Dystopian Film THX1138

The cautionary tale that is the dystopian narrative has appeared in some of the world 's most prominent works of fiction, be they literary or cinematic. It is through this type of narrative that the writer attempts to make a criticism about societal issues by exaggerating said issues to the point where any and all semblance of individuality within the imagined civilization is stripped away. Over the course of this essay, I intend to analyze the major societal issues that Harlan Ellison chooses to critique in his short story " 'Repent, Harlequin! ' Said the Ticktockman" while simultaneously attempting to prove that the perils humanity may someday face stem from the constant clash between individuality and the propensity to maintain a sense of order through totalitarian power.

In the dystopian worlds created by the film director Andrew Niccol and renowned author George Orwell, notions of control and freedom are explored. Both worlds contain an overarching power that governs the rest of the population and restricts freedom of individuals, these powers also aid in the progression of technology, which further act to control individuals. The characterisations of the protagonists of each text portray the lack of freedom from the perspective of those that are affected. Both authors use a variety of techniques to portray themes of control and freedom in their texts.

Film director Andrew Niccol’s science fiction thriller Gattaca and author George Orwell’s politically scientific book 1984 employ a variety of textual techniques to explore the themes of control and freedom. The context of a dystopia is used in both texts to portray how dogma’s within society’s constrict the freedom of individuals. Niccol discusses the consequences of the pursuit for perfection in the “genetically perfect” society of Gattaca. Similarly, Orwell analyses the subordination exhibited by the war torn society of “Air Strip One” to the governing party and “Big Brother.” Technological and scientific advancements further impact imprisonment of individuals by improving only a portion of the population. Niccol uses the science of

“Atwood’s feminism is an integral part of her critical approach, just as her concept of criticism is inseparable from her creative work” Walter Pache (1). A dystopia is a fictional society, usually existing in a future time period, in which the condition of life is extremely difficult due to deprivation, oppression or terror. In most dystopian fiction, a corrupt government creates or sustains the poor quality of life, often conditioning the masses to believe the society is proper and just, even perfect.

Dystopias typically follow Anti-Heros, used as a plot device to create a depth of sympathy for the flawed character before having the character bend to the wills of their higher class in order to survive, depicting the inevitability of the obedience of the lower class to the higher class. In 1984, these notions are shown through O’Brien’s absolute control over the main protagonist, Winston Smith, and how his beliefs are of the highest class, created from the desire of power and nothing else.

Through the dystopic texts of 1984 written by George Orwell and V for Vendetta directed by James McTeigue, the concept of a cautionary tale is portrayed by the dystopic qualities present in the highlighted texts. To which a dystopic text is an exploration of restrictive and controlling societies which reflect modern day concerns. To portray the texts as a warning story, Orwell and McTeigue give depictions of the dystopic qualities of their worlds, through the loss of independence and freedom and emphasise the importance of the individual through its loss in the dystopic societies.

Despite the patriotism and nationalism constantly encouraged in the United States, our society is far from perfect, and science fiction is just one genre that comments on these frailties. Science fiction comments on our world by creating a dystopian society in attempt to emphasize our civilization’s dangerous flaws. Two examples can be examined in the selections, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury and "Harrison Bergeron,” by Kurt Vonnegut. Fahrenheit 451 is about a society consumed with every possible form of technology. The people neglect one another and find a family within their fascinating trinkets. This is not very similar to our society, yet our society could eventually go down this path. Most characters from the book ignore knowledge and it is also against the law to educate oneself from books. Overall, there is limited meaningful conversation amongst the majority of people and instead, a lot of propaganda provided by the government. All of these precautions are taken so that ‘every minority is happy,’ similar to the theme of "Harrison Bergeron.” Furthermore, this selection focuses on equality and the lengths that a government will go to in attempt to destroy

