Dystopian Sci-fi Classics: THX 1138 and V For Vendetta
Dystopian Sci-fi Classics:
One of my favourite genres of science fiction is Dystopian Science Fiction, or a story set in a dystopian future society. One of the great classics of this genre is George Orwell's 1984, many times these dystopian science fiction stories are warnings to society about what we could become if we don't change our current ways, the ideas in 1984 are not revolutionary in themselves, it is realism of the story, because it isn't set far from the reality of the current world, but it takes the current ways of society to an obvious end. We see these themes appearing often in the genre, in both in print and on film, two of these classic films include George Lucas' debut film THX 1138 and The Wachowski sisters' V For Vendetta. Some might argue that V For Vendetta isn't science fiction, however it fits in the genre of dystopian future fiction, which is a branch of science fiction, because not all science fiction must be robots and spaceships, sometimes science fiction is political or social sciences. I think the appeal of these kinds of films is that there is a fear of the unknown future, based on what we see in the present, and in a films and literature like this, we identify with and admire those who make a stand against the oppressive authoritative forces that have taken control of the world in these films. Inside of many of us there are wannabe revolutionaries, and in films like these it allows us to cheer for those revolutionary characters who have the courage to stand up and say "no more", and stand in defiance of the oppression that takes from us our freedom.
THX 1138
V For Vendetta
While attending USC School Of Cinematic Arts, George Lucas made a student film called Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB, which was a successful student film. This student film helped to make a name for George Lucas, who would win a chance to visit a film set where Francis Ford Coppola was working on a film, and that meeting would lead to Lucas becoming Coppola's assistant. The two along with some other talented young film students would go on to form an independent production company called American Zoetrope. Coppola loved the idea of letting Lucas make THX 1138, and it was the first film that was created by American Zoetrope, and Coppola worked his power to convince Warner Brothers to release the film, which they grudgingly did, and the film ended up being a huge failure, and nearly ended American Zoetrope, as Warner Bros severed their relationship with them, leaving them with no one to distribute the films that they had planned. This film also was devastating to young George Lucas' career, which of course would make a major rebound after the release of Star Wars.
THX 1138 was written and directed by George Lucas, and was released in 1971 by American Zoetropes and distributed by Warner Brothers. The film starred Robert Duvall as THX 1138, Maggie McOmie as his roommate LUH 3417, Donald Pleasence as SEN 5241, Don Pedro Colley as hologram SRT, Sid Haig as prisoner NCH, James Wheaton as OMM 0000, and David Ogden Stiers as Narrator. The film was made on a budget of $777,777, and only made a return of $945,000 in the box office, ultimately losing money for Warner Brothers. Because of this loss Warner Brothers refused to release the other American Zoetrope films that they had said they would release. However after the success of Star Wars Lucas was able to get THX re-released in 1977 with the film restored to the way that he intended it, rather than the chopped up mess that Warner Brothers originally released. Then again in 2004 Lucas again had the film re-released as a Director's Cut, after the success and popularity of the Star Wars prequel trilogy films. Cumulatively among the three theatrical releases the film made $2.4 million in box office sales, and has become a successful film for Lucas, as well as a cult classic. This film also is the only George Lucas film to receive an R rating, due to the nudity and sexuality.
THX 1138 is set in a dystopian future, where people are fed sedatives to keep them compliant, and focused workers, things like passion, love, and sex are outlawed and forbidden, because an ordered society cannot have such world and free notions as those. All of the people dress in identical white uniforms, and all have shaved heads, removing all sense of individuality. Indoctrinating phrases like "Let us be thankful we have an occupation to fill. Work hard; increase production, prevent accidents, and be happy." and "Let us be thankful we have commerce. Buy more. Buy more now. Buy more and be Happy." are repeated by OMM 0000 who is representative of the society's religion (which brings to mind a song by Bad Religion, "The Voice Of God Is Government"). There is this enforcement of freedom through capitalism, and consumerism. This film is very prophetic and a warning of the direction that US capitalism is leading to, and this film should be viewed as a warning, because for example when a nation is having hundreds of thousands of deaths because of a global pandemic, if it places more importance in the economy and in capitalism than it does in the lives of its people, then we can see that the future in this film is a future that the US is heading for: "Let us be thankful we have commerce. Buy more. Buy more now. Buy more and be happy!" The society of THX 1138 is an authoritarian police state run by a fascist capitalist idea, where the the people are sedated workers and consumers, with no passion, no individuality, no love, and no desire. A genderless, sexless society, where everyone's the same, just obedient consumers. Much like the warnings of Orwell's 1984, or even the world of Alan Moore's V For Vendetta.
THX 1138 was written and directed by George Lucas, and was released in 1971 by American Zoetropes and distributed by Warner Brothers. The film starred Robert Duvall as THX 1138, Maggie McOmie as his roommate LUH 3417, Donald Pleasence as SEN 5241, Don Pedro Colley as hologram SRT, Sid Haig as prisoner NCH, James Wheaton as OMM 0000, and David Ogden Stiers as Narrator. The film was made on a budget of $777,777, and only made a return of $945,000 in the box office, ultimately losing money for Warner Brothers. Because of this loss Warner Brothers refused to release the other American Zoetrope films that they had said they would release. However after the success of Star Wars Lucas was able to get THX re-released in 1977 with the film restored to the way that he intended it, rather than the chopped up mess that Warner Brothers originally released. Then again in 2004 Lucas again had the film re-released as a Director's Cut, after the success and popularity of the Star Wars prequel trilogy films. Cumulatively among the three theatrical releases the film made $2.4 million in box office sales, and has become a successful film for Lucas, as well as a cult classic. This film also is the only George Lucas film to receive an R rating, due to the nudity and sexuality.
THX 1138 is set in a dystopian future, where people are fed sedatives to keep them compliant, and focused workers, things like passion, love, and sex are outlawed and forbidden, because an ordered society cannot have such world and free notions as those. All of the people dress in identical white uniforms, and all have shaved heads, removing all sense of individuality. Indoctrinating phrases like "Let us be thankful we have an occupation to fill. Work hard; increase production, prevent accidents, and be happy." and "Let us be thankful we have commerce. Buy more. Buy more now. Buy more and be Happy." are repeated by OMM 0000 who is representative of the society's religion (which brings to mind a song by Bad Religion, "The Voice Of God Is Government"). There is this enforcement of freedom through capitalism, and consumerism. This film is very prophetic and a warning of the direction that US capitalism is leading to, and this film should be viewed as a warning, because for example when a nation is having hundreds of thousands of deaths because of a global pandemic, if it places more importance in the economy and in capitalism than it does in the lives of its people, then we can see that the future in this film is a future that the US is heading for: "Let us be thankful we have commerce. Buy more. Buy more now. Buy more and be happy!" The society of THX 1138 is an authoritarian police state run by a fascist capitalist idea, where the the people are sedated workers and consumers, with no passion, no individuality, no love, and no desire. A genderless, sexless society, where everyone's the same, just obedient consumers. Much like the warnings of Orwell's 1984, or even the world of Alan Moore's V For Vendetta.
V For Vendetta
V For Vendetta is a dystopian science fiction film based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, published by DC comics. This is a film about a not too distant future society where a great war has broken out and the United States is no longer a superpower, and in England an authoritative right-wing government has taken control, creating an Orwellian society where the government controls all things, certain books, films, music, and art are banned as being subversive, and the people live their lives in obedience to their government. But one man who goes only by the name V has made it his mission to change that, donning an Guy Fawkes mask and inspiring the people to rise up against the oppressive police state.
V For Vendetta is directed by James McTeigue, with a screenplay by The Watchokowsi sisters (who are renowned for being the creators of the Matrix Trilogy), and much like THX 1138 was released by Warner Brothers. The film stars Hugo Weaving as V, Natalie Portman as Evey, Stephen Rea as the Chief Inspector Finch, Stephen Fry as Deitrich, John Hurt as Adam Sutler, Tim Pigott-Smith as Creedy, Rupert Graves as Stone (Cheif Inspector's sergeant), Roger Allman as Lewis Prothero the "Voice of London", Ben Miles as Dascombe, Sinead Cusack as Dr Delia Surridge, John Standing as Bishop Lilliman, and Eddie Marsan as Etheridge.
"Remember, remember the fifth of November
of gunpowder treason and plot.
I know of no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot."
V says to Evey, referencing the Gunpowder Treason Plot of 1605 where Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators plotted to bomb the House Of Lords on November 5th, in an attempt to assassinate King James. The film starts with V bombing the Old Bailey, and the next day he hacks the Government ran television station delivering a message that in one year on the 5th of November he encourages the people of London to join him on Guy Fawkes day, when he would be bombing the House of Parliament. The idea is to incite revolution and bring the fascist government to its knees. Along the way Evey by chance circumstances gets involved. In this film human emotions aren't controlled through drugs or mind control quite to the degree that they are in THX 1138, but the government instead brainwashes its citizens with propaganda, and with an authoritative police state. The country is run by a government power called Norsefire that has created a society where political opponents, immigrants, Jews, Muslims, atheists, homosexuals, and other "undersirables" are imprisoned and executed. Which if one takes the alt-right movements all over the world, including in the UK and USA to their obvious ends, this is a society that would be the result.
