Nature is a source of inspirations to writers, artists, scientists and common people. From the beginning of times, water has always had a strong symbolic value. The Bible, grants a powerful mythological signification to water, if we think of the baptism of Jesus or when he walks on water. Water is a vital element that nourishes all living beings on the face of earth. For this reason its meaning has been explored, analyzed and interpreted by many authors, artists and moviemakers over the course of history. This post presents you with a comprehensive list of some movies where water plays a central role.
Riders of Destiny (1933): Government agent Saunders (John Wayne) fights local rancher who controls the local water supply and is trying to force other ranchers into contracts for water at exorbitant rates.
Riders of Destiny(1933)
King of the Pecos (1936): John Wayne in a classic battle over western water rights and land in the Pecos River country.
King Of The Pecos (1936)
Law of the Ranger (1937): Another western with a monopolistic rancher claiming local water rights. Bill Nash (John Merton), owner of the local water company and town boss tries to control the valley’s water rights by building a reservoir, but he must get control of the key property and murders the rightful owner.
El Dorado (1966): John Wayne plays Cole Thornton, a gunfighter for hire who joins forces with an old friend, Sheriff J.P. Hara (played by Robert Mitchum) to help a rancher and his family fight a rival rancher trying to steal their water.
El Dorado (1966)
The classic, Chinatown (1974): a murder mystery centered around the political manipulations of water and land in turn-of-the twentieth century Los Angeles.
Jaws (1975): When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and grizzled fisherman set out to stop it.
The Crazies (1978): George A. Romero’s low-budget story of a town affected by the accidental dumping of bio-weapons in their water supply – lunacy, murder, and a military crackdown.
Pale Rider (1985): Clint Eastwood as a mysterious preacher who comes to a gold mining camp near a small town in the mountains. The miners are facing a ruthless landowner who cuts off the water to drive them from their land and their gold claims. Eastwood kicks their butts, of course.
Water (1985): A tiny and impoverished Caribbean island (the island’s Governor is played by Michael Caine) is completely forgotten by its British colonial masters, until an oil well strikes mineral water. Suddenly the British, Americans, Cubans, French and an incompetent local rebel are struggling for control of the island.
Water (1985)
Waterworld (1995): Kevin Costner in a long series of post-apocalyptic world where the control of water is a key plot element (see The Book of Eli, Mad Max and sequels, and the zillions of others).
Johnson and Bent’s film Christie Malry’s Own Double Entry (2000): A disaffected young man who starts to revenge himself against society for perceived slights, escalating to environmental terrorism and poisoning London’s water supplies.
Sabaku no kaizoku! Captain Kuppa (2001): Japanese anime. Sometime in the future, the world is completely dried up and water has become the most valuable thing on the world. Whoever controls water will control the world.
The Tuxedo (2002): Wilson and Leeson’s movie with Jackie Chan and a power hungry bottled-water mogul trying to destroy the world’s natural water supply to force everyone to drink his bottled water.
Batman Begins (2005): portrays a terrorist attempt to destroy Gotham by introducing a vapor-borne hallucinogen into the water system.
Ben Rekhi’s independent film, Waterborne (2005): which follows the fictional aftermath of a bio-terrorist attack on the water supply of Los Angeles.
V for Vendetta (2006): features corrupt government leaders contaminating London’s water supply to kill people, spread fear, and consolidate power.
Quantum of Solace (2008): James Bond vs. terrorists gaining control over Bolivia’s water resources.
The Book of Eli (2010): Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman in, uh, yet another post-apocalyptic world where the control of water is a key plot element (see also, Waterworld, Mad Max and sequels, and others).
(Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-h-gleick/water-in-the-movies-the-g_b_686646.html)
