Product Description

Environmental documentary 11th HOUR resides at the polar opposite of escapist summer fare its mission to firmly confront viewers about the indelible human footprint that humans have left on this planet and the catastrophic effects of environmental neglect and abuse. Produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio and ably directed by Nadia Conners and Leila Conners Peterson the documentary doesn't get much fancier than talking heads news footage and the occasional animated illustration but its message is potent and delivered effectively.The first hour of the film is essentially a horror story recounting the myriad sins perpetrated against the environment (pollution deforestation over-mining resources) the reasons behind it (corporate greed faulty public policy bad leadership ignorance) and what it means for the human race. Thankfully the last third of the movie tilts the mood upward with a spirited discussion of solutions offered by a crack team of scientists designers and thinkers. Stirring visions of alternate energy sources diversified transportation enlightened governmental agendas sustainable homes and cities and most importantly more conscious consumer choices leave viewers with the palpable feeling that change is both necessary and possible. If the "eleventh hour" for our planet is drawing near this admirable film points confidently towards a new dawn.System Requirements:Running Time: 124 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/NATURE & WILDLIFE Rating: PG UPC: 085391183518 Manufacturer No: 118351

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3994 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2008-04-08
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 92 minutes

Features

• Environmental documentary 11th HOUR resides at the polar opposite of escapist summer fare, its mission to firmly confront viewers about the indelible human footprint that humans have left on this planet, and the catastrophic effects of environmental neglect and abuse. Produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, and ably directed by Nadia Conners and Leila Conners Peterson, the documentary doesn

Amazon.com
Comparisons to Al Gore's Oscar-winning slide show will be inevitable, but there's a key difference between the two documentaries. An Inconvenient Truth was aimed at the PBS set, while Leonardo DiCaprio's The 11th Hour combines a traditional structure with a more MTV-friendly pace. Of course, neither was made by these public figures. Davis Guggenheim directed the former, while Nadia Conners and Leila Conners Petersen are behind the latter. DiCaprio serves as producer, co-writer, and narrator (the three previously worked on the short films Global Warming and Water Planet). Their first feature combines a diverse array of interviews with a dizzying variety of images, both soothing and alarming (droughts and hurricanes vs. serene sunsets and playful polar bears). Speakers include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, Cambridge physicist Stephen Hawking, and progressive CEO Ray Anderson, hero of The Corporation. Granted, there's no obvious youth appeal in these subjects, but the presence of the Titanic heartthrob-turned-Scorsese star, who keeps his on-screen narration to a tasteful minimum, plus atmospheric tracks from Sigur Rós, Coldplay and Mogwai seems likely to attract a younger crowd. And that seems to be the point, since The 11th Hour is, at heart, a call to arms. It begins by taking a look at the causes of global warming before exploring solutions, from eating organic to building with solar power. There isn't a ton of new information for environmental experts, but DiCaprio and his team have assembled a thought-provoking primer for neophytes and potential activists. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews

Terrifying, but also uplifting and motivating
This is a wonderful and important documentary. The film is full of terrifying images and fascinating interviews from some great minds. But, luckily, it does not spend too much time making its case about our destruction. After getting the viewer sufficiently terrified, the film shifts its focus to the causes of the problem. The film also inspires viewers to go out and make a difference (and tells them how).

Of course, comparisons will be made to An Inconvenient Truth, so I'll cover that too: it's clear that this project was always intended to be a film; it didn't begin as a PowerPoint presentation. It also doesn't waste time with a biography of it's narrator. But, most importantly, it's got a better mix of fear and inspiration; DiCaprio's film made me want to change the world.

Where AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH leaves off


THIS IS NOT JUST ANOTHER GLOBAL WARMING FILM...so let's start there!
THIS IS NOT AL GORE,DEMOCRAT or REPUBLICAN...so let's say that!
THIS IS NOT A BASHING FILM...so there is no excuse for anyone to not see it!

Anyone who follows the current trends in weather patterns,global warming,greenhouse gases and has seen 2006's Oscar winning AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH will not be a stranger to a lot of the material presented in this expertly crafted semi-doc narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio.What sets this film apart from it's predecessor is that real concrete solutions are brought to us and a great deal of the film concerns itself with renewable energy possibilities that are quite encouraging and challenging.If you want to do something more than what you have already done, then this film is for you.If you are a skeptic,go see it anyway and maybe this time you might be convinced that something IS terribly array with The Earth.

Yes, I am as "green" as I have been able to be in the last year (which has done wonders for pocketbook and self esteem!). This film takes you even further. If the future life of this planet is of any concern to you, THE 11TH HOUR will give you hope and determination to do all that you can reasonably do in order to hold back the hands of time from striking 12!We are the generation that can do something great instead of the generation that sees our planet extinguish itself.

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FILM.DO NOT MISS IT!5 STARS because it is a solid and excellently crafted film.(Forget it's DiCaprio if you don't care for him.This is not TITANIC...or is it?)

One word: Dissapointment ...

Let me just give you some pros and cons, as that's what seems to work best in reviews for things like this:

Pro's:

1. Well written, well produced. This is a pretty slick presentation.
2. The running time is long enough to make a strong argument, but short enough to not put a casual viewer to sleep.
3. The soundtrack was gentle, austere and not too over-dramatic which would've obscured the telling of the narrative.
4. Leonardo DiCaprio, surprisingly, has a good voice for narration which isn't that bad to listen to, unlike other productions which can just turn a person away.
5. A lot of the diagrams, charts and animations are incredibly overwhelming and informative. This is a cleaner presentation than what was done in 'An Inconvenient Truth'.
6. The story presented flows well and is educational to anyone who hasn't yet heard any of this information.
7. $4.99 at Target was a fantastic price. Nice touch.

Con's:

1. The strong endorsement of Biofuels, which is now a dead issue makes this DVD Documentary outdated, antiquated and seemingly foolish to have released without editing out. This drastically cuts into the credibility of this Documentary and thus a lower Amazon star rating. Leo is more of a victim of early adoption than anything, which is forgivable, but not something to overlook.
2. Overpopulation is mentioned a few times in the documentary, just to make rebuttal to the other reviewers, but only briefly and in passing. Overpopulation is not something that was focused on, which probably should have been the opening segment. To be fair though, the subject of Overpopulation is not something that the media mentions a lot, so it's not a surprise that Leo would've also overlooked it, as he's more of follower with this production than a leader. And a populist rather than a modern thinker.
3. There are many shots of Leo standing around observing the scenery in different locations throughout the World, which is something Orson Welles was fond of doing in his footage, but it just comes across as 'Where's Waldo', instead of adding to the narrative.


There it is in a nutshell. Hopefully that helps. I was able to get through to the end, where I was greeted by Coldplay, but I doubt I'd watch it again. Maybe his next effort on this subject will be more carefully thought out, but equally crafted.