Architecture and Surrounding Elements in Film Assisting in Articulating Dystopian Narratives. (Metropolis, Blade Runner, Dark City) (original) (raw)
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Urban Phantasmagorias: Cinema and the Immanent Future of Cities
Cities experienced profound changes in the early 20th century, mainly as a result of industrialization. Along with architects and urban planners, fiction writers played a part in shedding light on some perverse or still unknown consequences of technology on society. Cinema is probably the first industrial art form and was from its beginning deeply involved in the creative portrayal of these changes. This ever-present urban imagery, rooted in concrete aspects of a changing reality and supported by existing and fictional technological systems, forms what we call urban phantasmagorias. This article develops this theoretical approach through a brief analytical review of some of the emblematic films that have anticipated shifts in our cities and lifestyle, influenced by the emerging technologies of their time, focusing on Metropolis (1927), Blade Runner (1982), Alphaville (1965), and The Matrix (1999).
Quart. Kwartalnik Instytutu Historii Sztuki Uniwesytetu Wrocławskiego, 2018
CEZARY WAS (University of Wroclaw) / The Tannhäuser Gate. Architecture in science fiction films of the second half of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century as a component of utopian and dystopian projections of the future The films of science fiction genre from the second half of the 20th and early 21st century contained many visions of the future, which were at the same time a reflection on the achievements and deficiencies of modern times. In 1960s, cinematographic works were dominated by optimism and faith in the possibility of never-ending progress. The disappearance of political divisions between the blocs of states and the joint exploration of the cosmos was foreseen. The designers undertook cooperation with scientists, which manifested itself in showing cosmic constructions far exceeding the real technical capabilities. Starting from the 1970s, pessimism and the belief that the future will bring, above all, the intensification of negative phenomena of the present began to grow in films. Fears of the future were connected with indicating various possible defects and insoluble contradictions between them. When, therefore, some dystopian visions illustrated the threat of increase in crime, others depicted the future as saturated with state control mechanisms and the prevalence of surveillance. The fears shown on the screens were also aroused by the growth of large corporations, especially by their gaining political influence or staying outside the system of democracy. The authors of the films also presented their suspicions related to the creation of new types of weapons by corporations, the use of which might breach the current legal norms. Particular objections concerned research on biological weapons and the possible spread of lethal viruses. The development of robotics and research into artificial intelligence, which must have resulted in the appearance of androids and inevitable tensions in their relations with humans, also triggered fear. Another problem for film-makers has become hybrids that are a combination of people and electronic parts. Scriptwriters and directors likewise considered the development of genetic engineering, which led to the creation of mutant human beings. A number of film dystopias contemplated the possibility of the collapse of democratic systems and the development of authoritarian regimes in their place, often based on broad public support. This kind of dystopia also includes films presenting the consequences of contemporary hedonism and consumerism. The problem is, however, that works critical of these phenomena were themselves advertisements for attractive products.
The humanities investigation sets out to explore the concepts of a sub-genre of science fiction – dystopian narratives and its counter-part, utopian narratives. Initially exploring the nature of science fiction the study analyses how SF interacts with society, audiences and technology. Many researchers recognize SF as far more than just a genre of media exclusive to entertainment, the genre has practicalities in relating fields of science as well as design and engineering. Using two methodologies of analysis; the fields of both textual and audience and applying them to two dystopian SF films – Children of Men (2006) and Equilibrium (2002) the investigation explores different concepts relating to society including: terrorism, immigration, religion and fan-fiction. This wide range of study allows for a general approach towards the nature of SF, looking closely at the link between producer and audience of media texts. The aim is to find whether SF has deeper implications in society and its predictions of our future, and use theorists and ideas to conduct further analysis.
