A Comparison of the Representation of the Future of The Matrix and Planet of the Apes

A Comparison of the Representation of the Future of The Matrix and Planet of the Apes

Sci-fi films were born in the aftermath of the industrial and

scientific revolutions of the 19th century. The first motion picture

from this genre was ‘Le Voyage Dans La Lune’, a Georges Meties

production from 1902. This is regarded as the first sci-fi film; the

one that set the standard for the genre and to what most of the future

sci-fi movies would aspire to in someway. Le Voyage includes

astronauts, spaceships, space travel, extraterrestrials, all these

common ingredients that stereotyped the genre. Other sci-fi classics

include: ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ (Stanley Kubrick, 1968); ‘Alien’

(Ridley Scott, 1979); ‘Blade Runner’ (Ridley Scott, 1982) and ‘ET’

(Steven Spielberg, 1982). Though they don’t all have aliens or

intergalactic wars, they hold criteria applicable to all sci-fi

movies, that is they are set in the future or have a vision of the

future and/or involve a third kind and show life outside of our own

atmosphere.

The vast majority of sci-fi films though hold a third dimension as

well. Accompanying the vision of the future, and the aliens, and the

spaceships is a deeper, moral message aimed towards its audience. The

first notable motion picture to show this, and regarded as one of the

greats in cinematic history, was ‘Metropolis’ (Fritz Lang, 1927) a

full153 minutes long, compared to Le Voyage’s measly 14. Not only was

Metropolis a technical triumph for its time, it holds a meaning and a

stor...

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...tands the test of time, thanks only to its screenplay; the effects, score and sets can all be outdated, but a good script will never date until dealt with. Many of the influential screenplays, hence films, have risen from the sci-fi genre and they will undoubtedly continue to do so as long as the genre keeps re-inventing itself visually. This is something the Wachowski bros have done; they’ve started a new chapter in the history of cinema and sci-fi, one which has already spawned the likes of ‘Pitch Black’ ( Ian Thorburn and David N. Twohy , 2000), ‘Minority Report’ ( Steven Spielberg , 2002) and of course, the next two Matrix sequels.

As long as sci-fi continues to re-invent itself, the genre will remain relevant, challenging, and entertaining, which is why it will survive as long as cinema itself.