An Analysis of “The Day After Tomorrow” and “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Essay Example

facts from scientist while "Beasts of the Southern Wild" builds on the imagination of individuals. "The Day After Tomorrow" has been critically panned because the scientific facts offer no solid base upon which predictions of the impacts of global warming on the future climate cab be made. On the other hand, "Beasts of the Southern Wild" has been critically acclaimed, because it focuses more of on nature and the aftermaths of a storm (Zeitlin).

The two movies depict the effects that are brought about by global warming. In the film "The Day After Tomorrow", global warming results to decreased temperatures that result to sheets of ice, sweeping across an entire city, killing dozens of people and leaving the city buried in snow (Emmerich). On the other hand, "Beasts of the Southern Wild" illustrates how global warming increases temperatures that melt the ice caps resulting in rising sea levels and a massive storm which sweeps over a small town (Zeitlin).

In the two movies, climate change leads to increasing levels of the sea that send out tornadoes and hailstorms. Also, layers of ice sheets, sweep over, and the population is buried in slow. Climatic changes can also result in the extinction of different species, including man, animals and plant species. In the movie "The Day After Tomorrow", loss of life of man and animals is observed. Besides, the cooling effects brought about by decreased temperatures destroy even the plant species. While the movie "The Day After Tomorrow" focuses on the loss of life due to decreasing temperatures and hailstorms (Emmerich), the movie "Beasts of the Southern Wild" concentrates on the loss of life due to a storm that

floods a city that has been excluded from the rest of the world by ridges (Zeitlin). Thus, the environment is destroyed due to the salty waters that are brought in by the storm.

According to Michel Gelobter, who is a former environmentalist, "a legitimate beef that people have with green consumerism is, at an end of the day, the things causing climate change are more caused by politics and the economy than individual behavior"(Williams 6). The effects of global warming in the movie "The Day After Tomorrow" raises political concerns and as a result, the Southern America is forced to plead with the Latin government to grant them refuge and in exchange, the Americans should forgive them of all the debts they owe the American government. The experiences of the scientist in the movie "The Day After Tomorrow" is the most valuable and reliable source of information. They predict how the effects of global warming may lead to the occurrence of the ice age in the future.

In the movie "The Day After Tomorrow", water has been used to symbolize knowledge. Based on that point of view, there is a huge wave containing a great amount of knowledge that is coming this way and for those that are no prepared for it will be swept away. For instance, people who are still struggling with material things like money and business. On the other hand, water has been symbolized as a basic need for the maintenance of life where we witness Wink training Hushpuppy how to grab hold of fish using hands. In both movies, water causes destruction but in one movie water is a symbol of knowledge

while in the other film it has been used as a source of life.

Works cited

1. Emmerich Roland, dir. The Day After Tomorrow. Amazon.com. May, 2004. Film.
2. Williams, Alex. "Buying into the green movement." The New York Times 1 (2007): 91.
3. Carson, Rachel. Silent spring. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2002. Print
4. Zeitlin, Behn, dir. Beasts of the Southern Wild. Amazon.com. June, 2012. Film.