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Let’s say that it’s the end of the world... Governments become corrupted, society is in shambles, the people have turned violent, and the world wreaks havoc. These are the elements that make up the essence of an apocalyptic film or television series.
Hidden symbolisms that are presented within an apocalyptic film or series can touch on the whole picture of climate change and/or the end of the world. The effects of the world undergoing complete chaos are primarily the fault of individuals and how they handle the world ending; just like how people play a large role in how climate change develops and worsens over time.
The effects of climate change and/or the end of the world can connect with sources of media like film and television where this idea can be brought to life through visuals. When you include zombies into the mix of an apocalyptic film or television show, it creates an even more unsettling, complex situation where climate change is no longer the center of attention, but the idea of survival is.
The response to this global issue is no different in our current state. (Some people in power fail to recognize that climate change is real. (( Sachs, Jeffrey. “Trump’s Failure to Fight Climate Change Is a Crime against Humanity.” CNN. CNN, October 18, 2018.)) ) Though it is not probable for a zombie apocalypse to happen in today’s society, if it were to occur, then based on the current state of environmental issues within the world and its people, society would be on an unsolvable path of destruction.
Through the act of social anxiety, social unrest, and capitalism within the masses, zombie movies, television series, and video games, such as Overlord (2018), World War Z (2013), The Walking Dead (2010-), and “The Last of Us,” (2013, Naughty Dog) best illustrate possible fates or current similarities between the state of the world and our own.
What Is “Climate Change?”
In order to discuss how climate change affects the media we consume, we must quickly describe what climate change is. “Climate Change” is the adaptation of temperature and unstable weather patterns (( Nationalgeographic.org. “Climate Change | National Geographic Society,” 2022. )).
The impact of climate change can come in many forms; it can appear through fierce weather patterns, contaminate water, and pollute the air. (These three impediments of climate change will be highlighted in the context of film, television, and a story-based video game.)
Overlord (Avery, Julius; 2018)
Set in the month, day, and year of June 5, 1944, which was the day before the date of the actual invasion called D-Day, Julius Avery’s film Overlord discusses the events of experiments being conducted on local villagers (( Shaw-Williams, Hannah. “Overlord Movie’s Ending & Nazi Zombie Origins Explained.” ScreenRant. Screen Rant, November 9, 2018. )) in Germany by the Nazis, in order to create a serum where each villager will turn into invincible soldiers.
That serum was injected into their bodies, which transformed each individual into a zombie due to the injection being futile. Societal anxieties were unleashed throughout Germany and the American Soldiers who fought in the war. The American soldiers were shocked by the discovery of the tests being conducted on humans. They began to realize that their lives were in jeopardy not only with knowledge of potentially losing their lives within battlegrounds, but also being susceptible to the chaotic idea of being a test monkey like the German villagers.
There was an uneasiness in the air with the German nation on whether they or their family members will be next in line for experiments or if their thoughts of the end of the world occurring during the year 1944 was rational, which created a level of anxiety. The real event that took place in World War II, the D-Day invasion had weather problems. The weather was predicted to be so bad, that the war had to be postponed.
Overlord does not present the main focus on environmental factors like weather issues because the weather was terrible in England, not Germany; Germany was the setting of the film. Battle aircraft and ships would have been harmful to soldiers during the storm, due to the high tide and heavy winds.
World War Z (Forster, Marc; 2013)
As soon as Forster’s World War Z (2013) begins, anxiety begins to build. This film is set in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where United Nations investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his family were trapped in a traffic jam when mayhem erupted. It had become apparent that there was a virus spreading and people were being bitten by zombies from left to right. It took a matter of exactly twelve seconds for a human who was bitten by a zombie, to be transformed into a fast, diabolical zombie machine. The zombie apocalypse was universal within the film and other countries such as Jerusalem and England were a part of the film.
When the world is going through extreme chaos such as this, it is common for social unrest to arise. In the film World War Z, social unrest was caused by the billions of people in the world who were affected by the zombie apocalypse. Focusing on people who live in a city like Philadelphia, it is much more confined, condensed, and easier for a virus to spread. The film showcased panic from Philadelphians and the amount of violence that people took part in as the zombie apocalypse festered.
There were tons of people ransacking supermarkets and people were stealing vehicles. Even police officers were fending for themselves within this film because they knew that their jobs were useless and taking care of their families was the central focus in a world that needed more than “saving.”
The Walking Dead (TV Series; 2010-2022)
Within The Walking Dead (2010-2022) universe, capitalism is not the same as capitalism in today’s society. In the series, money has no value and is the least of each individual’s problems; like today’s society, the lives of the characters in the series are influenced by capitalism because many different groups are formed, each with a leader, and beneath each leader, there is a job to fulfill. What is valued is protecting each other and their families from the “walking dead” or, as they are more commonly called, “walkers” and finding resources that will sustain them.
Each group experienced numerous threats that hindered the production of resources, which adversely affected the lives of its members. A clear indication of this was their need for water supply throughout the series. But, as we know, most of the water in The Walking Dead universe is polluted and cannot be intoxicated without the aid of a filtration device that would allow them to separate the clean water from the dirty water. (Alternatively, you could boil the water, but that is not always feasible.)
Rosita, a character from The Walking Dead, showed how the groups are capable of displaying creativity when a need arises when she built a water filter for her group. There were common items in the Walking Dead Universe that were traded which included essentials such as food, arrows, medicine, and bullets. The worthlessness of money ties in with the current state of the world in the Walking Dead and also what could potentially happen if the end of the world were to happen.
“The Last Of Us” (Naughty Dog; 2013)
Covid-19 is an airborne virus that has done harm in the world, killing millions of people which relates to a zombie-inducing disease within a popular video game. “The Last of Us” is an interactive, story-based video game, and there will be a live-action series that will arrive on HBO in 2023.
The video game series, however, is about a man-made virus called CBI or a Cordyceps Brain Infection, and it spreads through a bite from someone who is infected or spreads through spores; these zombies are called clickers. Clickers can release airborne spores which can infect and kill characters in the video game. It is not common for spores to be released in open fields; the infection regularly pollutes the air within underground areas like sewers, subway tunnels, and a few buildings.
This is an example of air pollution since the spores that are released into the air can cause harm to characters and can have a negative effect on the environment. Considering the conditions and the spread of the virus, COVID-19, which is contractible through the air, this illustration is also accurate when we think about our own reality.
Storytelling About Zombies That Goes Beyond The Ordinary
There is value in how zombie films and television portray the ongoing dilemma in their narratives. Each of the films above, as well as “The Last of Us” (2013), portrays successful stories that explore social anxieties, social unrest, and capitalism, which can be a result of climate change causing this world to end. If a zombie apocalypse were to happen, zombie films, series, and video game makers have predicted the future, and accurately at that.
As a result, the world would have to deal with the current destruction caused by climate change, protect itself from violent people, and deal with the outbreak of zombies and their population growing. At this rate, these events, besides the zombies have already begun and will continue to occur if action is not taken soon. The world is deeply embedded within the pathway of chaos and it is up to each of us to be aware of how we are polluting the earth.
How deeply is the world rooted in climate change? Deep enough, and it is crucial to be prepared at all times for the worst.
Stay Safe.