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Film reviews

Men In Black 3

It’s not a sequel that needed to be made, but thanks to the charm of its leads and a tone that harks back to the wit and humour of the original, it’s a pretty enjoyable trip.

Bel Ami

The excellent female support cast saves this patchy effort, which is let down by its leading man and a flat screenplay.

The Dictator

A disappointing, often repulsive and mean-spirited mess of a film with seemingly only one real criterion on its agenda: to shock and offend.

The Woman In Black

Packed with atmosphere, this old-fashioned but deftly told ghost story delivers ample chills and thrills.

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Force Of Nature: The David Suzuki Story (Film)

by Emmet O'Cuana | April 28, 2011 09:41 | Edited April 28, 2011 09:42

As well as being a passionate call to environmental action, this also provides fascinating insight into the personal history of Suzuki and the events that shaped him.

Since 1979, Japanese-heritage Canadian scientist David Suzuki's TV series, The Nature Of Things, has aspired to help viewers better understand the world around them or, as his father demanded, "explain things more easily." Force Of Nature presents Suzuki's final lecture at The University Of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, interweaved with the scientist and broadcaster describing his career. From being forcibly interned as a child following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, to his early work as a research scientist in the racially segregated American South, Suzuki explains how his racial identity defined his critical perspective on the scientific establishment and military applications of his chosen field of study.

 

Now focused on environmental activism, Suzuki has dedicated his life to arguing for a greater respect for the natural world. For Suzuki, humanity has become a force of nature. He discusses the trauma of Hiroshima, and how science was used to unlock catastrophic destruction upon the environment. "The thought that nature itself had been wiped out by the bomb was an unbearable thing," he says. "We have become responsible for the well-being of the planet, but our actions risk the extinction of countless other species." In this respect, Suzuki asks why billions have been spent on research to get us to the moon, but the threats to our own planet are ignored.

 

This is a heartfelt and passionate documentary, made all the more affecting through Suzuki's openly emotional pleas for greater compassion towards the environment. Critics of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth claimed that the former Presidential candidate was attempting a backdoor return to politics. No such claims can be made against Suzuki. Here, he is simply attempting to leave a legacy of environmental advocacy, which he has dedicated his life to defending.