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Issue date: 11/17/09 Section: Arts & Society

Media Credit: MCT Campus Morgan Lily, from left, Amanda Peet and Liam James star in 2012. The film addresses how our government might react when faced with this crisis situation.

How would our nation handle the knowledge that the world is going to end within the next couple of months? What would we do in order to survive?

Director Roland Emmerich explores this idea in his new film 2012. He draws from the Mayan prophesy that the world will come to an end in the year 2012. The plot of the film is based on the theory that an alignment of the planets will result in an increased level of solar activity, overheating the core of the earth, which would then result in the shifting and deterioration of the earth's crust. Emmerich's film uses elaborate special effects to illustrate this image, creating scenes of giant tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the collapse of all man-made buildings.

Amidst the various disaster sequences, the film centers on several different characters fighting for survival. John Cusack plays Jackson Curtis, an unsuccessful writer who is struggling to maintain a relationship with his children after separating from his wife, Kate Curtis, played by Amanda Peet. Cusack's character quickly becomes the hero of the film, as he fights to lead his family to safety from the destruction. Cusack does an excellent job of portraying a loving and driven father, though the feats that this character goes through to keep his family alive, such as stealing a small plane and flying it through an ash storm, seem a bit too unbelievable.

2012 also focuses on the implications that the White House had knowledge of this impending event. Although Danny Glover does a fantastic job of portraying a president who is dedicated to his people, the film does not leave the viewer with much trust in the American government during a time of crisis. The government in this movie works to save only a small portion of the population, leaving the majority behind to face the global disaster unprepared. Among these seemingly heartless government officials is Carl Anheuser, played by Oliver Platt. Platt delivers an excellent performance and really gives the audience a character that they love to hate.

Emmerich's film provides an interesting contrast between self absorbed characters, like Anheuser, and characters who work together to help each other survive. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Dr. Adrian Helmsley, the morally-conscious scientist who helps predict the disaster. His character serves as a counterbalance to Anheuser, illustrating two opposing reactions to such a massive crisis. This leaves viewers pondering what they would do in such a situation - would they fight for their own lives, or would they risk the opportune chances of survival in order to save others?

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