Life on Earth is Hell

Though based on literature from the 14^th century, the film of Dante’s Inferno is very modern.  The film is almost made to look like a comic book – a living graphic novel.  The fact that it is made with puppets and drawings makes it look like a child would enjoy it.  But don’t be fooled.  The film still tackles the serious topics Dante wrote about in Inferno.  The film presents these topics in a modern way to better connect to the viewers as well as convey ideas about Hell from the filmmakers’ perspective.

The setting of the Hell portrayed in the film is modernized.  Most of it is represented as urban decay.  Dante and Virgil pass corporate buildings, fast food restaurants, and theaters.  It is not shown as the eternal burning and darkness as it is often portrayed in other literature and works of art.  The Hell represented in the movie is more relatable, and gives it more of a present-day look.  It is completely divergent from the Hell described in biblical works.  Both the film and Dante deviate from the biblical representation of Hell and from other Christian beliefs.  The film is also similar to Dante’s work in that it mostly stays true to the nine different circles in Dante’s Inferno.  However, the film does modernize some of the punishments given to the sinners in Hell.  For example, the Heretics in circle six are doomed to remain forever in burning hot tubs, and the lusters in circle two must lust for eternity (instead of being blown around by the wind in the poem).  The sinners doomed to these punishments are politicians, historical figures, and many people that are known by the general public.  Dante condemned some people to Hell that he disliked, and the filmmakers followed suit.  They exhibited their political beliefs on who was placed in Hell, and where they were placed in Hell.  Ronald Reagan and Dick Cheney were in Hell, as well as Fox News. 

The film is satire because it wants to make a serious topic easier to watch and comprehend.  It is also teaching the audience about important figures and some relatively unknown things they have done.  Personally, I didn't know Hitler contacted astrologists, or that so many popes used their power and control for their own benefit.  The film’s modern representation of Hell and the people who end up there symbolizes the idea that we’ve all sinned before, whether it’s trivial or serious.  And there are people in our lives who committed/are committing sins that we don’t know about, shown by the inclusion of historical figures and well-known people in the film.  We are not perfect people, and we can’t stop sinning completely.  However, we can try to be better people and do certain things less, which is what Dante hints at the end of the film.