ESSAY

Topic 1

In 1927, Metropolis envisions a society one hundred years in the future in which the privileged (such as Freder) are ignorant of the hidden human labor and suffering that makes their lifestyle possible.  H.G. Wells (author of, The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds and other science fiction classics), in his review of the film (Mr. Wells Reviews a Current Film, New York Times, April 17, 1927) thinks that this is not how the future will look like.  He claims that, “The whole aim of mechanical civilization is to eliminate the drudge and the drudge soul,” that, “mechanical civilization has no use for mere drudges.  The more efficient the machinery the less need there is for the quasi-mechanical minder…The hopeless drudge stage of human labor lies behind us.  With a sort of malignant stupidity this film [Metropolis] contradicts these facts.”  Wells also objects to the film because, “One is asked to believe that these machines are engaged quite furiously in the mass production of nothing that is ever used and that Masterman [i.e., Fredersen] grows richer and richer in the process.” (In other words, Wells objects to Kracauer’s view that the ultimate goal of the mechanical capitalist mode of production is profit for profit’s sake, not the manufacturing of useful products.)  We now live only few years away from the time period in which Metropolis is set.  Discuss which vision of the future is more relevant to the present, the one presented by Metropolis, or Wells’.  As part of your discussion, pick one of the following items:

· Your smart phone

· A piece of clothing that you frequently wear

· The meat that is part of your dinner or, if you are vegetarian or vegan, a vegetable or fruit that is part of your dinner.

Describe what you know about how this particular item was produced and your level of ignorance about its origins.  Research the conditions under which it was produced with emphasis on the degree of “drudge labor” and suffering that may have gone into its production.  To what extent does the contemporary mode of production resemble the one depicted in Metropolis, to what extent does it differ?  To what extent does the movie reflect the distribution of wealth in our contemporary society?  Assess the overall merit of Metropolis as a science fiction film in terms of its depiction of privilege, working conditions, and distribution of wealth.

Note: Wells reviews the initial English language release of the film which changed many of the characters’ names from the original German version.  The ‘Masterman’ of his review is the ‘Fredersen’ of the original, etc.

Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the history of the representation of science and technology in science fiction film from the inception of the genre to the end of the 1950s.  The way the genre portrays it, are science and technology good things or bad things?  Does the portrayal of science and technology change during the time period, and if so, what may be the reasons?  Discuss the social dimensions of the representation of science and technology in science fiction film during the period.  In terms of socio-economic class, gender, race, and ethnicity, who is in control of science and technology, whose interests are promoted by science and technology and whose interests are ignored?  Which combinations of factors such as socio-economic class, gender, race, and ethnicity are represented as resulting in privilege or disadvantage, respectively?

Note:  Your analysis and discussion should include A Trip to the Moon, Metropolis, and Them!, but does not need to be restricted to these movies.

 

Topic 3

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is well known for its meticulous attempt to predict future developments in technology and space exploration based on existing scientific knowledge and technology.  The film also envisions social, political, and cultural circumstances in the future.  Discuss in detail to what extent the film successfully predicts future developments.  To the extent to which the film’s predictions fail, what may be possible reasons for alternate developments?  As you see it, does the success or failure in predicting certain things affect the overall quality of the movie?  If so, how and why?  If not, why not?

 

SCIENCE AND RELIGION

Topic 4

2001: A Space Odyssey attempts to be scientifically accurate.  It is often referred to as an example of hard science fiction.  What would be examples from the movie in support of this assessment?   The film also depicts examples of evolutionary change and cultural change.  Explain how the two kinds of changes differ from each other and give one example from the film for each kind of change.  In an interview, Arthur C. Clark, who co-wrote the screenplay for the film with Stanley Kubrick, stated that, “It is true that we set out with the deliberate intention of creating a myth…Quite early in the game [of the production of the movie] I went around saying…M-G-M [Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which financed and distributed the film] doesn’t know this yet, but they are paying for the first $10,000,000 religious movie.”  Given the film’s focus on technology and science, this statement may at first seem surprising.  Discuss which aspects of the movie, especially in its depiction of cultural and evolutionary change, may have religious dimensions.

 

ENCOUNTERS WITH THE OTHER

Topic 5

Analyze the various ways in which the Other is constructed in science fiction film and/or television from the beginning of the genre to the end of the 1950s.  Explore the various things that may be represented by the Other in the period and discuss the function(s) that the construction of otherness may assume.  Analyze and evaluate the various responses to otherness that the genre suggests in the period.  Discuss to what extent issues of socio-economic class, gender, race, and ethnicity intersect in the construction of the Other in the historical period.

Note: Your analysis and discussion should include A Trip to the Moon, Metropolis, Them!, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but does not need to be restricted to these movies.

 

Topic 6

Compare the ways in which Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and Blade Runner (1982) construct the Other.  Discuss what the Other may represent, what its functions are, what the human responses to the Other are in these films, and what the films suggest about these responses.  Which of the films is more complex in its treatment of the Other, and why?

 

THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN

Topic 7

Analyze how, exactly, non-humans differ from humans in Metropolis (1927), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and Blade Runner (1982).  Discuss how essential the properties that non-humans possess or lack in these films are for being human.  Based on your analysis of the construction of what it means to be human discuss whether and to what extent the differences between humans and non-humans justify treatment of non-humans by humans in these films.  In your reasoned opinion, do these films suggests different levels of tolerance towards what is non-human?  Is there a discernible change in tolerance towards the non-human over time?

 

THE REPRESENTATION OF GENDER

Topic 8

Give a detailed analysis of the representation of gender in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).  Make sure to discuss the portrayal of social roles, scientific and technological competence, gendered technology, and hierarchical structures.

