Anti-utopian films talk about what the future of humanity should not be. In them, possible scenarios of undesirable development of events are played out.
Each film is a warning about what might happen if people recklessly rely too much on new technologies or those who wish to establish total control over humanity in every possible way.
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Anti-utopian films of Russian cinema
An interesting feature of Russian anti-utopian films is their positive attitude, in contrast to the plots of foreign films. Each of them gives a clear message that the future of mankind is not at all hopeless.
Inhabited Island 2008 and continued Inhabited Island: Struggle 2009
Our civilization has successfully overcome all adversities, people have built a wonderful society, use the achievements of technological progress, conquer space. The hero of the film - Maxim Kamerrer, a student, went in search of adventure. His spaceship was damaged, and he was forced to land on the distant planet Saraksh. Yes, there is a civilization here, somewhat similar to earthly. However, the local society is struck by many problems and reminds humanity of the 20th century. They survived a nuclear war, their culture is cruel, their society is totalitarian. Maxim has to do the impossible - to change the future of these people for the better. The film was directed by Fyodor Bondarchuk, and he also acted in this film as an actor, playing one of the negative characters. And the main role was played by Vasily Stepanov.
Kolobakh 2008
It has already been 80 years since the climatic war took place on Earth. Humanity has been divided into two camps, in one - Russia and China, in the other - the USA.As a result, the sun shines over the United States, and eternal winter reigns in Russia and China. Andrei Hvorobaev, a Russian scientist, finds a certain Perelman axis, which is located in Buryatia. With its help, American aggressors control the climate. The U.S. President instructed the Nazi, Dr. Sponge, to create super-soldiers from ordinary guys serving in the US Army. They now guard the Perelman Axis zone. Andrey Hvorobaev goes to Siberia with an expedition to return summer and sun to his native land.
The Target 2011
The Russians nevertheless built a wonderful prosperous society in which there is no place for poverty, and people are happy. Nevertheless, the heroes of the film still lack something in life. Because youth passes, feelings become dull, even love becomes somewhat bland. They want to bring back the beautiful days of youth. Therefore, they are sent to Altai, where since Soviet times, in a dilapidated astrophysical laboratory, a certain accumulator of particle fluxes falling to the earth from space has been preserved and still works. With its help, they hope to regain youth and severity of feelings. They succeed, however, together with wonderful feelings, they awaken in themselves hidden dark passions.
Best American Fantasy Films
The best Hollywood dystopian films are very diverse in plot. Here you can find unusual stories about androids, strange and cruel games, creepy psychotechnologies, gene modifications. However, they are all united by one thing - the desire of any person or even an android, to preserve their unique personality, to fight for happiness for themselves and everyone else.
A Clockwork Orange 1962
A magnificent film by Stanley Kubrick, who became a classic of the science fiction genre, based on the work of the same name by Anthony Burgess. The main role is played by Malcolm McDowell. His hero Alex, bright and possessing extraordinary charisma, loves Beethoven and leads a small gang that commits acts of ultra-violence, shocking the inhabitants of Britain. They attack civilians, in their track record a lot of robbery and rape. Finally, they are detained and sent to prison. Here, Alex is offered to go the path of rehabilitation. He agrees to participate in a psychological experiment to curb his pathological desire for violence. As a result, he completely loses not only the desire to do bad things, but also self-defense. Now, Alex is unable to resist anyone's evil will.
The Running Man, 1987
2017 is coming, humanity is slowly degrading in all respects. Now all the attention of people is concentrated around the television show “Running Man”. This is a survival race in which innocent people are put up against experienced fighters. Buck Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a policeman, did not obey orders, refused to shoot unarmed people suffering from hunger. In punishment, he was sent as a victim to this show.
“Remember Everything” 1992
The plot of the film is based on the work of Phillip E. Dick, “Memories Wholesale and Retail.” Some company provides those who wish instead of relaxing by the sea to go on a virtual adventure journey based on the introduction of false memories. The main character is a worker Doug Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger), decided to use the services of the company and chose a trip to Mars. Just a few minutes later he ceased to understand where the embedded memories, and where - the reality. He urgently needs to remember who he really is, a simple worker or special agent who performs the task of neutralizing the head of resistance on Mars.
Gattaka 1997
In the future, humanity has been divided into genetically modified supermen from test tubes and ordinary, those born naturally through love. "Improved" people have the right to fly into space.Vincent Freeman is an ordinary person, but his physical data is no worse than that of genetically modified people. He dreams of flying into space, gets a job at the Gattaka Corporation, which plans space flights. Vincent finds people who help him change information about himself in the databases and go into space. However, a murder occurs, and as a result of the investigation, real information about Vincent may come up.
Equilibrium 2002
After the Third World War, almost nothing remained of the previous civilization. There is only a city-state called Liberia. In it, all power is concentrated in the hands of a certain structure called the Tetragrammaton, and it is headed by the Father. This totalitarian society blames emotions in all the troubles of mankind. Everything that can cause emotions in a person is subject to destruction - works of art, beautiful household items, even the landscape outside the window should be hidden from the eyes of the average person. People are forced to take special capsules with a substance that suppresses emotions. The work of finding people who stop taking this “medicine” is declared “emotional criminals”. They are hunted by a special order of clerics. One of them, first-class cleric John Preston, once forgets to take capsules and begins to experience emotions. He recalls his wife, who was accused of an emotional crime several years ago and executed. Gradually, he decides to resist this hated regime by contacting the Resistance.
