Before the Flood Documentary Review

Hello everyone,

I'm so excited to write a review for one of my favorite documentaries, Before the Flood. It's an informative and very essential documentary filmed by National Geographic and starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The way I will review this doc will be in sections. I will discuss points I think are most important to examine. Feel free to comment and talk about any points you find interesting. 

Let's get started!

What is Before the Flood about? 

Before the Flood is a documentary on climate change and what we (humans) are doing to enable it and what we can do to prevent it. Filmmakers follow DiCaprio around to various parts of the world where climate change is most problematic. During these visits, he talks with politicians, activists, and residents who are dealing with this ongoing, yet preventable, problem. 

Why are they following Leonardo DiCaprio around? 

DiCaprio is a United Nations Messenger of Peace. He is an active advocate for the environment and wildlife through social media. He also uses his high platform to speak at conferences, such as the Our Ocean Conference. He constructed the LDF Climate Action Plan, and most importantly, founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which focuses on environmental and wildlife conservation. 

I will not neglect the fact that DiCaprio is a celebrity. Yes, he is. This serves as an even better reason to follow DiCaprio. He has many fans that like him for his movies and his looks; sometimes both. These factors attract more attention to the documentary, which is a great way to spread the message of the film. Altogether, you have the perfect individual to follow around to gain attention and profound insight. 

Visit to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

A climatologist shows DiCaprio around and they come across the climate station. The climate station contains a rope that used to be under 30 ft of ice. That's 30 ft of ice in just five years! The climatologist informs DiCaprio that, at this rate, Greenland will disappear sooner rather than later. I think it's incredibly important to remember that the great amount of ice that used to be on top of lower Greenland, didn't just disappear into thin air. The ice melted into the ocean, contributing to rising sea level. You might notice that the issue of rising sea level will continue to be problematic throughout the documentary. 

Greenland's ice melting (Photo: Pixabay)

Visit to Miami Beach, Florida

DiCaprio sits down to talk with Philip Levine, Mayor of Miami. Levine discusses the issue of flooding in Miami due to rising sea level. Levine's solution was to construct pumps throughout Miami. This decision is necessary to prevent streets from being submerged under water during high tide. Mayor Levine had to also raise roads in order to prevent this issue from occurring. 

Now, the Mayor is simply buying Miami time from going under water. The time bought, according to Mayor Levine, equals to 40 or 50 years. Unfortunately, Gov. Rick Scott banned officials from using or saying the term "climate change". Both Gov. Scott and Florida's Sen. Marco Rubio do not believe in the issue which proves to be another roadblock for Miami. 

This scene is needed to showcase the struggle politicians are going through to tackle climate change for the safety and wellbeing of their citizens. 

Visit to Beijing, China

According to the documentary, China is the world's top polluter. Since China is a mass manufacturer of goods, the pollution from that work gets dumped into its environment. The people there have to wear masks to protect them from the toxicity in the air. One resident even stated that her throat hurts when the air is really bad. Luckily, because of mass demonstrations and protests, China is working harder than ever on renewable energy efforts. 

I think this is a great scene because you get to see a densely populated country like China work towards building a healthy, livable, and breathable environment for its residents. This scene shows an environmental change in a place that many people assumed wouldn't pay attention to climate change. It's a positive message that promotes togetherness and courage to speak up because you can, without a doubt, make a difference that way. 

Visit to India (various places)

India is widely underdeveloped which makes it harder to work towards renewable energy, let alone regular energy. Many people don't have access to electricity. At one point, Sunita Narain, environmentalist and political activist, informed DiCaprio of our (Americans) excessive use of electricity citing that the amount of electricity used by one American at home is equivalent to 61 Nigerians. She also explained that India and China are doing more to invest in solar and renewable energy than the US. 

This scene is effective because it provides the viewer with a moment of constructive criticism. I definitely applaud this scene for its evidence and bluntness.

Visit to the Southeast Asian Rainforest 

This is the only place on Earth that tigers, elephants, orangutans, and rhinos inhabit. This fact is depressing because that wasn't always the case. Currently, this rainforest is being destroyed for palm oil, which is in numerous things (click here for a list and more information). When the forest is burned, it releases carbon back into the environment. This is horrible for our atmosphere because the ocean and rainforests help us by grabbing a third of carbon in the air, which actually protects us.  

Final Thoughts

This documentary told a compelling story from multiple angles. The story wasn't told through one person's bias lens. Rather, we got to hear from the rich, the poor, the powerful, and the active (researchers, scientists, etc.). Viewers are able to see how climate change has affected people's way of living (crops, livestock, land) and their homes. We were also able to see how people are making gradual, sometimes sudden, changes in their cities and countries for the sake of the residents. Even Pope Francis is speaking out for humanity and for us, as citizens of the world, to do something about climate change. Pope Francis wrote Laudato Si, a call to action for the environment. He is the first pope in history to publicly talk about environmental destruction, as well as the connection of man and nature. 

After watching each story unfold, the end was the best part for me because it offered a sense of hope. We learn that, although the Earth is not in the best place, it can be reversed. There is still time for healing through actions like consistent advocation and drastic lifestyle changes such as what you eat, purchase, and consume. 

I highly recommend watching Before the Flood. It's not your usual boring documentary that your teacher in high school would put on to burn time. It's informative, captivating, enlightening, influential, and once again, hopeful. 

Please, feel free to comment below and let me know your thoughts!

Until next time!

Nala