I would argue that Earthquake, released in 1974, is an illustration of how times of crisis, such as the eponymous disaster, are capable of people’s true nature manifesting in one of two ways. Either their better selves are put on full display, or their darker, more repulsive sides are enabled to be unleashed by the circumstances they’re confronted with.
A notable instance of such a calamitous situation bringing out the ‘best’ in someone can be seen in the actions of Sam Royce, the father-in-law of the main protagonist Stewart Graff. After the titular earthquake strikes Los Angeles, California, Sam and several of his employees find themselves trapped up in their now-inhospitable office building. With no readily available way down, Sam spearheads his employees in getting out a stored fire hose and tying it around an office chair to cobble together a makeshift elevator down to a safer floor. While he could easily make himself one of the first people to get to safety, Sam instead displays how altruistic he really is by instead seeing to it that every last one of his personnel gets to securer ground on the lower floor before he himself gets to safety. While Sam experiences a heart attack before he can join his workforce and ultimately succumbs to it later, he put the well-being of his employees before his own, showing viewers just how selfless of an individual he was.
Jody Joad, on the other hand, serves as a case of how dire circumstances can result in people’s viler impulses being pushed to the forefront. Early on, he dutifully answers the call for National Guard officers to assemble in anticipation of the earthquake and is later seen helping to navigate the consequences of the disaster. However, it isn’t too long before he begins to exploit his position of authority, enacting vengeance upon his housemates for their mockery of him (which was shown earlier in the film prior to the catastrophe) by gunning them all down, and becoming abusive towards Rosa, even assaulting her and comparing her to a ‘whore’. While he ultimately gets what’s coming to him when he’s shot dead by protagonist Lou Slade, Jody acts as an example of how bad situations are just as capable of bringing out the worst in some people as they are able to bring out the best in others.
That concludes my analysis of Earthquake; personally, I wouldn't call it my favorite of this type of film, but it has solid production design and effects, so I'd say to give it a shot if you want, just don't expect anything mind-blowing. Hope you enjoyed my look at Earthquake, and I'll see you all later this week with my analysis of 1996's Twister!
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