Antz
The movie “Antz”, conveys several ideas which the viewer can learn from. Despite the fact that it was initially released in 1998, it contains crucial points which can still apply to our society today. It allows the viewer to reflect on how they’re living in society and how the factors in society affect them. “Antz”, greatly relates to the ideas that we have studied in Civics. The idea of government, laws and rights, and power are examples of what we have studied in Civics, which relate to this movie. We have learned that there are many types of government which varies around the world. This is shown in the movie as there was a different government in the first colony, then there was in insectaria. Each type of government contains their own advantages and disadvantages, which effects the way people live in society. We have also learned about laws and rights in society. Who decides which laws will be enforced, and who must obey the laws. This is shown in “Antz”, as it was clear that not everyone was following the same laws, and only those in power would decide the laws, without the agreement of the rest of the colony. It is also shown that there were no rights for the ant population, as not everyone was treated equally. We have also learned about power, and how it is shared among the population. We have discussed who has power over a country, and whether it is decided by the population, or is forced upon the population.
It is shown that not everyone in the ant population agrees with the current situation of their colony. This is mainly conveyed through the character of Z. Z is one of millions of ants in his colony, who thinks differently than anyone else. He doesn’t agree with how the colony is being treated. Z wants everyone to be treated equally and to have a voice and opinion in the colony. He doesn’t want his colony to be controlled with injustice. Z wants each ant to do what they want to do, not what they’re told to do. His way of thinking signifies that he wants a democracy in his colony. This would benefit the colony as it allows everyone to be treated fairly. It allows everyone to live in freedom, rather than feeling controlled. If every ant agrees with the way the colony is managed, it would allow everyone to unite, which out create a more strongly colony. A democracy would also give each individual ant their basic rights. However, General Mandible is an example of a character who does not agree with democracy. He believes that everyone has a predetermined role in society, and the colony should only follow his rules. General Mandible wants to control everyone based on what he thinks is right. This type of government is an autocratic government. An autocratic government would not benefit the colony as it instills fear in the population, as they’re controlled by an evil ruler, General Mandible; he didn’t care about the success of the colony nor did he care about the ants in the colony. Autocracy also causes the population to follow a single viewpoint of how the colony should be managed and limits the lack of input from the rest of the population.
In the “Antz”, it is shown that Z was the only hope that can save his ant colony, as every other ant in the colony didn’t think anything was wrong. However, Z was the only one to think differently and to create change. He wanted to save his colony from the worst, as his colony was in his best interest. For example, after Z and Princess Bala found Insectopia, they returned to the colony and realized that General Mandible wanted to kill the colony. Z quickly informed the colony and was able to save the entire ant population. However, there was a point in the movie where Z acted in his own interest. This occurred when Princess Bala refused to escape with him. Z thought that if he had made it this far, there would be no going back, which is why he offered to escape by himself. General Mandible is a character who acted in his own interest. This is shown as he created a plan to use the colony, and to destroy it at the end.
In my opinion, the government that is best for the colony is democracy. This is because it allows everyone to be treated fairly and with equal values. I believe that it respects the opinions of everyone in the colony and allows them to feel included. The colony would not be subject to rulers, but they would be rulers themselves, as they would have the ability to make their own decisions. Not only should democracy be practised by the ants in the colony, but also by humans around the world, as it is known to be the best form of government.
