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IreneMy favourite cinematic dystopias
May 29th 2009 22:19
Dystopia is one of my favourite themes/tropes in movies and books. Although books are my first love (and I'll follow up shortly with a literary list), movies have a way of bringing dystopias a bit closer to life.
There have been many cinematic dystopias over the years, and here are my favourites. Note that I rate how the dystopias themselves are depicted rather than my opinion of the movies on the whole.
Weigh in! What are your favourite cinematic dystopias, and why?
There have been many cinematic dystopias over the years, and here are my favourites. Note that I rate how the dystopias themselves are depicted rather than my opinion of the movies on the whole.
Metropolis
- Children of Men - Although this is based on a book, it bears little resemblance to the source material. One scene that the film does replicate from the book is that of the desolate playground.
- Metropolis - Ah, the first 'arty' movie of my childhood. I saw it in the 80s, with the fabulous Giorgio Moroder synth score. To this day I still prefer that version.
- Alphaville - If you've never seen this, check it out. It's a classic film noir dystopia. Quirky, lonely, and romantic, the movie's greatest point is its aesthetic. Watching the main characters running around the corridors of bureaucratic buildings is like some beautiful nightmare.
- WALL-E - It shows such a bleak future, but the film is optimistic that humans can change. And as a bonus, it doesn't get preachy or heavy-handed with its ecological message. (That's more than I can say about, say, Happy Feet.)
- Blade Runner - Hurrah for cyberpunk. The film's production design is extremely striking, and it was named the second-most visually influential film of all time by the Visual Effects Society (Star Wars came in first).
- Delicatessen - This is the weirdest movie on this list, and it shows that post-apocalyptic films need not be shot in a bleak and monochromatic palette (see screencap below). Visually, it's a very lovely film.
- A Clockwork Orange - This movie rather terrifies me, but the ultra-violent future it presents is not easily forgotten.
- La jetee - I saw this movie only once, in university. It was haunting and romantic, which is impressive considering it's just a bunch of slides with no dialogue. Remake 12 Monkeys isn't too bad either.
- Terminator franchise - Aside from T4--which I've not seen--the movies don't really show the dystopian future except in flash-forwards. One of many memorable parts is the shot of a machine's foot crushing a human skull; it always made me think of the line from Nineteen Eighty-Four: "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face forever."
- Strange Days - This film is a big dreary mess that wastes its lead actors. But the depiction of LA being torn apart by crime, police brutality, and chaos is uncomfortably close to home for many of us, no matter where we live.
- Reign of Fire - I know, I know. But it has the dregs of humanity holed up in castles, and DRAGONS!
Weigh in! What are your favourite cinematic dystopias, and why?
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