Wall-E and Its Environmentalist message | Even More Important at 15
Wall-E has always been considered a Pixar masterpiece. It is a tale of fun and discovery, one of entertainment and exploration. Yet similarly to many other Pixar films, it has a deeper message, in this case a study into the problems of wastefulness and the rapid degradation of the world we live in. It is a look at the environment and the haunting image of Earth’s potential future.
Wall-E takes place in a desolate wasteland, featuring our small robot protagonist as he goes about his work. In doing so, this animation presents us with an image of the impact of waste on the environment. It shows us the consequences of our actions if we aren’t more mindful of how we treat our world and makes us more aware of the need to preserve it. We are shown the dangers of reliance on technology, how the natural world is in urgent need of support and attention. We see how recycling is important alongside how waste is handled by humans. The world of Wall-E is a scary one: rubbish everywhere, overcoming every aspect of the once beautifully lush landscape. Our robot spends his days organising this rubbish and his work never stops. This shows the audience the need to recycle and reduce waste in our lives.
We are given insights into the need for sustainability and shown the dangers of consumerist approaches to the environment, depicting the Buy n Large megacorporation as a key factor in why and how the Earth has become the way it has. It shows us how we can so easily become blind to our world’s needs in favour of the dominant consumerist force and guides us down a path for hope in fixing this all. Many will look at Wall-E as a more thematically in-your-face example of animation. This is true, yet it works. It is necessary, because by doing this, we can identify the problems and look towards solutions.
Yes, it is a cartoon, and yes, it has a message, but it is a strong message, not just looking at the possibilities for our world in a negative light, but also at the possibilities of our world in a positive manner as well. So far, we’ve seen these themes as bleak post-apocalyptic renditions of Earth’s future, and yet, Wall-E provides us with light at the end of the tunnel. Where there is good, there is bad, and amongst all of the rubbish piles, there is hope, a theme that presents itself in a message of positive change.
Wall-E as a character shows determination to right the wrongs of those that left the world in this state, and calls to us as an audience to stand up and reflect on how we treat the environment, showing that we can make a change before it is too late. Environmentalism is rooted at the core of Wall-E and it is a piece that speaks strongly to a cause, by showing us the truth of possibility within consumerism and sustainability. If you’ve never seen Wall-E, this fifteenth anniversary year may be the time to do so, because the message of this film often goes largely unnoticed by viewers. Yet with a bit of luck, it will allow you a chance to reflect on a slowly dying world, a world that fifteen years on from this harrowing message is still getting worse. Wall-E shows us that it is never too late for change.
