Future Almost Lost

Just like the other readings we have done, Booker once again nails his point. He discusses how technology that is symbolic in dystopian films, is now becoming a reality in the real world. One example is the constant growth of over budgeted military spending towards the advancement of technology. In regular everyday, technology has already taken over peoples lives by making things more convenient.  The essay ask the question of are these films simply showing the future or giving us possibilities into preventing them. Humankind has always risen to the occasion when it comes time to evolve however, humankind has also made numerous mistakes before that time as well. Only logical response is that only time will tell if and when the dystopian future is in front of us and it's time for us to decide what we are going to do.

The Road

After watching The Road, I was very satisfied with the film. I found it to be somewhat of a suspenseful and dramatic film. As I was watching The Road, I couldn't help but realize that out of all of the films we have watched, this film in particular would be the most realistic possibility of what our future may become. Every film we have watched has had similar themes and alternative possibilities but I believe that The Road is the closest one to actually happening. I first began to believe it's possibility when Viggo Mortensen had flashbacks that implied a great explosion or nuclear weapon going off leaving humanity steadily declining to extinction. Although I've never been a big cannibal film themed fan, I found premise of this is one of the only ways to live a realistic possibility. We have seen in history that in a time of desperate measures, we are willing to do anything for survival. In this film, many humans have become cannibals in order to survive (unlike films like the wrong turn films where the premise is actually stupid). As I was watching this, I felt like I was watching a feature film of the Walking Dead just without zombies and The Road is a lot more sad. We've seen different types of dystopian film this summer and although it hasn't been my favorite film, The Road has been more realistic and possible than any film we have discussed because the world today, there are literally thousands of nuclear weapons and all it will take is one to be set off and all of humanity will fall to chaos and anarchy. In all of the other dystopian films, there is a theme of a corrupt or overreaching governing force. However, this film was the definition if anarchy mixed in with evolutions natural selection because the extinction of mankind had become inevitable. And in so doing, it became simply the fight to be the last human to be alive. As I have pointed out numerous times this summer, humans are the only threat to their extinction and The Road made me wonder if the apocalypse is going to happen, how much of nature are we going to take with us or will we do the earth a favor and just take ourselves.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games was much better than it was anticipated to be. I remember I went and saw it with my friends and we were absolutely amazed at how well the film was done. First off, the combination of both Jennifer Lawrence and Donald Sutherland makes for a great pair. Second, the dystopian theme of the rich reveling in having the most advanced technology and wealth whereas the districts surrounding Panem are all in poverty and the poor struggle to survive. This dystopian film gives off the theme that all though the society is advanced in the future in the sense of technology, the traditions, values and morals are still stuck in gladiator times. There was a love story in the film that I didn’t care for because I felt that it somewhat distracted the viewers from the Hunger Games themselves. Although Katniss and Peeta's connection was because of the Hunger Games, the love story was too much of a cliché. I noticed a paralleled theme of the Hunger Games and The Truman show in the sense that humans are watching other humans as a source of entertainment. Granted, in The Truman Show, Jim Carrey is never in any real danger but there is still a very real danger to human beings getting enjoyment out of watching fellow human beings whether they are struggling with real life or they are just struggling to stay alive. I think these films are taking direct shots at reality shows (not the primary intention but still taking shots) because for some reason we enjoy watching shows like Survivor and The Real World. We get drama, comedy and excitement for some reason watching these people. I think it says a lot about human philosophy that actually haven't come that far from our ancestry roots. In the timeline of the world, it wasn't that long ago Roman Gladiators were fighting for their lives in the Roman Coliseum against fellow gladiators or even animals including lions. I think that it’s really sad that as a species and product of nature, we get enjoyment out of the struggle of others, especially when it is a matter of life and death. The Roman Coliseum theme is the primary theme of the film considering the fact that the upper class are the ones who are getting the enjoyment out of watching the poor struggle. It is an age old cliché where the rich get to look down upon those who are less fortunate and enjoy watching them have to struggle while they sit high in their ivory towers. The film portrayed the oldest philosophy of evolution in only the strong will survive. Of course the rich are the strongest but of the poor, only one will live to see another morning and somewhat going against the process of natural selection because it’s not really natural so much as it is a set up for entertainment, something nature would not deem natural.