Cinematography and Environmental Value Positions: Analyzing the Film ‘The Lorax’

Abstract

The literariness of the film “The Lorax” was determined through the environment−related sequences enhanced by dominating cinematic elements, such as, cinematography, dialogues, and sound effects. Literary concepts evidenced in the film are literature is languages, imitation, an organic unity, value−laden, imagination, a product of social construct, culture, and history. The P.D. 705, the Revised Forest Code of the Philippines is found to be the top−most violation of the characters in “The Lorax” with a range of five (5) environment−related issues, (1) abusive harvesting system; (2) clear cutting of trees/illegal logging/deforestration; (3) conversion of agriculture land to human habituation; (4) desertification; and (5) land−use management. Among the environmental issues, air pollution/commercialized air, on the other hand, is instituted to have a greater number of laws violated. On the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (UNCHE) principles, the second principle, “The natural resources of the earth, including the air, water, land, flora and fauna and especially representative samples of natural ecosystems, must be safeguarded for the benefit of present and future generations through careful planning or management, as appropriate”, turned out to be the leading principle violated by “The Lorax” characters.  Based on the characters’ belief statements, 14 environmental value positions surfaced. Social revealed to be the leading as religious and recreational are found to be the least value positions. The research participants indicated four (4) modes of actions. Ecomanagement has the most number, followed by consumer action, then persuasion, and political is bared to have a lesser frequency. Four statements on the ethical standards for Filipinos were uncovered by the research participants. However, the latter revealed a greater number of statements of belief, respectfully trailed by statements of intention, responsibility and accountability, and commitment.