Artificial Intelligence, 2001
Steven Spielberg made a great anti-utopian drama based on the story of Brian Aldis, “Super toys are enough for the whole summer”. Global warming has melted the polar ice. Water flooded many coastal areas. In the United States, it was necessary to enact a law prohibiting excessive childbearing, since there were not enough resources for everyone. Humanoid androids experiencing emotions are used everywhere - in the household, and even in the sex pleasure industry. The Cybertronic company creates a new android, a boy named David, programmed to love his masters. This prototype must be tested in the human family of a company employee. However, as a result of a misunderstanding, when the owner’s son Martin almost drowned, they decide to give David back to the company for destruction. The android boy escapes from the family in order to find a fairy who will turn him from the artificial “Pinocchio” into a real boy, as in a fairy tale. Thus begins his long adventures, which will last 2,000 years.
What to see from European cinema
European films of the dystopian genre are distinguished by the fact that they reflect real-life negative trends in modern society as if in a mirror. This is, first of all, the realization of the fears of fans of the "conspiracy theory" who want to establish total control over each person. Destroy not only culture, free thinking, but also love. This is a movie worth watching, even though the films were made dozens of years ago. They are very relevant today.
"1984" 1956, Great Britain.
Director Michael Radford created a brilliant film based on the work of the same name by George Orwell. A future, totalitarian society that destroys any information objectionable to the government and constantly rewrites history and events. However, this applies not only to documents, historical artifacts and works of art. It is, above all, about control over the words and even thoughts of people. After all, the worst thing here is a “thought crime”. Winston Smith works in a certain institution that is engaged in rewriting small events to distort history. Every person is constantly monitored, even love is outlawed. Winston falls in love with a woman named Julia, they have a real romance, but their crime is solved. Winston is trying to save his beloved.
“451 degrees Fahrenheit” 1966, France, Great Britain.
451 degrees is the temperature at which paper begins to burn. In this society, books have become the main evil, they are outlawed. Books are found and destroyed by burning. The people who keep them, and most importantly - they read, declare criminals. One of the book firefighters, Guy Montag, meets an unusual girl who helps him understand that something is wrong with this society.
"Brazil" 1985, Great Britain.
Jonathan Price (Sam Lauri) constantly sees in a dream a beautiful girl. However, in reality, his life as a simple clerk in a wretched apartment and at work, which makes little sense, is very different from his dreams. The society in which he lives is the apotheosis of bureaucracy, where even the simplest things cannot be solved without the tedious red tape and a heap of papers. By chance, Jonathan meets the girl Jill from his dreams. She sends complaints about a mistake that happened to her neighbor many times. His name is Archibald Battle, he is illegally mistakenly arrested instead of Archibald Tuttle (Robert de Niro). The problem is that those who made this mistake are trying to hide it. Therefore, the only way out is to destroy Jill. Jonathan Price is trying to save her.
"V - means vendetta" 1986, Germany, USA.
It is noteworthy that the mask behind which the main character of the film was hiding his face has turned into a symbol today. It is used by representatives of the Anonymous group. The script for this thriller was written by Alan Moore. This is a lone rebel fighting for justice and freedom in a totalitarian society. He took the letter-letter V as a pseudonym. Once he rescues a girl named Ivy Hammond, who is an employee of the British television channel, from the security service. When V makes a terrorist attack, blowing up the courthouse, he announces this on television, exposing the lies of the government. Security officers surround the television center, and Ivy helps V escape. She ends up in V shelter called Shadow Gallery.
The best dystopian films released in Asia
Asian science fiction film is an unusual view of the world. Although the plots to one degree or another have something in common with Hollywood and European judgment. This is mainly a confrontation with totalitarianism, some cruel games, the introduction of new technologies, which leads to unpredictable results.
Battle Royale 2000, Japan.
This is a brutal game called Battle Royale. It was created specifically for "difficult" teenagers. A group of 42 participants in the game, among the most malicious juvenile troublemakers, is sent to an uninhabited island where they are forced to kill each other for three days. Only one of them will survive and return home. The brutal school teacher Takeshi Kitano leads the game. He controls the execution of its terms and conditions. The name of the teacher is the name of the director of the film, Takeshi Kitano.
"City of the Future" 2003, South Korea.
Ecological disaster destroyed most of the earth's land. People live in city-states, the year is 2080. The stream is set to create androids that are very similar to people. They are created for various purposes, including for sexual entertainment. However, these creatures do not live very long, because they quickly fail. Therefore, after a certain time they must be disposed of, destroyed. In order for this rule to be strictly observed, a special paramilitary unit was created that identifies androids that live too long. One of the officers of this detachment is in love with an artificial girl-dancer. Her term of "operation" is over. And it turns into a disaster.
Avatar 2004, Singapore.
It is the year 2023. In Sintavan, a huge metropolis, everyone is connected to the Cyberlink network. With its help, the government allegedly controls crime.In fact, people live under a "cap", everyone is being watched tirelessly. Only the neuromorphs who are considered criminals can at least somehow fight this total surveillance. Mercenaries are used to destroy these rebels. One of them is Dash McKenzie, a professional girl with great abilities. She is given the task to find a certain important person, one of the employees of the corporation. He hid from its owners using neuromorphing technology. However, the further Dash investigates this case, the more he becomes convinced that the existing reality is just a project convenient for powerful villains. They can easily control the fate of entire nations and individuals.
