Over 200 years, thousands of people would have had worked in the pipe works and no one ever bothered to turn the god damn valve?? lol seriously!! wth
shareNot my job!
--
The only thing that saves us from the bureaucracy is its inefficiency
The amusements of film basically. In reality, that entire mechanical operation would have rusted and broken down ... even if they could have gotten that wheel to turn, which is unlikely.
In the book, I remember it being less mechanical and more manual, such as a hidden boat room and them having to put them in the water. It was also extremely treacherous. It is revealed in the second book that possibly hundreds died while trying to leave, many slipping and falling or drowning ... not really good for a family friendly film.
Also, Ember was provided to humanity by The Builders. Ember is, therefore, Divine. The people never actually change things but only attempt to maintain them as they are. They do not do anything that they were not shown to do. In the novel we only see decay from lack of evolution. There is never progress.