Earthquakes
The documentary, “Earthquakes!” focuses on the historical study of earthquakes and the numerous efforts made in an attempt to understand the cause of earthquakes and the possibility of predicting the occurrence of these natural events. Available on YouTube, the documentary involves approximately 60 minutes of narration of the historical occurrence of the natural phenomena, including several interviews and opinions from professional seismologists. They give in-depth views regarding the study of earthquakes. Having watched the documentary alone in the confines of my apartment, I would give the documentary a 3.5-star rating. The delivery is excellent and points out the relevant points of interest, backed up with historical data (Patti Melle, 2018).
The documentary is well organized, meaning that it sequentially begins by giving the necessary knowledge regarding earthquakes then gradually goes deeper into the more technical things. The documentary is also based on historic evidence backed by studies conducted by various professionals across the world, not to mention the multiple independent professional views. From a personal point of understanding, I believe that the main focus of the directors and producers of the documentary was to bring out the devastating effects of the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 (Liu & Lee, 2017). By including other similar seismic events witnessed in history, this team was trying to make the viewer develop an understanding of how severe this particular phenomenon was. In this regard, I believe that the documentary was well made, it was very informative, and it delivered the message to the viewer as intended (Patti Melle, 2018).
Coming to think about the narrator, I believe that he delivered the message in the documentary as intended. The narrator exhibited eloquence, fluency and accuracy in the use of language, and, in some instances, made use of several literary devices like suspense and humour to bring out the intended message. The narrator can use the different tools of speech to waken feelings like fear and high adrenaline in the viewer, which are vital in helping the viewer create a deeper understanding of the topic of discussion. Furthermore, the settled and composed nature of the narrator’s voice serves best in the documentary’s narration by capturing the attention of the viewer and the keenness to listen and gain more. Therefore, in general, the narrator has done an excellent job in this particular documentary (Patti Melle, 2018).
The documentary helps the viewers to understand the effects of the Loma Prieta earthquake through imagery by referring to examples of similar seismic events that have occurred in history (Liu & Lee, 2017). Following an in-depth study to the phenomenon, seismologists came to believe that the earthquake resulted from a slip in the San Andreas fault. By referring to the casualties and damages resulting from earthquakes, such as the 1976 Tangshan earthquake in China, which left close to half-a-million people dead and 1875 San Francisco earthquake where a whole city was wiped out, the documentary helps the viewers understand how devastating these natural phenomena are (Liu & Lee, 2017). These examples are, therefore, relevant to the topic.
In conclusion, the documentary generally cultivates optimism in the viewer as it sheds light on the dedication displayed by relevant professionals and authorities in coming up with ways of reducing the devastating impacts of earthquakes. Through the examples provided in the documentary, viewers get mixed reactions like shock, fear, and sometimes amazement of the potential of the earth and all the activities that happen beneath our feet. Finally, the documentary includes some information that falls outside the confines of science, for example, the legend of the cause of the earthquake in Lisbon in 1755 (Patti Melle, 2018).
References
Liu, Q., & Lee, J. S. (2017). Case Study on Influential Factors of Nonlinear Response History Analysis-Focused on the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society, 33(12), 45-58.
Patti Melle. (2018). EARTHQUAKE! NOVA: Discovery/Science/History (Documentary) [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqYnWC95nZ4