By Aaron Williams
Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? These are three critical questions man has been asking since the dawn of time. People all over the world choose their own answers to these questions, through science, religion and other means. Lately, Hollywood has been focusing on the latter of the three: Where are we going? Recently Hollywood has produced a string of films that deal not with humanity’s vast potential to carry on for many more years, but rather its demise in the next decade.
What has sparked this sudden obsession with humanity’s destruction? Some would point to the steady approach of the ominous year, 2012, the year some believe the Mayan calendar says the world will end. However, the calendar may have simply intended to start over after the end of each cycle.
Back in 2006, Mel Gibson directed ‘Apocalypto,’ a movie about the decline of the Mayan Empire. Farhad Safinia, Gibson’s co-writer on the project, did an interview with Time magazine on the topic.
‘The parallels between the environmental imbalance and corruption of values that doomed the Maya and what’s happening to our own civilization are eerie,’ said Safinia.
A question that has troubled many people in the past few years is whether the Mayan prophecy about the world ending in 2012 is true. Freshman music education major Aaron Coomer seems to put little weight on the Mayan calendar and their prophecy.
‘No, no-things were just bad for the Mayans,’ said Coomer. ‘Everyone’s got concerns with politics and a plethora of other issues. [Movies] are a way to say, ‘Oh, look what’s going to happen if you don’t do this or that,’ and express other views.’
Others might say that Hollywood is simply putting out what is bringing in the most cash. One of the most successful apocalyptic movies in recent years was ‘I Am Legend,’ which grossed over $256 million.
This type of movie certainly appeals to some, like Shane Yeakle, a freshman undecided major.
‘I just like seeing them because the characters in those films are awesome,’ said Yeakle.
There could certainly be a growing market for this kind of entertainment. In the final months of 2009, several movies were released about the end of the world. There was ‘2012,’ the action and special effects epic, starring John Cusack and inspired by the Mayan end of the world theories. There was also a movie adaption of Cormac McCarthy’s novel, ‘The Road,’ which deals with a family surviving in a post-apocalyptic world.
The first few weeks of this decade brought more of the same. ‘The Book of Eli,’ starring Denzel Washington, chronicles the adventures of a warrior-nomad traveling across post-apocalyptic America with a sacred text that could save mankind. ‘Legion’ was released, which portrays God’s attempt to wipe out humanity with an army of angels. In addition, ‘Daybreakers’ hypothesizes the emergence of a plague that transforms most of humanity into blood-dependent vampires who must farm the remaining uninfected humans for blood, though the supply is running out. The movie is said to be an allegory for humanity’s current dependence on fossil fuels like oil.
Not all moviegoers want to see these apocalyptic films. Some students, such as sophomore music education major Josh Warren, would rather see a different genre of films.
‘I think we could be focusing on other things in movies, instead of the end of the world,’ said Warren. He suggested Hollywood make more films about man’s bright future, rather than the bleak one currently painted by producers.
People are always curious about the unknown. An unending debate has erupted about what awaits mankind in the upcoming years: limitless possibilities or our own extinction. Hollywood has woven tales about the apocalypse-rooted in ancient cultures, science and religion-that seem to fascinate audiences. Many wonder if this trend of apocalyptic movies will ever fade away, or if they will remain so long as humans are around to ask, ‘Where are we
‘ going?’
