In nineteen-ninety three Steven Spielberg adapted Michael Crichton’s nineteen-ninety book “Jurassic Park”. Crichton’s book served more as a cautionary tale on scientists exploring biology while bringing dinosaurs back from extinction without thinking about what the consequences might be. Spielberg’s adaptation was rather close to the book, however having a strong underlying meaning that is actually a commentary on Capitalism in America’s consumer economy.
According to Dictionary.com, capitalism is an economic system in which trade, industry and the means of production are controlled by private owners with the goal of making profits in a market economy.
In Jurassic Park, John Hammond is the wealthy founder of the park and is essentially funding the park in hopes for a high profit once the park is opened. He “spares no expense” in building the park and investing in the science of recreating life within the dinosaur species. In the first scene of the movie, a tyrannosaurus kills one of the workers at the park and investors get scared that the park might not be safe to open to the public. Hammond insures his investors that the park is safe by bringing in four doctors, specializing in dinosaurs, to insure the safety of the park in time for the opening day.
In Jurassic Park, John Hammond is the capitalist (the private owner). He invests in science in hopes for a big paycheck at the end of the day, rather than for the love of dinosaurs or nature. He wants to recreate an exciting simulation to his paying customers. While watching the film we witness the collapse of a complex system built for profit but managed very irresponsibly. Capitalism is the drive of the story, and also the complication.
Jurassic Park is a commentary on Capitalism in America. The point that the writers and Spielberg are trying to get across is that a lot America is run on capitalism, and almost every product, item or experience that is purchasable is after one thing—profit. Spielberg uses the story to show the greed of America. In the film, Hammond is able to repackage a dangerous and risky debt into a totally safe under control investment opportunity. Jurassic Park is a commentary on Capitalism and how little America actually cares about the safety of the people and how much they care about their capital.
-Natalie Zeenni
Work Cited:
Lacy, Mark. 2001. Cinema and Ecopolitics: Existence in the Jurassic Park. Millennium - Journal of International Studies. 30, no. 3: 635-645.
According to Dictionary.com, capitalism is an economic system in which trade, industry and the means of production are controlled by private owners with the goal of making profits in a market economy.
In Jurassic Park, John Hammond is the wealthy founder of the park and is essentially funding the park in hopes for a high profit once the park is opened. He “spares no expense” in building the park and investing in the science of recreating life within the dinosaur species. In the first scene of the movie, a tyrannosaurus kills one of the workers at the park and investors get scared that the park might not be safe to open to the public. Hammond insures his investors that the park is safe by bringing in four doctors, specializing in dinosaurs, to insure the safety of the park in time for the opening day.
In Jurassic Park, John Hammond is the capitalist (the private owner). He invests in science in hopes for a big paycheck at the end of the day, rather than for the love of dinosaurs or nature. He wants to recreate an exciting simulation to his paying customers. While watching the film we witness the collapse of a complex system built for profit but managed very irresponsibly. Capitalism is the drive of the story, and also the complication.
Jurassic Park is a commentary on Capitalism in America. The point that the writers and Spielberg are trying to get across is that a lot America is run on capitalism, and almost every product, item or experience that is purchasable is after one thing—profit. Spielberg uses the story to show the greed of America. In the film, Hammond is able to repackage a dangerous and risky debt into a totally safe under control investment opportunity. Jurassic Park is a commentary on Capitalism and how little America actually cares about the safety of the people and how much they care about their capital.
-Natalie Zeenni
Work Cited:
Lacy, Mark. 2001. Cinema and Ecopolitics: Existence in the Jurassic Park. Millennium - Journal of International Studies. 30, no. 3: 635-645.