pal05052003 Review of A Plastic Ocean

A Plastic Ocean (2016)

A journalist studies how plastic destroys the environment in different part of the world

[6/10 · 28 March 2017]

When I watched Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, I felt there was nothing new to learn about how we destroy the environment anymore. However, A Plastic Ocean manages to carve a niche in the environmental documentary genre. Following a clear format like a conventional essay, the problem is introduced, the individuals studying the problems raise their concerns, and specific examples are churned to hammer home the message that plastic literally kills. The third act of the film shows how the problem is being dealt with and how individuals actually tackle the problem. The strict following of format works to effectively communicate the director's point. The documentary even manages to have an attractive female diver to advocate the cause. In short, this documentary is a call to action using clever techniques to grab attention of the audiences of the plight of our oceans, and proposes answers. The scenes of animal autopsies showing plastic pieces in their stomachs are quite disturbing, and feels like a found footage horror piece. These scenes are spread throughout the movie and never fails to shock. However, the documentary seems to drag at times, and some actions such as the director asking shops to stop using plastic seemed to moralistic. Despite this, the documentary does not try to place the blame on anyone, or any company. It presents ideas, and even portrays corporations in a positive light. One Chinese company (usually vilified by Western media) which spilled tonnes of plastic due to a storm was portrayed as actively participating to clean up the mess and aid to be 'responsible' for its actions. This approach of not antagonizing any party is quite refreshing, and makes this documentary worth watching for its presentation value. To sum up, this is an informative documentary about a problem we overlooked, and it proposes solutions and does not scare you as much as Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth.