Character Relationship Map: Before the Flood

Characters

• Self (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) — protagonist

  Leonardo DiCaprio appears as himself and is identified as one of the film's producers. The documentary examines climate change and interviews public figures, but the supplied summary does not specify...

• Self (played by Bill Clinton) — protagonist
• Self (played by John Kerry) — supporting
• Self (played by Barack Obama) — supporting
• Self (played by Enric Sala) — supporting
• Self (played by Elon Musk) — supporting
• Self (played by Michael E. Mann) — minor
• Self (played by Philip Levine) — minor
• Self (played by Jason E. Box) — minor
• Self (played by Jake Awa) — minor
• Self (played by Ma Jun) — minor
• Self (played by Alvin Lin) — minor
• Self (played by Pope Francis) — supporting
• Self (played by Marco Rubio) — minor
• Self (played by James Inhofe) — minor
• Self (archive footage) (played by Oprah Winfrey) — minor
• Self (archive footage) (played by Donald Trump) — minor
• Self (played by Ban Ki-moon) — supporting
• Self (played by Alejandro G. Iñárritu) — supporting
• Self (played by Michael Brune) — supporting

Story Analysis

The documentary investigates climate change through its observed impacts, political and economic causes, possible solutions, and consequences for future generations.

Plot Progression

1. The Painting and the Warning — The narrator recalls Bosch's painting as an image of humanity moving from a natural world toward ruin. Archival broadcasts connect that warning to carbon emissions and successive record-hot years.
2. Rising Water and Unequal Risk — The investigation turns to Florida, where rising seas are already flooding streets and prompting costly infrastructure work. Conversations broaden the problem to political resistance and the unequal d...
3. A Possible Energy Transition — A battery factory visit presents storage as a possible means of expanding renewable power, including in remote communities. The film stresses that technical possibility depends on large investment and...
4. Political Stakes and Future Generations — The narrator questions a president about the durability of climate initiatives, and the response emphasizes persistent evidence and national security. The documentary closes on possible displacement,...