An Inconvenient Truth | DVD Review

Al Gore discusses the notion of the carbon foot print we leave – in a decade or so, consciousness filmgoers will look back at this particular documentary film and state that this was the pioneer example of how film did much more than initiate a debate. It and the DVD that followed, were indeed, pro-active.

Backed by a team of producers firmly committed to the cause, and featuring the world’s top political planetary missionary, television episode director Davis Guggenheim hit some high notes with a little doc that could. Following a pre-buzz, a positive media push and great opening at Sundance, the doc continued its popular run from Cannes film festival onto a summer theatrical release spear-headed by the newly minted Paramount Vantage division. Film theorists/historians that look back at this artifact will state – An Inconvenient Truth is more than just a film, it’s a political and social happening and awareness campaign. Responsible and revolutionary in the same sentence.

In an age where films are vaguely marketed through online presence, the producers of this doc were strategically keen on not only promoting the film, but the content of Gore’s findings. Also a first, the distributor who always looks at profit margins was also keen on putting the money where the message is. Thus such examples help in redefining the movie-going experience, – the usual useless inactive interaction between viewer and film is thus replaced by the viewer asking – what can I do?, or how can I change my habits? Once the end credits appear on screen the involvement and interaction on many levels does not end there.

Overall, the strongest moments are in the message itself. The environmental cause in doc films is nothing new, but the progressiveness of the epidemic will most likely coincide with a continuity of films that follow the same discourse as AIT. Though many people watching the DVD have already made necessary changes, there are still some whose light bulb hasn’t turned on…or in this case been turned off.


A message merits a unique packaging, but in this case the 100% post-consumer recycled materials that this DVD is made with further states that those behind the film put their money and mantra where their mouth is. When you open the DVD, the slip sleeve reminds collectors that this might be the one disc in your collection that might be more valuable as a long term lend – case and example: as I write this review I’ve given this copy away and asked to pay it forward. The left hand side as a quick grocery list of 10 things you can change in your polluting habits. The disc also includes 5 extras consisting of:…

Commentary by director Davis Guggenheim: Guggenheim discuss such items as how they edited the doc – which portions of Gore’s speech did they chop off, the several formats they used to document his trips abroad and shot selections that document Gore’s personal family traumas match the much bigger scale ones.

Commentary by producers Laurie David, Lawrence Bender, Scott Z. Burns, and Lesley Chilcott:
Producers here take turns describing their implication in the project and why they took Al Gore’s one man road show to a whole new level. Clearly the group manifest that the cause, the message and Gore himself are bigger than any personal or professional interests. Clearly the water that the people drink over at Jeff Skoll’s Participant Productions drink makes for people who are socially more engaged than the norm.

“An Update with Former Vice-President Al Gore”: Though this is a constantly progressing issue with new data and new findings furthering the justification for scientists’ alarming words of caution – the post production of the doc actually occurred while hurricane Katrina left its devastating results. This portion ads more in-depth findings, and elaborates on how Gore experienced the before and after of the doc. He also discusses new unnatural phenomenon’s – answering that burning question as to why there is a hike in the jellyfish population. One gets the feeling that Gore might lose himself in the abundance of studies, charts and further proof results.

“The Making of An Inconvenient Truth“: Traditionally what may have occurred with a documentary like this is that you’d take Al Gore, shot him from the waist up and have narration over the images – instead the producers were keen on replicating not only the elements of his speech, but the speech itself. The Making of looks at how they went about shooting the set up of the stage and audience – the complexities of getting the best out of Gore’s Mac presentation. This addresses then lighting concerns and shooting concerns of this part of the film. Interesting to those who might want to do the same with an almost 180 degree platform.

Music video: This may be a first in the history of music videos. Sometimes a feature length film will have a theme song, and sometimes the singer of that particular song will cross promote – meaning the song from the film becomes a video. This may be the first time that a recording artist has a video for a doc film. Though Etheridge fans have one additional reason to cheer, this add-on serves no purpose.

A film like Citizen Kane on DVD is a particularly rich teaching tool for generations of film enthusiasts, the same should be said for this disc. Serving as a great study guide for many generations still locked up in classrooms, this shall position itself as the first “film” step in the fight against global warming atrocities. It serves as a good reminder even to those who are already making different life choices and should come in handy for those who still think of dollars bills when you mention the notion of becoming more green.

Movie rating – 2

Disc Rating – 4.5