Research Paper Disaster Films Essay Research Paper

Research Paper, Disaster Films Essay, Research Paper

Disaster Films

In his poem “Fire and Ice,” Robert Frost addresses the preoccupation humanity has with its own demise:

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

It is this fascination that is the subject of this paper, specifically the allure of disaster films.

What draws people to see disaster films. From seeing just one preview, anyone can tell what the movie is about and what the outcome will be. The climax is never in doubt. Besides that, why would anyone want to see a movie about ordinary people, in somewhat realistic settings, getting killed. What, then, is the fascination that draws thousands to the screen to witness cosmic disasters and humanity s own self-designed catastrophes.

Morbid curiosity explains this phenomenon. It is this curiosity about morbid events (a phrase that Jack B. Haskins of the University of Tennessee prefers to morbid curiosity due to the negative connotations of the latter) that impels people to see disaster films (1). Gary Webb, a disaster researcher from the University of Delaware, calls this curiosity the Popular Culture of Disasters (1). Morbid curiosity can be manifested as three separate but related human experiences: the thrill of vicarious risk-taking or the need of relief from boredom, our search for solidarity, and the mysterious impact of the evolutionary collective unconscious on our survival instincts.

On her web page, Tenebrous Kate describes the first facet of morbid curiosity: the thrill of vicariously participating in a cataclysmic event:

It s the icy tingle crawling over the skin as one reads an article detailing the actions of the Spanish Inquisition. Perhaps it s the wide-eyed stare of the viewer of a particularly bloodcurdling horror film.

What is it. It s morbid curiosity something we all share, but few of us are willing to admit to. As human beings, we crave knowledge of the unknown and the distressing it transports us from the mendacity of everyday life to somewhere unsettlingly familiar where we can indulge ourselves in a vicarious thrill or two. Morbid curiosity is not the desire to be in a haunted house it s the safety of knowing you re not there that allows you to keep the chill of fear pleasantly light (Kate 1).

Haskins describes this phenomenon as “comfortable arousal.” He explains our physiological need for a certain level of cerebral stimulation. Boredom, the lack of sufficient stimulation, is an undesirable state. Consequently, we seek various ways to achieve adequate stimulation. When our brain is actively engaged in novel and challenging situations, certain chemicals, such as endorphins and adrenaline, are released. These chemicals produce a feeling of well-being and excitement (Haskins 3).

Another component associated with our brain s chemistry is what Haskin s calls The Arousal Jag. This is a state which humans experience when they are brought to a state of arousal as a result of tension and then are brought back down to where they feel comfortable. The result is, once again, a pleasurable feeling. What could possibly be a better setting in which to experience this at than while viewing a disaster film. During the conflict of a disaster film, one s blood pressure and heart rate elevate. Tension is definitely present. When we leave a disaster film and see that all is well, however, we can rest easy and return to a state of equilibrium (Haskins 3).

Robert Frost used the universal symbols of fire and ice to describe the final devastation of humanity and the world as we know it. In the realm of disaster films, the more popular catastrophe is fire. The reason for this lies in the life of the fire itself. While ice is inert, and seemingly dead, fire is alive and consuming (Annan, 34). It has a much higher potential to satisfy the viewer’s pursuit of Haskins’ comfortable arousal and is symbolic of humanity’s insatiable, and sometimes destructive, desires. One of the most famous disaster films of all time, The Poseidon Adventure, uses fire to achieve audience catharsis. In fact, it was billed as Hell, Upside Down (Annan 100). The audience is able to achieve a state of high arousal by “courting disaster from the safety of the movie theater” (Askins 1)

Titanic director James Cameron understands the allure of fire and plans to direct another disaster film on the ancient city of Pompeii. The ancient city of Pompeii was destroyed when a nearby volcano erupted, burying the city. This cataclysmic event has been the subject of many films dating from 1908 when Italian filmmaker Maggi made The Last Days of Pompeii. The film was touted for its ability to portray the terror of the fleeing spectators, suffocated by the terrible effects of molten lava (Annan 22).

Like fire, volcanoes may be preferred because of their symbolic value. A volcano is a time bomb waiting to explode. People can relate their own lives to the destructive potential of a volcano. As a volcano continues to accumulate magma until its eruption, humans allow their angers, resentments, and unrequited affections to

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