Exploding spaces : present and future urban spaces cinematically considered
University of Cape Town, 1998
I would like to thank the following for their assistance financially, emotionally and intellectually through the writing of this dissertation, and through my MUtt. Degree as a whole. To the Centre for Science Development and The University of Cape Town for their financial assistance during both years of this degree. To the Cape Town College of Education for the generous use of their facilities. To Chris, Gabeba and Herman for organizing Inter Action, a wonderful, and exciting forum for postgraduates. To all my friends who kept me positive in dire times, and particularly Tony, William, Brendan, Mary, Nicola, Heather, Jyoti, Colette and Alex (for letting me ramble). To Lesley, who got me moving on this road a few years ago now, and for whose intelligence, patience, optimism, and humour I cannot thank her enough. And to Mom, Dad (and Granny, to whom I dedicate this)-Thanks, and it doesn't end here. lntro[duction] Simple shapes are inhuman. They fail to resonate with the way nature organizes itself or with the way human perception sees the world .... A geometrical shape has a scale, a characteristic size. To Mandelbrot, art that satisfies lacks scale, in the sense that it contains important elements at all sizes. Against the Seagram Building, he offers the architecture of the Beaux-Arts ... A Beaux Arts paragon like the Paris Opera • has no scale because it has every scale. An observer seeing the building from any distance finds some detail that draws the eye. The composition changes as one approaches and new elements of the structure come into play. James Gleick 1 1 It might seem odd to introduce a dissertation on urban visions in film via an eighteenthcentury etching, a twentieth-century abstract painting and an explanation of the relationship between fractal geometry and art. However, I wish to demonstrate how the contradictions that abound in modern urban thought have played out across the peculiar visual canvas of film, and in doing so attempt to construct a slightly different historical foundation for what we currently see in the cinema. Thus, this dissertation is primarily concerned with film, mainly science fiction film. I say mainly, because as Manfredo Tafuri writes: "How often, when probing what is on the fringes ofa given problem, do we discover the most useful keys for dealing with the problem itself ... " 2 And so there is constantly material, in whatever form built, written, painted or filmed, that offers more to an argument than one might think from first appearances: it isn't only science fiction films that can deliver pertinent visual evidence of the way filmmakers are currently constructing the future. The two visual introductions, by Piet Mondrian and Giovanni Battista Piranesi, are two entrances into the city, not main arteries or short cuts, but merely other roads ' into a place accessible by any number of means. Piranesi's etching both enthralls and terrifies us; it amazes us through its massive scale, and yet, as Mandelbrot would 7 or neglect influences specific to film in general, and to SF film in particular. One of the most common projects in generic analysis is locating the moment of inception, that text or event which (always seen retrospectively) signals a new mode of writing. In detective fiction we can go back to Poe, or Shakespeare or to Oedipus Rex to find our 'first' detective, and first narrative of detection; so in science fiction, we can go back to Jules Verne, Mary Shelley, or Jonathan Swift. But, continuing with the parallel case of detective fiction, genealogies can be very different depending on what artistic medium, and which literary tradition, one is dealing with. For example, if one is discussing film noir, the influences both direct and more historical would include the Black Mask school of writing in America during the 1930s, and the history of German Expressionist film (from whence many of noirs greatest directors started out); whereas a discussion on British detective fiction would consider, rather, Wilkie Collins, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and so on. So too SF where, I believe, we should be looking at the growth of pulp fiction in the 1920s and '30s and, once again, the influence of German Expressionism in our attempts to understand the way SF film looks today. This is not to say that the likes of Swift, Verne and others should be ignored; on the contrary, they are touchstones in the genre of science fiction in whatever artistic medium it might manifest itself. Somehow, though, we have to acknowledge and understand why, for instance, The Fifth Element is great to look at but a terrible read; why Dune was such a colossal failure on film; 3 and why, besides Kubrick's 2001, no film has approached the epic scope of, say, Olaf Stapeldon or Isaac Asimov's books (no matter what Lucas and Roddenberry fans might claim). In fact, in looking at SF film, one has to confront the following observation: Film, in so far as it can make visible what is invisible, seems a natural medium for this kind of narrative. However, science fiction films have been more erratic in their appearances on screen than most other genres. 4 8 There were few notable pre-World War II SF films (though the influence of Metropolis in particular is enormous); and from the 1950s on, while SF films had their moments, they were always nervously approached by major studios, and were often mixed with elements from other genres (horror and fantasy, for example) to coat the pill, one might say. But while Ballard and Dick were writing revolutions in SF, SF films after 2001 experienced a precarious existence until Lucas projected Luke Skywalker et al. at the world in 1977. Part of the reason for this might be the problem of following up 2001, a film that "ended with the human race on the verge of cosmic transcendence-the next stage of an evolution engineered all along by the mysterious god-like aliens." 5 Indeed, the early-1970s SF films nobly intended to be serious and socially aware, and produced interesting, if dark and dystopian films which (unfortunately) are virtually unremembered today-Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) and Silent Running (1972) for example. Some films did make an impression and are still influential, namely Robert Wise's adaption of Michael Crichton's book, The Andromeda Strain (1971), and Charlton Heston's films, The Omega Man (1971) and Soylent Green (1973), which were guaranteed a degree of interest after his role in another '60s classic The Planet of the Apes (1968). 6 Whatever the reasons, SF film languished in the twilight of mainstream cinema until 1977, though there were bright sparks from independent films like Dark Star(1974), and A Boy and his Dog (1976). Today, things seem very different in terms of narrative, design and characterization. Technological advances both on and off screen enable filmmakers to dazzle their audiences like never before, and through an Internet-driven, information-9 obsessed popular culture, directors are able to extract liberally from the resources of SF film and literature (including, very importantly, comics and graphic novels). These are issues I will discuss later. For the moment, I will look at science fiction by drawing it closer to the notion of utopia-the utopian impulse being an integral part of the architectural discussion in subsequent chapters.