 

Topic 9

Both Metropolis (1927) and Ex Machina (2015) features female cyborgs.  Provide a detailed analysis of the gender-related issues surrounding these cyborgs, including their creation, their features, their actions, the ways in which they are used and treated, to what extent they are empowered, how they are represented visually, etc.  Compare Metropolis and Ex Machina and discuss whether and to what extent the two films differ in their representation of gender and whether the films reflect a change in the construction of gender over time.

Note: We will not have time to cover Ex Machina in class this semester.  Ex Machina streams for free on the university library’s Kanopy platform.

 

Topic 10

Analyze and compare the representation of male heroism in Blade Runner (1982) and the representation of female heroism in Arrival (2016).  Discuss if and to what extent the female heroism in Arrival differs from the male heroism of Blade Runner.  In your opinion, is heroism gender-neutral? Should female heroism in science fiction film mirror traditional male heroism displayed in the genre or should films strive to explore genuinely female forms of heroism?

Note: We will not have time to cover Arrival in class this semester.

 

HUMAN AUTONOMY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Topic 11

Minority Report (2002) envisions a world in which a PreCrime unit stops murderers before they act.  Explain exactly how the PreCrime technology works.  Discuss in detail whether and to what extent the PreCrime program and the way it operates is in violation of articles 1-12 of the United Nation’s “Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”  Analyze the way in which gender, race, and socio-economic class intersect in the society that the film depicts.

Note: The United Nation’s “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” is available at:

http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html (链接到外部网站。)

Explain the metaphysical paradoxes surrounding determinism and free choice that afflict Minority Report and the contradictory nature of some of the assumptions that the film makes.  Discuss whether in envisioning the PreCrime program, Minority Report constructs a possible alternative to our world or something that is impossible.  Explain at what point and why the actions of John Anderton, the head of the PreCrime unit, become inconsistent with his belief in the PreCrime program.   In your reasoned opinion, what do the problems related to the PreCrime program indicate about law enforcement practices such as preventive arrests or racial profiling?  If we had the means to run a PreCrime program, should we implement such a program?

Note: We may have the time to cover Minority Report in class this semester, depending on how fast we will cover some of the other films and materials.

 

THE FAMILY IN SCIENCE FICTION

Topic 12

In It’s All in the Family: Intersections of Gender, Race, and Nation, Patricia Collins describes an, “imagined traditional family ideal,” (p.62).  Explain this ideal and how, according to Collins, by intersecting with issues of gender, race, and nation it results in privilege and oppression.  Collins also points out that, “family constitutes a fundamental principle of social organization…[and that] families constitute primary sites of belonging,” (p. 63).  Identify the various groups to which individuals in Star Wars (1977, renamed: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope) are represented as belonging to and discuss which of these groups assume the function of family as a principle of social organization and a site of belonging.  Explore to what extent the intersection of gender, race, and nation that Collins sees in the traditional family ideal is inscribed in the representation of groups of belonging in Star Wars.  Discuss if and to what extent Star Wars envisions alternatives to the traditional family ideal and if so, what provides the common bond(s) among such groups of belonging.

 

POSTMODERNISM AND SCIENCE FICTION

Topic 13

The Matrix (1999) is often considered to be a postmodernist film.  Briefly explain the postmodernist view that in contemporary, hyper-real society the distinction between the real and the simulated has become meaningless and that meta-narratives are met with incredulity.  In light of these two tenets of postmodernism, discuss whether and to what extent The Matrix is a postmodernist film.  In The Matrix, Cypher opts for fake steak over true gruel and prefers to live in a simulated world that is more pleasant than the real world, provided that the simulation is perfect.  What do you think - if you were completely and at all times deceived about reality and that deception would be more pleasing to you than the awareness of the truth – would it be preferable to remain deceived or should the deception be revealed to you?

 

Topic 14

Postmodernist society is often characterized as pervaded by simulation and virtual reality, a loss of ultimate certainties, and a patchwork of a multitude of styles and traditions.  Explain the many aspects that make the world envisioned in Blade Runner (1982) a postmodernist world.  Be as complete as you can in your account.

 

OPPRESSION AND LIBERATION

Topic 15

The Matrix (1999) and The Hunger Games (2012) both envision societies characterized by severe oppression.  Explain exactly how in the respective dystopian worlds of these movies individuals are oppressed and what is wrong with these forms of oppression.

The Matrix and The Hunger Games are also both about resistance to and liberation from oppression.  Analyze how the two films differ in their vision of how oppression may be overcome.  Discuss the merit of each of these visions.  Who are the agents of resistance and liberation in these films?  How do they differ from each other?  In your opinion, is any of the forms of liberation envisioned preferable to the other?  If yes, why?  If no, why not?

Note: We will not have the time to cover The Hunger Games in class this semester.

 

PARANOIA

Topic 16

According to Hofstadter in The Paranoid Style in American Politics, what is paranoia and what is characteristic of the paranoid style in American politics?  Explain why, according to Hofstadter, the era of McCarthyism qualifies as paranoid.  Explain and discuss the various ways in which Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) can be taken to encode and comment on the paranoia in the post-WWII period.  Hofstadter argues that paranoia is a recurrent theme in American politics.  Are we currently living through a period of paranoia?  If you think so, provide examples from recent politics and social developments that appear to confirm his view and explain, why, exactly, they amount to paranoia.  If you do not think that we currently are undergoing a period of paranoia, identify instances that may look like paranoia and explain in detail why you think they do not actually amount to paranoia. No matter what your position is, make sure to document your examples with specific quotations and the sources for these quotations.  It is not enough to merely refer to the general political discourse.