V For Vendetta is directed by James McTeigue, with a screenplay by The Watchokowsi sisters (who are renowned for being the creators of the Matrix Trilogy), and much like THX 1138 was released by Warner Brothers. The film stars Hugo Weaving as V, Natalie Portman as Evey, Stephen Rea as the Chief Inspector Finch, Stephen Fry as Deitrich, John Hurt as Adam Sutler, Tim Pigott-Smith as Creedy, Rupert Graves as Stone (Cheif Inspector's sergeant), Roger Allman as Lewis Prothero the "Voice of London", Ben Miles as Dascombe, Sinead Cusack as Dr Delia Surridge, John Standing as Bishop Lilliman, and Eddie Marsan as Etheridge.
"Remember, remember the fifth of November
of gunpowder treason and plot.
I know of no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot."
V says to Evey, referencing the Gunpowder Treason Plot of 1605 where Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators plotted to bomb the House Of Lords on November 5th, in an attempt to assassinate King James. The film starts with V bombing the Old Bailey, and the next day he hacks the Government ran television station delivering a message that in one year on the 5th of November he encourages the people of London to join him on Guy Fawkes day, when he would be bombing the House of Parliament. The idea is to incite revolution and bring the fascist government to its knees. Along the way Evey by chance circumstances gets involved. In this film human emotions aren't controlled through drugs or mind control quite to the degree that they are in THX 1138, but the government instead brainwashes its citizens with propaganda, and with an authoritative police state. The country is run by a government power called Norsefire that has created a society where political opponents, immigrants, Jews, Muslims, atheists, homosexuals, and other "undersirables" are imprisoned and executed. Which if one takes the alt-right movements all over the world, including in the UK and USA to their obvious ends, this is a society that would be the result.
V For Vendetta was a successful film, with a budget of $54 million, saw a box office gross of $132.5 million. But beyond being a financially successful film, in 2011 when one of the largest world protests in history broke out, with Occupy Wall Street, a movement that spread to every continent on the planet, and mass protests in every major city in the world, Guy Fawkes masks were seen everywhere in the protests. The ideals of this film were not the catalyst for the protest, but the ideals that were presented in this film found their ways to the streets and to the protests. The internet hacker group Anonymous adapted the Guy Fawkes mask as their logo, as they staged stunts like V where they would hack media and broadcast their videos. So this film made an impact beyond just presenting thought provoking ideas, became incorporated into chants and actions in the real world. Sadly though Occupy didn't bring down the corporate capitalist system, and alt-right leaders have been elected which have pushed our future closer to the dystopian future that V is fighting against in this film.
Both of these films are must see dystopian science fiction classics. Both films have powerful stories that inspire the viewer to stand up against the oppressive systems that are rising up to control the masses. Both films have amazing casts of characters and great actors that give powerful performances. Both films utilize effects and stylized sets to create their dystopian visions of the future. These are both films that every person should watch and talk about, in my opinion both of these films should be taught and discussed in college courses dealing with political sciences. Whether we are in a world where were sedated and indoctrinated that happiness only comes through hard work and consuming, or whether we live in a world where an alt-right authoritative government controls all that we see, read, and hear, these dystopian futures are rooted in what we have seen in the past when authoritative conservative governments rise to power as in the case of the Nazis in Germany, and other alt-right authoritative systems throughout history. These films are important warnings, as was George Orwell's 1984, but do we just view films like these and be entertained, seeing these warnings as fictitious futures that exist only in the works of science fiction, or do we take action when we see these things happening in our world? I guess that is up to you. Either way if you have not yet seen either of these films, I highly recommend checking them out, they are two of the greatest dystopian science fiction films out there, and both are powerful films, that are really well made and look really good.
Both of these films are must see dystopian science fiction classics. Both films have powerful stories that inspire the viewer to stand up against the oppressive systems that are rising up to control the masses. Both films have amazing casts of characters and great actors that give powerful performances. Both films utilize effects and stylized sets to create their dystopian visions of the future. These are both films that every person should watch and talk about, in my opinion both of these films should be taught and discussed in college courses dealing with political sciences. Whether we are in a world where were sedated and indoctrinated that happiness only comes through hard work and consuming, or whether we live in a world where an alt-right authoritative government controls all that we see, read, and hear, these dystopian futures are rooted in what we have seen in the past when authoritative conservative governments rise to power as in the case of the Nazis in Germany, and other alt-right authoritative systems throughout history. These films are important warnings, as was George Orwell's 1984, but do we just view films like these and be entertained, seeing these warnings as fictitious futures that exist only in the works of science fiction, or do we take action when we see these things happening in our world? I guess that is up to you. Either way if you have not yet seen either of these films, I highly recommend checking them out, they are two of the greatest dystopian science fiction films out there, and both are powerful films, that are really well made and look really good.
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