Playing the Starring Role of Utopia/Dystopia: Architecture in Film
statement Our primary opportunity for visual and auditory experience of utopia/dystopia is through the medium of film, in which architecture plays the primary or " starring " role, a character that makes the utopia/dystopia manifest. In this paper, film utopia/dystopias is examined and their architectural characteristics assessed to understand how architecture and design brings to life the utopian/dystopian world in cinema. Topic Utopian/Dystopian Design Scope The design and creation of utopian communities such as New Harmony, Indiana, and of utopias never realized, such as Frank Lloyd Wright's Broadacre City, rest on the belief that architecture has an important role to play in shaping human behavior for the betterment of those who inhabit it. The carefully considered architecture of such communities can result in places where justice, fairness, freedom, privacy, spirituality, harmony, and happiness can be attained. A parallel argument would be that carefully designed architecture can also contribute to the creation of dystopia: places where anxiety, fear, oppression, alienation, surveillance, spiritual suppression, disharmony, and the crushing power of the state or the corporation are the result. Readers can " experience " such dystopias in the books of George Orwell in 1984, and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. However, our primary opportunity for visual and auditory experiences of planned or designed utopias/dystopias is through film, in which the architecture actually plays a part, a character, to manifest the utopia/dystopia. This experience is particularly evident in the case of several films were utopia and dystopia are depicted simultaneously in the same film, and how their depiction is made possible through architecture and design. Juhani Pallasmaa describes the use of architecture in film and the structure of film itself as " amplifiers " to transport the viewer into utopian or dystopian experiences: " Cinematic architecture evokes and sustains specific mental states; the architecture of film is an architecture of terror, anguish, suspense, boredom, alienation, melancholy, happiness or ecstasy, depending on the essence of the particular cinematic narrative and the director's intention. Space and architectural imagery are the amplifiers of specific emotions. " 1 This paper examines film utopias/dystopias and 1 Juhani Pallasmaa,The Architecture of Image: Existential Space in Cinema (Helsinki: Rakennustieto Oy, 2001), p. 7.
Beyond the Silver Screen: Exploring Future Public Life Through Sociological Film Analysis
Sage Open, 2024
This study seeks to interrogate prospective configurations of public life through science fiction films, particularly by addressing the effects of technological advances and changes on society. In the study’s methodology, 27 films were assessed using the sociological film analysis method. In these films, an analysis was conducted on thematic elements, encompassing aspects such as the physical environment, socio-cultural structures, public life, technological infrastructure, and dynamics of human relationships. As a result, a codex of thematic codes was meticulously crafted. The main findings indicate that the films contain scenarios that discuss the boundaries of public space and reflect future social structures. The emphasis appears to be on how and to what extent technology is used. This research presents novel ideas and a platform for discussion for urban planning, architecture, social sciences, and film studies. The originality of this study lies in its analysis of cinematographic content from a sociological standpoint, providing an in-depth perspective on the future of public life and adding a new dimension to the existing body of knowledge on the subject.
THE FUTURE URBAN CONTEXT OF CITIES AS DEPICTED IN SCIENCE FICTION FILMS(final paper)
cyprus international university, 2021
The purpose of this article is to analyze through a selection of the three films how the utopian vision evoked in these films has already served or will serve as a basis for architects, urban planners, or designers to create one of the new urban contexts in the following fields: architecture, the future landscape, transport, and social life. The study of this article analyzes in a general way the future urban context as presented in these three films, without going into details of each point to be analyzed based on an interpretation of the urban context as presented in the following films (Alpha Ville 1965); High rise (2015); Minority report (2002). These three films present similar characteristics based on descriptions which can be seen as being between the realism, utopia, and dystopia of the city of the future. This article has 4 main points of analysis: the urban landscape in the future, the means of transport of the future (personal and common vehicle) architecture, and house design of the future as well as the place that artificial intelligence will occupy in the future