Cinematographic fascination with volcanic eruptions and flowing lava has a long history, dating back to the silent era with shorts and features centered on Vesuvius and similar disasters. Despite their ferocity, the work of volcanologists and seismologists has a magnetic pull, turning real science into cinematic spectacle. The current eruption near Grindavík, Iceland underscores this enduring appeal as viewers witness drama that blends danger with discovery. Adventurous, melodramatic, or apocalyptic tones coexist, and this piece surveys ten notable films in that tradition.
‘The Last Days of Pompeii’ (Ernest B. Schoedsack, 1936)
Although framed as a historical melodrama about a gladiator’s transformation into a devout Christian, the remake features period-accurate visuals and restrained effects that still carry weight. The production team behind the film had already reached a peak of fantasy with King Kong a few years earlier. In comparison, the 2014 Pompeii depiction of Vesuvius eruptions does not surpass this earlier effort.
‘The Devil in Four’ (Mervyn LeRoy, 1961)
A convincing blend of natural disaster storytelling and melodrama unfolds on a Polynesian island near Tahiti, where leprosy threatens a community. A priest, portrayed by Spencer Tracy, teams with three escaped convicts, including Frank Sinatra, to rescue children in hospitals as the island’s volcano rages. The narrative threads together faith, danger, and urgent evacuation during a cataclysmic event.
‘East of Java’ (Bernard L. Kowalski, 1969)
Often cited as one of the earliest disaster films, it arrives before the subgenre coalesced. With a cast of notable names—Maximilian Schell, Sal Mineo, Rossano Brazzi, and Diane Baker—the production leans on rudimentary effects and the visual punch of Cinerama. The focus centers on Krakatoa’s 1883 eruption, with on-location shoots spanning Spain and Italy.
‘La Soufrière’ (Werner Herzog, 1977)
Herzog’s enduring curiosity about volcanoes finds its first full exploration here. The 30-minute piece follows the German director and two camera operators as they ascend La Soufrière on Guadeloupe and document the eruption that unfolds, tragically foreshadowing death. Despite scientific forecasts, the eruption does not occur as predicted, leaving a haunting, ghostly impression of the journey.
‘The Day the World Ended’ (James Goldstone, 1980)
The late 70s surge of disaster cinema spills into this film, notable for its star-studded ensemble. A Hawaiian love triangle—centered on Paul Newman, Jacqueline Bisset, and William Holden—unfolds amid landscapes that morph into a volatile setting as dormant volcano activity threatens land and real estate interests. The spectacle intensifies as the island’s stability is shattered by explosive events.
‘A Town Called Dante’s Peak’ (Roger Donaldson, 1997)
Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton lead a story of personal loss and communal danger as a volcanic eruption disrupts life in a Philippine setting. The film echoes Jaws in its cautionary theme: experts are ignored, and catastrophe follows. A volcano considered extinct springs to life, unleashing lava and fire on those who underestimate its power.
‘Volcano’ (Mick Jackson, 1997)
Another 1997 volcanic blockbuster, this film mirrors the tone of Dante’s Peak but pursues a more apocalyptic arc. Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche star as a crisis unfolds under the threat of a Los Angeles eruption. Subterranean tremors and searing heat propel the city toward an unimaginable eruption, highlighting humanity’s fragility in the face of geological fury.
‘2012’ (Roland Emmerich, 2009)
Emmerich, renowned for big-screen catastrophe spectacles, maps a world-ending scenario grounded in Mayan prophecies and seismic upheaval. John Cusack’s ensemble leads audiences through seismic chaos across the West Coast as volcanoes erupt, earthquakes rattle coastlines, and meteorological tempests collide with human endurance. The epic canvases emphasize scale and catastrophe as civilization strains under natural forces.
‘Inside the Volcano’ (Werner Herzog, 2016)
Herzog returns with a more forensic, science-forward approach. Joined by Clive Oppenheimer, a leading volcanologist, the documentary moves through craters across Indonesia, North Korea, Ethiopia, and Iceland. Scientists from each region share insights, while the journey unfolds as a kinetic, immersive investigation into volcanic processes, risk, and the human impulse to understand earth’s fiery interior.
‘Love Fire’ (Sara Dosa, 2022)
The acclaimed film The Fire Within chronicles the life of Katia and Maurice Krafft, two renowned French volcanologists. The documentary traces their passionate,—and in Maurice’s case perilously immediate—pursuit of volcanic truth, stitched together from Maurice’s raw footage. The couple’s story culminates in tragedy during the eruption of Mount Unzen in Japan in 1991, marking a poignant reminder of science pursued at great personal cost.