Analysis Essay On 2040 (Review Example)

2040 is a documentary released February of 2019. It is about a father looking into a future for his daughter, Velvet. Unlike most other movies and documentaries set in a dystopian future, 2040 is a utopian future that shows what the world could look like using the technology in current society. This technology includes solar panels, botanic gardens, native plants to create rich soil and many others which will lead to a world that is liveable. Earth is at a grim point in current history, threats of global warming, world war and pandemics have been floating around for years so it is refreshing to see that this documentary expresses interest in a better future and shows ways to make it happen reasonably, one where everyone has goof energy and is happy. Throughout the documentary there is a wide range of visual language techniques that empower the point the writers of the documentary are pursuing. There are many different techniques used in the movie such as different angles, colours, bridging shots and many more. 

2040 shows us, through the use of angles, how big a problem state our world is in right now and how good it can be in the future. Using angles, you feel connected, and this can manipulate your behaviour towards the character or point, they are portraying. In 2040 they are using one main angle, eye level. When the cameras look at eye level, they typically have a more sincere tone to them and are mainly used to explain subjects, such as a speech or exposition. 2040 uses this angle technique many times throughout the film such as the children’s wishful thinking, heartfelt speeches, informational expositions and many more. A prime example of the use of eye level camera angles is during the scene where the protagonist, the father, ventures off to a developing country and explores a humble town which uses a revolutionary method to prevent energy spills and control electricity. Throughout this scene the documentary uses eye level angles to portray the characters in it as incredibly sincere and innocent as you feel bad for their condition. Along with the use of colour, the documentary can portray many different energies.

In the documentary, colour is used to great effect to make good things pop, such as solar panels, beautiful botanic gardens, bright cities, and farms. This grabs the attention of the audience and makes the ideas they are pressing much more pretty and desirable which leads the watcher to want and do something about it and change their behaviour. People only want to change things when they look good and they benefit them, such as a new car or computer, therefore the use of colour is important as it expresses that it is new and exciting while being desirable and achievable. While portraying the humble town they use vibrant but dry colours to convince the viewers that even though they may not be rich, they are able to do good things using their technology. Most of these are combined with bridging shots to create the feeling that the future can look nice even in this grim world we currently live in.

In the documentary, bridging shots are also used to create an easier to explain plot and more convincing method of persuasion. An example of the use of this in the documentary is through the multiple the times changes from 2019 to 2040. This shows proof of concept that the protagonist is trying to make. When they make the transition from 2019 to 2040 you get the scene of how much everything has changed and creating the illusion that the future is beautiful and bright, this convinces the audience to change something in their behaviour to make this change possible. Along with the use of the ageing daughter, which brings a closer connection between actor and audience, bridging shots are used to help convince that the world can be better because the documentary makes them believe they want everyone to have a future as good as the one they saw in the documentary through the daughter’s timeline.

How does 2040 use visual language techniques? Very well. How does this change people behaviour? Using many different techniques, the watcher feels convinced and obligated to make the change in their behaviour, whether that be showing the ageing of a daughter, seeing a bright colourful desirable future or giving petty to the characters. This documentary is great at convincing people to make a difference. This is evident by the charity made from this documentary raising over 2 million dollars. This movie knows what it is trying to do and executes it brilliantly.