‘When you are on a sinking ship, it is hard not to have thoughts of sinking’
Raoul Peck’s documentary briskly summarises the horror we have been consuming on our smartphones for the past ten years. The documentarian reflects on Orwell’s 1984 and how we are essentially living in his Orwellian prophecy. The comparisons of today’s world leaders and the messaging of 1984 are eerily familiar, perhaps what is more frightening is that instead of being shocked by the film, it felt more like a dull, aching acceptance of the way the world is going; driven by greed, capitalism and disregard for human life. Instead of starting a revolution and protesting we simply continue to consume the horrors through the safety of our smartphones and clock into our nine to five jobs and pretend everything is fine. It’s the lack of urgency and awareness that frightens me more than anything.
Perhaps I am generalising when I say this but for a younger, more politically aware generation this feels like nothing new however for someone who is less aware or has been lost within a hateful algorithm, this film will be enlightening. Despite the film’s strong messaging, it just left me wanting a bit more.