Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3775 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-06-02
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 90 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The 11th Hour may not have enjoyed the profile of the last major documentary to tackle the issues and challenges of climate change (that’d be Al Gore’s engrossing Oscar-winner An Inconvenient Truth), but it’s no less compelling, and proves to be a thought-provoking feature in its own right.

Producer and narrator Leonardo Di Caprio, who also shares a writing credit, is the glue that holds The 11th Hour together, and this diligent documentary presents a lot of information. What’s more, it balances its subject matter a little more accessibly than An Inconvenient Truth. The latter appeared to rush through the segment where it addressed the things we can do to help fight climate change, but The 11th Hour--in among some very hard-hitting material--makes sure that it devotes enough of its focus to the what-happens-next.

To top it off, it’s attracted some heavyweight world figures to stand before the camera. Some you will have heard of (Professor Stephen Hawking and Mikhail Gorbachev, for instance), and others are less known, but the cumulative effect of their contributions gives The 11th Hour a gravity and power that is hard to ignore. And while occasionally you can’t help but feel it slips into being a little too preachy, it tackles a serious subject exceptionally well. A documentary absolutely not to be missed, for more than one reason. --Jon Foster

Synopsis
Leonardo DiCaprio (THE DEPARTED, TITANIC) presents this thought-provoking documentary about the fragile state of our planet's ecosystems and the dangers we face. We've all seen the devastating effects of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, and now scientists and experts from around the world believe that unless we act immediately to cut carbon emissions and switch to renewable energy sources, humankind is in very real danger of becoming extinct. The film explores how we arrived at this unfortunate predicament, blaming industrial civilisation for much of the damage and world leaders for allowing it to happen. It's not all doom and gloom though; if we reduce the human footprint on Earth by a wide enough margin, we can effectively change the course of our planet's future. THE 11TH HOUR gathers an impressive list of supporters, including former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, former head of the CIA R. James Woolsey, and over 50 leading scientists.

Customer Reviews

Compulsory Viewing
I watched this film in the cinema and was the only one there in a pretty sizable auditorium. Nice to have the choice of seats, but it was actually disturbing; this film should be compulsory viewing. Here's why:

1.) It's populated by the leading bigwigs and cognoscenti of science and environmentalism: David Suzuki, Stephen Hawking, Wangari Maathai...people from all over the world. Professors, journalists, politicians... Okay, not everyone, but many big names! Too many to ignore, which is partly the point.

2.) Yes, it's depressing in places, but not chronically so. The film doesn't pull its punches. You'll be told exactly where we are and exactly where we're going, and it's not reassuring (come on, you didn't really expect it to be!). Sometimes we get just the hard facts, other times it's deeply moving pieces from Native American wisdom on harmonious living. This film won't let you get away with shrugging off the issues. But there is light at the end of the tunnel and substantial attention is devoted to the possibility of avoiding a humongous, gluttonous armageddon.

3.) It has Titanic heartthrob Leonardo di Caprio in it! Al Gore was a keen and perceptive presenter in 'An Inconvenient Truth' (2006), for sure, but he lacks the Hollywood glamour of this lad about town. Now I'm no fan of di Caprio, but celebrity endorsement has massive pulling power. That can only be a good thing.

4.) The format and structure mirror the film's message. We are told that all aspects of the environment overlap and interrelate, and it is equally so with the presenters and their perspectives. The editing has been done well enough to create excellent transitions between points.

5.) You'll probably find yourself wanting to watch this film again just to reinforce the message. The information load is heavy and that can be intimidating, but if you approach television as an information medium as well as an entertainment portal then it shouldn't be any problem whatsoever. This film speaks to everyone, for everyone and, above all, about everyone. Some messages will mean more to you than others, but I can't see how anyone can disagree with the film 100%. Sooner or later, you'll find yourself paying heed to what's being said, I guarantee it.

If 'The 11th Hour' has any weaknesses, they're unavoidable side effects of its strengths. You will have to pay attention throughout. No daydreaming, pondering or woolgathering! The facts are crystal clear, frighteningly so, and you don't need every brain cell functioning to get them. But you do need to keep up the pace and stay attentive. This is a challenge, but anyone can do it. Finally, it is clearly intended for an American audience foremost. But if you've got this far, you'll know that the messages are universal and forgive them this. I personally think every thinking person should watch this at least once, and every nonthinking person at least thrice, the better to comprehend the gravity of its realisations. Place yourself in the appropriate category and act accordingly.

The best of the environmental documentaries
Of the many documentaries I've watched lately, I am happy to say that The 11th Hour is the first that doesn't leave me feeling depressed, powerless and frustrated afterward--quite the opposite actually.

The 11th Hour gets its points across with the help of some very reputable interviewees and some sometimes very graphic footage. At points, I was on the verge of tears. However, the solutions section of the film was inspiring. It is this aspect of this film that makes it the best of the modern environmental documentaries I've seen. I felt relieved that even despite the bleak picture painted (and trust me, it was BLEAK!), there really ARE things we can do to reverse climate change. They are manageable, not impossible, and effective.

One scientist in the film made a very poignant point in particular: rather than lament this time we are living in as the end of civilisation as we know it and feeling the burden of the responsibility to "save the planet", we can instead choose to feel LUCKY to be born in a time when our creativity is called upon to completely reinvent all the man-made systems in place on Earth. What a privilege to be born in the generation who successfully turns things around!

The first step is to raise awareness. I suggest you buy or rent this film, invite all your friends over and watch it together.

A MUST SEE
This really is a film that needs to be seen by everybody, and urgently. We're destroying the planet and time is running out.

There has been much in the media about 'global warming' or pollution. But this film is the first I have seen to address all the issues at the deepest level, urging us to question not only the way we live, but the very fabric of our society and our level of consciousness regarding our relationship to the planet we are a part of.

We have to change now if we are to survive this century. This film is a brave attempt to face this. Many will want to bury their head in the ever expanding sand, and pretend this isn't happening. But we do this at our peril.

Watch this film.