"Future Almost Lost"

This essay analyses the effects of technological and scientific developments. Dystopian films tend to portray technology as taking over social practices and issues such as materialism, military, science, and industrial based politics. Technology is beginning to reach into each of these areas and it is the prediction of dystopian fiction writers, that technology will be in control and dictate these subjects rather than allow the power to remain with the people. The essay poses the question, are these dystopias critical of technology? by offering criticism on current social, economic, and political practices. Or on the other hand, do these science fiction dystopian films offer solutions to the inevitable? In some ways, I believe that both can be true depending on the film: the technological take over is inevitable because of the current practices upheld by our society.

The Hunger Games

Fear is paralyzing; therefore, totalitarian governments such as that in Panem capitalize on fear in order to maintain control. I think that the best example to prove this is when Katniss steps into the tube that will bring her up to the arena. When she turns around and looks at Cinna, all sound goes away except for a piercing silence. The audience can see the panic in her face as she is elevated to her potential death. Paralyzed by fear of what is to come, Katniss does not regain control of herself until just before the starting bomb goes off. The audience experiences this fear through the director's use of sound. At first all is silent, then there is a piercing pitch, and then there is the muffled countdown. As Katniss looks around and assesses her situation, the countdown becomes left muffled and everything becomes clear. This representation of fear is used to show the dangers of the Hunger Games but also to show the dangers of living in Panem. The people in the districts are paralyzed by fear and forced to stay immobile by ruthless peacekeepers and strict borders.

Hope, on the other hand, is mobilizing. The salute the people give Katniss is a sign of respect and hope. It is a peace but defiant act that tells the government that society agrees with the unprecedented actions of Katniss. After Rue dies, Katniss, who is aware of the vast audience, shows this sign of hope to tell people that no matter what the circumstance or how brutal the Hunger Games are, she will not be changed. The people from Rue's district who are watching in the square, all salute back to the screen. This single act of kindness and humanity sparks the rebellion. After saluting, people begin to fight the peacekeepers and anarchy ensues.

I believe the most influential statement made in this movie is by President Snow when he explains the following to Seneca Crane: "Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous. Spark is fine, as long as it's contained". Presdient Snow is aware of the fragility of his power; therefore, he has created a system to ensures the regulation of fear and hope in order to maintain the obedience of the people.

Katniss disrupts this regulation because she is stubborn and will not give into the Captiol's demands. I think it is interesting how Haymitch always says that Katniss has issues getting along with others. The fact is, she does not get along with the people in the Captiol because she can see through their lies and recognize the corruption. Ironically, Haymitch and Katniss get along really well in the most important times because they all understand the gravity of the situations. The people, on the other hand, love Katniss because she is fearless. She maintains her morality even in the face of barbarism. She gives people the strength to do the same in their own districts and fight for what is right.

The Road

As the Earth crumbles so does human nature. The planet is no longer sustainable for both human life and human nature. The grayness and deterioration of the natural world, as represented by the falling tress, reflects the deterioration of mankind and the morals by which people live. Viggo Mortensen's character only assumes the worst in people because for the most part, that is all that is left. He does not have the luxury of giving people chances because he has his son to protect. In contrast, his son (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee) chooses to assume the best in people until proven otherwise. In a way Viggo Mortensen's character had the potential of being just as corrupt as the rest of mankind, but his son forces him to reevaluate and reflect. For example, when the man steals everything from Kodi Smit-McPhee's character when he is sleeping, Viggo Mortensen's response is barbaric and inhumane. Sadly, the man complies even though he knows he will die because what other choice does he have in this world. There is so much uncertainty in the post-apocalyptic future. I think that this is reflected in some of the plot when the characters do something but you never see the outcome. In the same situation with the thief, the boy forces his father to return the clothing. When they get back, however, the man is gone so the boy leaves the clothes along with some food. The audience never sees what happens to the man or his clothes. Does he pick them up? Did he die already? Does somebody else find it?

This film reminded me a lot of Children of Men in regards to the lack of children. When Viggo Mortensen's character and his son come across the old man, the old man is delighted to hear a young voice again. He never thought he would ever hear the sound of innocence and the sound of promise again. After watching The Road and Children of Men,  I realize that children are vital to the stability
of society because they represent the promise of a future. In such conditions shown in The Road, children give people hope that there is a chance that the future may be brighter and better. Like I said earlier, I believe Viggo Mortensen's character could have become just as barbaric as some others in this society. Due to his responsibility to his son, however, he teaches him how to be good and ethical. His son keeps him grounded just has children keep society grounded. There is an inherent responsibility to pass on the best of people in order to create a better future. People need to pass on "the fire": the inner capacity to be good in everything you do even despite the trying environment. At the end of the film, the audience is left relieved at the fact that the boy found another family. For all we know, they could be cannibals, but for some reason, the fact that they have children makes them trustworthy; of all people, they would best understand the importance of maintaining "the fire".

"Skepticism Squared"

Sometimes it is difficult, as an audience, to recognize dystopian themes and statements when watching a film because often times people are more focused on the entertainment being offered rather than on the messaging. This article begins by emphasizing that the purpose of dystopian films is not only to offer criticism on our current social, political, and economic practices but also to question whether or not we are able to accurately depict and predict the outcome of our current practices. Films have become so complex in plot, special effects, and purpose, that it is difficult for the audience to distinguish what details are meaningful and what details are "cool". One way to distinguish the difference between science fiction and dystopian films is to detect whether or not the film is aware that it is a film. Fight Club is an extreme case, however the characters are aware that they are a part of a social commentary. I believe that dystopian films have a subtle way of announcing to the reader exactly what the purpose is for creating such a film.

