Morgan Cockman

March 20, 2017

Energy at the Movies

1. How has the topic of energy changed in the movies over time?

The topic of energy in the movies has changed as time has changed. The movies originally
portrayed the use of wood, although it was minimal and primarily used in silent films since
movies became more popular during the transition from wood to coal. Coal, unlike wood,
was very prevalent in the movies, although it was generally given a negative light like in
How Green Was My Valley. Most movies about coal included cliche, but accurate events
like black lung, explosions, and other negative side effects of coal mining, as coal came in
and took away the green. Oil, however, was typically given a positive light. It rose with the
popularity of movies, as seen in films like Tulsa. Oil experienced a transition from good to
confusing to bad, as movies originally focused on the wealth brought by the use of coal,
using very prominent actors, but then began focusing on the danger of coal like the
occurrence of explosions, using unknown, foreign actors. Nuclear energy was mainly
portrayed badly, although some movies focused on the good. Movies like Silkwood and
The China Syndrome included radioactivity, nuclear power plant explosions, falsified
x-rays, and made the point that labs were sloppy and unsafe. Hydroelectric power was
thought to displace poor people, although it was a symbol of progress in movies. It also
carried anti-government sentiments. Renewable energy in movies was all about the future,
so it is that energy in the movies can be used as a timestamp as fossil fuels signify the past
while renewable energy signifies the future. History, as well as the movies, tells us that
energy changes, although some things stay the same, like the use of oil imports and the
worry concerning conservation.

2. How can you explain the change over time in the treatment of fossil fuels in the
movies?

The treatment of fossil fuels in the movies over time generally experiences a transition
from good to bad. For example, the portrayal of coal transitioned from good to bad, as it
was originally a sign of more jobs and industrialization, but people soon began to realize its
negative effects, like black lung or mine explosions. Once its negative effects were revealed,
the movies, like October Sky, portrayed coal in a much more negative light, as people did
not want to work in coal mines, ominous music was played when coal mines were featured,
and more. Oil was this way as well. It originally received much positive light from the
movies, as it brought wealth, but it soon received more negative light as well as it could
cause explosions or pollution or other harmful effects.