Iconography In Science Fiction

When hearing the term “science fiction” one would imagine a film filled with unrealistic gadgets, humans with super powers and even technology of the future. However, science fiction is much more than that. Science fiction is a genre of speculative fiction dealing with whimsical concepts such as futuristic settings, futuristic science and technology, space and time travel, parallel universes and extraterrestrial life. Over time, this genre has changed and thrived due to an increase in available technology and science which led to an increase in special effects and filming techniques. Viewers are transported into more believable worlds of Utopias run by shiny machines or cities being overrun by a giant, violent monsters. The films Metropolis

Images, props, characters and sounds that are repeated again and again throughout films in a certain genre are classified as iconography. Examples of iconography in science fiction include high-tech gadgets, larger than life monsters, flying cars, aliens, etc. Similar to myths, the imagery remains the same over time, but they way it is conveyed changed. Take into consideration props: as technology evolved, the way props were made and the materials used to make them changed. For example, a UFO in an early twentieth century film may have been cheaply made from scrap metal and foil. As time goes on, UFO prop is made out more expensive and carefully crafted and detailed materials. In addition, as new discoveries in science are made, more accurate and futuristic images and plots can be thought

Being based on technology and science, it makes sense the genre changes along with these subjects. Today, technology and science are at an all time high, allowing this genre to be at its peak. Almost anything is possible on screen; from extraterrestrial life forms to space travel, this genre allows endless possible. However, sci-fi films weren’t always as elaborate as they are today. Born in the early twentieth-century, sci-fi films first came out in the era of silent films. These silent films often featured simple background music and used simple special effects and animations. Directors were also experimenting with cinematic style and films were evolving into an art form. German cinema was popular in this early era due to its expressionism. Well-known German director Fritz Lang became popular for his 1927 sci-fi film Metropolis. In Science Fiction, Ecological Futures, and the Topography of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, Andrew Hageman states that, “Fritz Lang’s film Metropolis (1927) displays a science fiction