforestation, or
climate change, to its extremes.
Surreal, dystopian futures where the repercussions of humankind's environmental
mismanagement are fully realized are the setting for films like Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and
Annihilation (2018), which center around environmental collapse. These films use science
14
© 2025 Published by Shodh Sagar. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License
[CC BY NC 4.0] and is available on https://jlacf.shodhsagar.org
SHODH SAGAR
Journal of Language, Art, Culture and Film
Vol. 2 | Issue 1 | Jan-Mar 2025 | Peer Reviewed & Refereed | ISSN : 3048-8281
fiction's speculative nature to delve into the moral, sociological, and psychological
ramifications of inhabiting a planet on the verge of environmental catastrophe.
Conclusion:
Cinematic depictions of environmental issues have grown in prominence as a means of
bringing attention to pressing ecological issues and stimulating critical dialogue about
sustainability and climate change. Filmmakers have explored the intricate relationship between
humans and the natural environment through narratives about climate change and eco-criticism
in both commercially successful and indie features. These films are entertaining and
informative at the same time; they urge viewers to think about how they contribute to
environmental deterioration and the possible outcomes of doing nothing. Cinema presents a
wide array of viewpoints on environmental issues, from documentaries to science fiction, and
from end-of-the-world catastrophe flicks to more mainstream themes of injustice,
governmental corruption, and social justice. Films have an impact on public conversations on
sustainability and climate change because they mirror societal views and fears. Cinema, with
its moving images and powerful emotions, has the potential to bring people together, make
them feel understood, and motivate them to take action. The impact of film on raising
environmental awareness will grow in importance in the face of a worsening global climate
crisis. Filmmakers will keep challenging conventions, reflecting and imagining futures through
the medium as they document the planet's current condition. Doing so will ensure that cinema
continues to play an important role in the worldwide movement for environmental
sustainability and justice, as well as an important forum for eco-criticism.
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[CC BY NC 4.0] and is available on https://jlacf.shodhsagar.org
