The science fiction genre is a very elusive genre of fiction as it deals with futuristic settings, advanced technology, extraterrestrial life forms, parallel universes and space travel. The following essay will analyze and compare three science fiction films in order to explain why ‘District 9’ can be viewed as more evolved than ‘Avatar’ based on the themes of xenophobia, biological advancements, technology and space as well as other worldly settings, that are common to the science fiction genre.
Typically science fiction films feature ‘the other’. In “District 9” ‘the other’ is referred to as a “Prawn”; it is a large creature, often viewed from a high angle to highlight its inferiority to the humans (Wikus and Koobus), that appears to have a durable exoskeleton that resembles that of a prawn. These creatures were trapped in their spacecraft and after a period of time the humans took action and ‘rescued them’ from their ship because it is what the world expected of them – it was nothing more than a publicity stunt. Once the story had been covered, they went on to retain them in poverty-stricken shacks (establishing longshot of the shanty town, commonly referred to as “D9”). In “Avatar” the humans are the ones who invade Pandora, therefore
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All three have an advanced technology and an unfamiliar experience. “Star Wars is the exception when it comes to medical and biological advancements, which is quite understandable, given the understanding of evolution in the film’s time frame. “Star Wars” is the least evolved film in terms of the science fiction drama as the themes are poorly represented in comparison to more recent science fiction genre films. “Avatar” and “District 9” are both evolved in terms of the science fiction themes, however, it is difficult to say which is more evolved as they are both very different story’s with different
Blomkamp incorporates many different techniques into the making of the 4 time Academy Award nominated movie, District 9 (IMDb). These techniques include the ethos and pathos of the film but also include the central theme of an animalistic society. These ideas and techniques are present in both District 9 and Less Than Human. Through his appeal to the emotions of the audience and his use of ethos, both within the film, and outside of it, this movie is deserving of being called an Academy Award nominee. ¬¬¬
Literature and film have always held a strange relationship with the idea of technological progress. On one hand, with the advent of the printing press and the refinements of motion picture technology that are continuing to this day, both literature and film owe a great deal of their success to the technological advancements that bring them to widespread audiences. Yet certain films and works of literature have also never shied away from portraying the dangers that a lust for such progress can bring with it. The modern output of science-fiction novels and films found its genesis in speculative ponderings on the effect such progress could hold for the every day population, and just as often as not those speculations were damning. Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein and Fritz Lang's silent film Metropolis are two such works that hold great importance in the overall canon of science-fiction in that they are both seen as the first of their kind. It is often said that Mary Shelley, with her authorship of Frankenstein, gave birth to the science-fiction novel, breathing it into life as Frankenstein does his monster, and Lang's Metropolis is certainly a candidate for the first genuine science-fiction film (though a case can be made for Georges Méliès' 1902 film Le Voyage Dans la Lune, his film was barely fifteen minutes long whereas Lang's film, with its near three-hour original length and its blending of both ideas and stunning visuals, is much closer to what we now consider a modern science-fiction film). Yet though both works are separated by the medium with which they're presented, not to mention a period of over two-hundred years between their respective releases, they present a shared warning about the dangers that man's need fo...
The Martian is a story that involves a visit to the mars, and after that, the astronauts come out of the Mars leaving behind Mark Watney who his real name is Matt Damon. The team assumed Mark was dead after a strong storm. He tried to survive with the remains of the supplier till he was able to launch his way back to the Earth (MacIsaac, 2015). The story is represented in the Novel, and a movie and these two platforms have some similarities and differences. The movie is the representation of what is happening in the book. Therefore, not everything that it is in the book is covered in the one and half film, therefore several scenarios are left out.
Suvin, Darko. Metamorphoses of Science Fiction: On the Poetics and History of a Literary Genre . New Haven : Yale University Press, 1979.
People who enjoy science fiction would enjoy the movie or the short story the Minority Report. This paper is being written to express the differences between the movie and the story. The paper will be written based on the scenes, characters, and the technologies.
Whenever books are adapted for film, changes inevitably have to be made. The medium of film offers several advantages and disadvantages over the book: it is not as adept at exploring the inner workings of people - it cannot explore their minds so easily; however, the added visual and audio capabilities of film open whole new areas of the imagination which, in the hands of a competent writer-director, can more than compensate.
Science fiction writing began in the early 1800’s as a reaction to the growth of science and technology. The genre is characterized by its intellectual excitement, high adventure, and its making of the fantastic possible. Due to the nature of science fiction, film has become an essential part of its popularity. Science fiction films have been popular since the earliest silent clips because of the outlandish visuals and creative fictional story lines that capture an audience’s attention. Under the guise of this popular platform, writers relay political, social and philosophical messages to their audience.
Ebert, Roger. "District 9." Rev. of Movie. Sun Times [Seattle] 13 Aug. 2009. Web. 10
Therefore the solutions offered were to use the cinema’s characterizations and plots (the stereotypes), to reject fictional
Kornbluth, C. M. "The Failure of the Science Fiction Novel As Social Criticism." The Science Fiction Novel: Imagination and Social Criticism. (1969): 64-101.
The science fiction genre has changed drastically over the past hundred years. From simple beginnings with painted backgrounds, the genre has adapted to special effects by the updating technology. Even films that share the similarity of genre can differ vastly from each other. An example of this would be the science fiction films Frankenstein (James Whale, 1931) and Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982). While these two films share the same genre they do not share much else. The time period between the two films creates a gap between the overall look and storyline. The plot in Blade Runner would not have been popular or well received in the era that Frankenstein was released. Instead, Frankenstein brought something new to the science fiction genre.
Film and literature are two media forms that are so closely related, that we often forget there is a distinction between them. We often just view the movie as an extension of the book because most movies are based on novels or short stories. Because we are accustomed to this sequence of production, first the novel, then the motion picture, we often find ourselves making value judgments about a movie, based upon our feelings on the novel. It is this overlapping of the creative processes that prevents us from seeing movies as distinct and separate art forms from the novels they are based on.
Star Wars (1977) is one of the world’s most successful films of all time. It has made a terrific impact on popular culture since its release. Furthermore, Star Wars changed the narrative and aesthetic style of future Hollywood films. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, illustrates how cinema has evolved since Fred Ott’s Sneeze (1894). Ultimately, this essay will explain the set up of Star Wars and how it connects to cinema history, in the point of views of the: narrative and cinematic style, genre, auteur theory and the global film industry.
During the warm summer month of July 2010, a science fiction movie is released for the world to see. This isn't your typical sci-fi movie with robots or aliens. This is different. This is ‘Inception’. To some it may not seem like a science fiction movie, which makes people question how well it fits into the genre.
The movie “District 9” was filmed in South Africa. In 1981, a spaceship unexpected accident to be a kay element to change the earth and mankind’s fate of further. Subsequently, bizarre aliens came to Earth, the Earth has been officially proclaimed as a universe of life itself unique day completely finished. Human have no idea aliens came to earth with what kind of purpose, human has a negative attitude for the arrived of aliens, and let them feel deeply fear. After deliberation, governments decided in the slums of South Africa to accommodate these aliens, which is later known as the "District Ninth" the alien residential area.