Dystopian science fiction films of the past have frequently presented a critical dystopia, by projecting future cities that perpetuates corporate capitalism’s prominent features. Examples of these features are urban decay, commodification, overcrowding, highly skewed disparities of wealth and poverty, and authoritarian policing. An example of a Dystopian science fiction film that project cities that perpetuates

Underpinning Aldous Huxley’s dystopic representation of a totalitarian consumerist technocracy Brave New World and Kurt Vonnegut’s short story “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” is a more subtle and nuanced mimesis of a restrained society where individuality, human instincts and social cohesion are dominated by the repressive nature of politics. Both composers are skeptical of the political acts enforced by each bureaucracy and draw attention to the fact that by suppressing individuality, a society is robbed of artistic and intellectual innovation. Huxley and Vonnegut convey the people-power relationship through indirection, using characterisation and symbolism to mimeticise subversion and repression – political stances unveiled by the use of counterpoint. One set of movements represents the

Dystopian novels have become more common over the last century; each ranging from one extreme society to the next. A dystopia, “A futuristic, imagined universe in which oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, technological, moral, or totalitarian control,”[1] through an exaggerated worst-case scenario, criticizes about current trends, societal norms, or political systems. The society in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is divided in a caste system, in which humans are not individuals, do not have the opportunity to be individuals, and never experience true happiness. These characteristics of the reading point towards a well-structured

Popular literature often reflects society’s beliefs and struggles, and dystopian fiction is once again gaining popularity. From Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro to Hulu’s reimagining of The Handmaid’s Tale, written by Margaret Atwood, and all the young adult dystopias in between, one does not have to search far to find a unique dystopian read. While every dystopia is different, these novels have similar characteristics that define their genre.

The ramifications of a destructive bureaucratic control is prevalent in both Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and George Orwell’s 1984. The paradoxical quote from 1984 and the image from Metropolis succinctly depict the dire forms of control in their respective contexts, which are a result of imagery of destruction and annihilation that produce paranoia within society. The contexts of Fritz Lang’s 1927 film Metropolis and George Orwell’s 1949 novel 1984 portray the disordered key values of each respective context. Both texts provide social, personal and political perspectives that give the audience an insight into the effects of a totalitarian control. These effects include moral degradation, suppression of individualism and desire for freedom.

Equilibrium certainly presents definitive answers to these questions – the policies of Father and the Tetragrammaton Council are as portrayed as being even more inhumane and brutal than our current world filled with emotions such as anger, hate and prejudice. It is also ironic that Libria is based on a society without emotion and yet it is ruled via fascism, a form of government that preys on the fears of its populace to establish and maintain power. Parallels can be drawn between Equilibrium and other dystopian films that present a social commentary, such as 1984 and Gattaca. The action scenes are extremely stylized similar to those in The Matrix, which serves to portray how lethal the Grammaton Clerics can be and how their powers can be used

Throughout all four of my dystopian films a strong theme that has been brought to the surface is the idea of ‘individuality is the enemy’. As a dystopian film is an illusion to the perfect society, they go hand in hand. The illusion of a perfect society is typically maintained through the use of corporate bodies and entities. Dystopian films are typical to play on the worst case scenario of a situation, within the four films studied Divergent, Macbeth, V for Vendetta and Mokingjay part 2, the worst case scenario is seen when the government takes control and citizens are under constant supervision or fear for their everyday lives. Within these dystopian themes we can see where directors are drawing on for their inspiration as our world is

Dystopian literature and film has been quite a popular genre for readers. In most texts, they are set in a post-apocalyptic or dystopian world where the protagonist struggles to fit into these corrupted worlds and these protagonists rebel because they feel like the government has turned their backs on them, leaving them treated unfairly. The protagonist fight back in the hopes of restoring society to its sensible state. All the main protagonists in the plots are put into inhumane situations as they are controlled by the government in order to fit their ideas and beliefs or just the plain simple reason, for their own entertainment. Through the actions and perspective of these protagonists, it shows a reflection of how we deal with certain issues