Carnage: Swallowing the Past (2017)

Carnage: Swallowing the Past Poster

It's 2067, the UK is vegan, but older generations are suffering the guilt of their carnivorous past. Simon Amstell asks us to forgive them for the horrors of what they swallowed.

Introduction
"Carnage: Swallowing the Past" is a British mockumentary movie composed and directed by Simon Amstell in 2017. It is an innovative and satirical vision of a future where society has completely adopted veganism. The film unfolds as a retrospective look back at the removal of carnism-- the outdated practice of consuming animal items.

Plot
The movie is embeded in 2067, in a utopian future where everyone is vegan. It scrutinizes the past 50 years through a montage of archival video footage mixed with made newsreels, TV programs, and personal stories connecting to the ultimate death of carnism.

Through a series of creative stories, dramatizations, archival video, and news items, the motion picture ironically highlights the hypocrisy and lack of knowledge of earlier societies that utilized to take in meat and dairy products. Key themes surrounding the shift to veganism include ethical thinking, social impacts, anthropocentrism, and ecological sustainability.

Characters
Acting as a coming-of-age story within the tapestry of the movie, we follow the lives of two societal rebels, Troye and Jay, as they grapple versus their meat-consuming households and societies, eventually ending up in therapy. The movie draws on the enthusiasm of young people, like Troye and Jay, whose outspokenness for animal rights and environment justice becomes crucial in pulling society towards a vegan utopia.

Representation and Satire
The film is filled with humorous sketches that represent the savage history of human meat consumption and the procedure by which these practices ended up being obsolete. Satirical representations of meat eaters, activists, jargon-lovers, and hypocritical vegans alike showcase Amstell's skill for no-holds-barred comedy.

Amstell presents a dystopian forecast where carnivores are stigmatized, represented as weird and backwards members of society who fight with concepts like killing for food. It likewise highlights various unreasonable reasons provided by people for consuming meat through discussions at a support system for people traumatized after finding the fact about their previous dietary options.

Style and Approach
Amstell's strong, surreal, and ingenious filmmaking approach in guise of a satirical documentary delivers an impactful message about animal cruelty and environmental destruction along with offering comic relief. It criticises not just passionate meat-eaters, however also passive vegetarians, self-righteous vegans, and business opportunists.

While the movie is clearly pro-vegan, it delivers its message without discovering as a preachy vegan propaganda. Instead, its dependence on satire and paradox manages to humanely and masterfully communicate the concerns of carnism.

Review and Conclusion
"Carnage: Swallowing the Past" paints a brilliant picture of a future grounded in empathy and sustainability. By freely satirizing contemporary social standards, behaviors, and suitables, it opens up room for audiences to seriously evaluate their beliefs about animals, food, and ethics.

"Carnage" is successful in ingeniously using humor to address a rather severe subject-- the meat and dairy market's destructive eco-friendly and ethical footprint. It's a powerful and amusing social commentary on the implications of our dietary choices, making it a must-watch for all.

Top Cast

  • Simon Amstell (small)
    Simon Amstell
    Narrator
  • Linda Bassett (small)
    Linda Bassett
    Dr Yasmine Vondenburg
  • Martin Freeman (small)
    Martin Freeman
    Jeff
  • Eileen Atkins (small)
    Eileen Atkins
    Dorothy
  • Joanna Lumley (small)
    Joanna Lumley
    Herself (voice)
  • Lindsay Duncan (small)
    Lindsay Duncan
    Maude
  • Alex Lawther (small)
    Alex Lawther
    Volunteer: Joey
  • Gemma Jones (small)
    Gemma Jones
    Davina
  • John Macmillan (small)
    John Macmillan
    Troye King Jones
  • Claire Keelan (small)
    Claire Keelan
    Lindsay Graber
  • James Smith (small)
    James Smith
    Graham Watkins