AICE MEDIA A BLOG: Dystopia In Films

Previously, I talked about Science Fiction and it's conventions, considering the genre for my own film. Upon further research, I realized I had to narrow down what subgenre of sci-fi I wanted to focus on, to better develop a narrative and maintain genre conventions. There were many subcategories to choose from, ranging from alternate horror and mystery to alien invasion and apocalypse. Out of all of them, the one that drew me the most was the dystopian science fiction genre.

As defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a dystopia is:

an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives

To me, dystopian stories often reflect some ill in our current society. They don't try to offer a solution, they merely exaggerate an aspect of the status quo to enlighten the public, similar to how the main character does in most of these films.

The Light in the Dark

The protagonist in dystopian films is typically a rebellious one. At first, they are docile, and simply feel trapped and alone with their disagreement with the current state of their society. Through small rebellions, they challenge the current societal or political systems in place that they believe is the ultimate ill of their world. Because of this, the protagonist is the director's tool to portray the negative aspects of this alternate universe through his or her perspective. As Vanity Fair describes, this is the character that will eventually break the shackles and come out triumphantly.

The Black Hole

On the other side of society, there is the collective antagonist, typically the government that created the society depicted. These types of films tend to focus on the head of the political system as the main villain. Typically a person high on the influential pyramid of this world, the antagonist uses their power to sic an army of loyalists against the main hero. All of their actions are justified to themselves and their peers by claiming it is all for the greater good of the systems in place, and for the people.

Intended Utopia

The antagonist of these stories is devoted to their cause mainly because the systems in place were originally meant to fix a former ill (human error, overpopulation, poverty, etc.) However, the ways they incite their power often become too much like an authoritarian dictatorship, creating the illusion of a utopia, rather than a true one. In these films, society is controlled through corporations (advertising, products, media), technology (computers, robots, futuristic technologies), bureaucracy (mindless bureaucracy through regulations and red tape), or philosophically (an ideology enforced by a dictatorship). In general, society is controlled through relentless propaganda, restriction of freedoms, and the worship of a figurehead or concept.

Through these methods, a society in fear of the current system is created. Many of the citizens believe them under constant surveillance, by a figure like Big Brother, and refrain from expressing individuality in fear of consequence. As a whole, society experiences the extremes of a spectrum. They are either severely overpopulated or underpopulated, extremely sterile or dirty, etc.

Reflection

For my own film opening, I want to incorporate current trends, establish a quietly rebellious protagonist, and enforce the idea of a society in distress. I will have to think of the type of control I want my government to use (I'm leaning more towards corporate or philosophical control) and create micro-rebellions to incorporate into my opening to allude to greater control.