COLLAPSE – The Movie
Loading ...Posted on: December 29, 2009
Posted in: Economy, Education, History, Media, Politics, Religion, Video
Americans generally like to hear good news. They like to believe that a new president will right old wrongs, that clean energy will replace dirty oil and that fresh thinking will set the economy straight. American pundits tend to restrain their pessimism and hope for the best. But is anyone prepared for the worst?
Meet Michael Ruppert, a different kind of American. A former Los Angeles police officer turned independent reporter, he predicted the current financial crisis in his self-published newsletter, From the Wilderness, at a time when most Wall Street and Washington analysts were still in denial. Director Chris Smith has shown an affinity for outsiders in films like American Movie and The Yes Men. In Collapse, he departs stylistically from his past documentaries by interviewing Ruppert in a format that recalls the work of Errol Morris and Spalding Gray.
Sitting in a room that looks like a bunker, Ruppert recounts his career as a radical thinker and spells out the crises he sees ahead. He draws upon the same news reports and data available to any Internet user, but he applies a unique interpretation. He is especially passionate about the issue of peak oil, the concern raised by scientists since the seventies that the world will eventually run out of fossil fuel. While other experts debate this issue in measured tones, Ruppert doesn’t hold back at sounding an alarm, portraying an apocalyptic future. Listening to his rapid flow of opinions, the viewer is likely to question some of the rhetoric as paranoid or deluded, and to sway back and forth on what to make of the extremism. Smith lets viewers form their own judgments.
Collapse also serves as a portrait of a loner. Over the years, Ruppert has stood up for what he believes in despite fierce opposition. He candidly describes the sacrifices and motivators in his life. While other observers analyze details of the economic crisis, Ruppert views it as symptomatic of nothing less than the collapse of industrial civilization itself.
Thom Powers
Toronto International Film Festival
Diego Rodrigues
December 30th, 2009 at 1:58 am
I’m filled with deep regret and sadness for the people that have added, subtracted, removed, destroyed, polluted and raped all the while thinking they had the best intentions. Mostly because I know that we, including myself fall into this category due to the sheer ignorance toward the ever growing rate of consumption we have been apart of and catered to.
I’m filled with great anger and disgust when I consider the people who KNEW what they were adding, subtracting, removing, destroying, polluting and raping all the while convinced that it would not effect themselves or people they cared about in some way.
I told myself a long time ago that my main enemy was lies-whether it be my own or that of others. Ruppert states that money is the root of all evil-but it is the lies that give that money it’s power to create it’s destructive influence. Who steps back in their day to day life and considers if they are living to make money-or-making money to live? Where does the money end up that pays for the shelter, electricity, heating oil, water and food? It certainly doesn’t stay with those who actually work to provide and maintain it.
When did the masters of slaves care about the quality of life for their slaves? We’ve been floating on denial for centuries now, haven’t we?
…still more questions surface-like-just what does it take to cause an abrupt awareness that shakes the foundation of the human spirit to the point of being moved to act before death and immeasurable sacrifice come to every doorstep?
We here in cyberspace and members of The Zeitgeist Movement do not need to each be profits to see what will be arriving in an “all-too-soon-enough” scenario and time frame…Revolution. Perhaps this is what we should be preparing for right now. Perhaps it would be good to survive it.
January 8th, 2010 at 6:05 pm
Okay, I’ve been a part of this community of activists for several years. I get what you’re trying to do, and the video is very good/informative, so thank you.
However, what’s with the pot leaf embedded in the upper right hand corner? I really don’t care if somebody foolishly wants to waste his time smoking dope, but I don’t want to be reminded of it the whole time I’m watching this video. I don’t get it. Is it sort of a freedom=dope thing?
Great content. Stupid pot leaf.
January 8th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Hi tommy,
That is a watermark from the site that hosts this video (similar to the youtube watermark on youtube videos) just ignore it.
January 9th, 2010 at 12:15 am
Okay. Thanks Diego, I appreciate the response.
Incredible movie.
February 7th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
the video is not working!
February 7th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Yup I guess the video has been deleted Sorry
Out of my control
April 6th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
[...] CLICK HERE to redirect to movie. The only full version found, but cannot be embedded. VN:F [1.8.7_1070]please wait…Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)VN:F [1.8.7_1070]Rating: 0 (from 0 votes) [...]
July 7th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
What’s with the Commercials?
Geez I can barely focus on the video with the constant, distracting ads! Pretty annoying! Even when you get rid of it, they keep coming back.
WTF?
What I was able to focus on I agreed with. I’ve been saying it my entire life. When will more people catch on before it’s too late?