The Truman Show

The Truman Show shows us just how influential and powerful the media network may come to be. Not only is Truman at the center of a dystopian society, but those viewing his show are glued to the television, addicted to its constant stimulation. It seems that now in both "The Truman Show" and the actual film itself, media is taking over the role of God. It has started to 'orchestrate' the lives of its subjects. The media dictates how people act, think, dress, eat, buy, etc. We are beginning to lose control of the independence that makes us autonomous individuals. With the spread and discovery of scientific knowledge, it is thought that we are able to act more independently and face decisions more knowledgeably. What is not taken into account, however, is the counter influence of media which may help to spread knowledge but is also able to influence people's perceptions. Slowly, our entire community may lose individual autonomy and just be the subjects and products of a supreme power (which would be the private corporation(s) running our television industry).

In a way, however, this may seem like the perfect world. Even though you never make your own decisions, in a situation like Truman's, the world revolves around you. I believe this film is commenting on the selfishness of our society and our obsession with 'things' and personal gain. Everything in Truman's life goes smoothly and perfectly, he need not make any difficult decisions, and he never gets hurt. At what cost though? Truman has absolutely no control over his life and when he is forced to question reality, he is not equipped with any questioning and reasoning skills that everyone else is able to develop over the course of their lives in the "real world".

What I think is most interesting is the fact that at the end of the movie, everyone is happy for Truman when he escapes the television set. This seems hypocritical because here we have an entire population watching Truman and using his life as entertainment, but at the end of the day, they don't agree with how he has been treated this whole time. This is a reflection of our society which is so consumed with our own personal entertainment, that we do not even consider the means it takes to obtain and produce this entertainment.

It is only when Truman starts to uncover the truth (or lie) about his life that the actors begin to show remorse. While none break character around Truman, the audience (both us and those watching "The Truman Show") can recognize and detect genuine concern and feelings for Truman. There is a significant difference between how Truman and Hannah interact and how Truman and Sylvia interact. It is the same as how you can tell the difference between good and bad acting, but it does make the audience question what is real and what is not in the same way Truman must decide which "reality" is the right one.

Gattaca

When I began watching Gattaca, I thought it was going to involve more action in the form of space exploration. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was more of a suspenseful and thought provoking film than it was an action flick. This dystopian film provides us with a commentary on the possible effects of genetic engineering on our current society. If people continue to tamper with genetics and biology, the only thing left to strive for is perfection. The desire to create the "perfect human" has surfaced in fiction throughout history; Mary Shelley's  Frankenstein and any of Stan Lee's Marvel creations are classic examples of literature that reflects the hope of the existence of "super" humans. You can never have a perfect human, however, because otherwise we would cease to be human. While humans are defined by their DNA and genetics, I also think they are defined by their nature. It is human nature to have flaws, recognize them, yet persevere. If everyone was perfect, we would lose that human nature and the human flaws that are fundamental to our existence.
 
I think it is interesting that Vincent has an obsession with space. Space is the "final frontier" that holds the promise of discovery and the thrill of the unknown. In our society, once the race to space died out, people found a new frontier and to do so, they looked inside themselves. There was a huge push for medical research and discovery starting in WWII but especially after the Cold War. Medical technology and knowledge increased exponentially thus leading towards genetic engineering. The dystopain society displayed in this film has exercised the medical frontier and is continuing onto the universal frontier. Vincent, while "lacking" genetically, has an infatuation with space starting at a young age. It is as if since his medical frontier was not pursued, he was destined to desire the exploration of the space frontier. While these "frontier" parallels may just be the result of coincidence, it seems that the idea of space and knowledge is very significant in this film; the writers could have chosen any field of study for Vincent to pursue, but I think space has a figurative significance that can only be discovered through film analysis.

I believe that Vincent's passion for space is also significant because the study of space requires extensive knowledge and capacity for both abstract and mathematical thinking. Vincent is one of the best and yet he was born naturally. This proves that genetic engineering only improves people physically; their mental capacities, while many times improved, are not necessarily better than those born naturally. I think that this acts as another commentary on the shallow and materialistic nature of our current society. We are so obsessed with our appearance, we want to "be" perfect. It is ironic that Jerome, who actually has everything anyone could ever want, became handicap after attempting to commit suicide. This brings to light the question of self worth and purpose: you can have everything and nothing at the same time. Jerome had the genetics and the IQ, but yet he lacked purpose, dreams, and goals; therefore, he committed suicide at the end of the film.

"A World at Risk"

Ulrich Beck states that after the Cold War, we were emerging "from a world of enemies to one of dangers and risks." Through the dramatization of media, we could no longer put a name and face to our enemy because it was portrayed as being all around us. There is no where that is safe from the new "inner demons" that have infiltrated society and the hearts of its citizens. Dystopian films are not denying that these inner demons exist; however, they are showing how the media can turn the public's view of these demons in order to either make people think they don't exist, or that there is one institution or person that is responsible. For example, if V for Vendetta, it is not V that is the enemy, but rather the government; however, the media (which is controlled by government) portrays V as the enemy because he ideals conflict with the corrupt and controlling ideals of the state. This film as well as many others is trying to show the dangers of allowing media to control a society. It is also trying to show, however, that media is currently gaining supremacy in our current society and if we do not recognize this, we can end up in situations similar to the dystopian films.