Five movies that will change your perception of the oil industry
Of all the existential threats that face humanity in the contemporary world, climate change may be the most pressing. Unlike the theoretical threat of nuclear war or economic collapse, climate change is already taking effect across the world, with rising sea levels, warming urban environments, forcing the collapse of species and causing glaciers to melt in Antarctica and Greenland.
It’s easy to ignore for those of us in the Western world, with the visible products of climate change only really being the tempestuous weather that fluctuates between incessant rain and boiling sun. Still, this, of course, doesn’t mean that such an issue doesn’t exist, with the thought process of ‘out of sight, out of mind’ being the unfortunate choice of many capitalist money-grabbers.
One of the many ways we can look forward to a greener future is by severely reducing Western governments’ dependency on oil, with grassroots organisations like Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil demanding an end to all new oil licences. The aims of such organisations are of mutual interest to every being on planet Earth, with art having long been used as a key tool for getting such environmental messages across.
Take a look at our picks for five movies that will change your perception of the oil industry below, including films and documentaries from the likes of Paul Thomas Anderson, Werner Herzog and Bill Forsyth.
Five movies about the oil industry:
How to Blow Up a Pipeline (Daniel Goldhaber, 2022)
A complex eco-drama released at a pertinent time for the contemporary environmental struggle, Daniel Goldhaber’s How to Blow Up a Pipeline tells the story of a group of activists planning to disrupt an oil pipeline in Texas. Adapted from Andreas Malm’s 2021 non-fiction book of the same name, the film studies how physical acts of destruction can be validated as just in the pursuit of environmental and social justice.
Starring the likes of Ariela Barer, Sasha Lane and Lukas Gage, Goldhaber’s film is a thrilling watch as well as one that questions the muddy morality that comes with taking on such an act, well picking apart the complexity of its lead characters. By the end, you may just come to understand the actions of modern groups like Just Stop Oil.
Lessons of Darkness (Werner Herzog, 1992)
German filmmaker Werner Herzog is well known for making some of the most emotionally engaging documentaries in the history of cinema, making such environmentally-conscious movies as Encounters at the End of the World, Into the Inferno and 1992’s Lessons of Darkness. Featuring spectacular cinematography from Simon Werry, Paul Berriff and Rainer Klausmann, the film explores the burning oil fields of post-Gulf War Kuwait.
Much like 1971’s Fata Morgana, Lessons of Darkness analyses the history of a particular landscape, characterising the bizarre oil fields that spill orange flame into the burning skies. If anything, Herzog’s film will make you see oil as the rudimental, archaic form of fuel that it is.
Local Hero (Bill Forsyth, 1983)
In the ranks of British movies, Bill Forsyth’s Local Hero is considered to be one of the greatest of all time. Starring the likes of Burt Lancaster, Peter Riegert, Peter Capaldi and Denis Lawson, the film tells the story of an American oil company who has wishes to buy an entire village in Scotland for a new refinery, however, when Riegert’s Mac heads to the UK he finds things going a little different than expected.
Exploring the capitalist forces behind the oil industry and the humble local communities that stand in their way of expansion, Local Hero is a loving tale that shows how individual action can upend big business.
The Oil Machine (Emma Davie, 2022)
Our most on-the-nose recommendation on this list is Emma Davie’s 2022 documentary The Oil Machine, a fascinating factual exploration of the use of oil in the modern world. Looking back on how history plays a part in our contemporary relationship with the slick black stuff, The Oil Machine provides some fascinating insight into the cogs that churn behind the scenes of our everyday lives, suggesting how we can work toward a more sustainable future.
In our review of the film, we said: “Thanks to its sheer pertinence, The Oil Machine is essential viewing for everyone from young students to governmental policymakers. It makes for bleak viewing, but it’s mesmerising in its delivery, making you rigid with worry and then alert with proactivity”.
There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007)
We finish our list with Paul Thomas Anderson’s Oscar-winner There Will Be Blood, the most well-known film in our small collection. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, the movie tells the story of the hatred and greed that breeds in the search for oil, specifically near Los Angeles at the turn of the 20th century. An arthouse masterpiece of modern cinema, Anderson’s film is one of the finest exclamations of the dangers that come with the pursuit of the idealistic American dream.
Spoilers – Day Lewis’ Daniel Plainview ends the film as a broken man, failing in his pursuit of ultimate wealth and prosperity, having killed the man who prevented him from gaining everything he wanted in life. It’s an iconic piece of filmmaking that speaks to the capitalist goals at the heart of oil drilling.
