Film Comment: It's the End of the World

     We're not talking here about easy stuff like an alien invasion, or rampaging hordes of flesh-eating zombies, or dystopian post-civilization films like Last Man on Earth (1964), No Blade of Grass (1970), Glen and Randa (1971), Idaho Transfer (1973), A Boy and His Dog (1975), Death Race 2000 (1975), Mad Max (1979),  Rollerblade (1986), The Time of the Wolf (2003), and I Am Legend (2007).  Those are just inconveniences.

     We're talking about end of the world, nothing left, world gone bye-bye films. There are many more than you might imagine.

     1931: La fin du monde. As a giant comet hurtles toward Earth, two brothers think the event may end all war as mankind unites against the threat. Some pray, some have orgies.

     1951: When Worlds Collide.  A wandering planet is on a collision course with the Earth.  A group of scientists/survivalists must pick who to save, fight off the rest, and make sure the survivors safely leave.

     1964: Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Considered by many to be the ultimate American film, or at least the ultimate American comedy.  A rogue military commander flips out and sends his planes to deliver nuclear warheads in an attack against Russia.  Comic mayhem ensues.  

     1988: Miracle Mile.  A young man answers a ringing pay phone.  It's a wrong number, but he learns that all-out nuclear war has begun and the missiles will arrive in little more than an hour.

     1998: Last Night.  It's the last night before the Earth is destroyed, with six hours left.  The reason is never explained but everyone is aware of it.  Some are trying to get home, some are having wild parties, some are reaching out for God, and others are just reaching out for someone.

This is described as a comedy/drama, but the comedy is of the classical tragedy type.

     2008: The Happening: Director M. Night Shyamalan's misfire starts with the disappearance of all the world's bees.  The mass suicides begin.  Earth has begun rejecting an irritant, us.

     2009: 2012.  The last day of the world according to the ancient Mayan calendar is 21 Dec. 2012.

This is a big-budget special effects spectacular.  One man may hold the key to stopping it.

     2009: Knowing.  A teacher comes to believe that a number-filled sheet from a time capsule unearthed at his son's school contains codes pointing to disasters with accurate dates and death totals.  As he checks, everything lines up, 100%.  Then he finds dates for three disasters which have haven't happened yet, including one extraordinarily special event.

     John Cusack, talking about his role in 2012, said "the movie is a big action film , but it's also about emotions.  It made me think that, if you just had this finite time left on earth, then what would you do with it?"

     The truth is that we all already have "just this finite time left on Earth" and we don't know how long that finite time period is.  Right now is the only time we have for sure.  We ...you might be dead tomorrow, or later tonight, or two minutes from now.  The end of the world comes for each of us.

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.²But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.  Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.  [For the Son of man is] as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.  Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:  Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.  Mark 13: 31-36.