Well, here we are in the year 2001. HAL, where are you?
In “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968), director Stanley Kubrick sets up a strange and wondrous vision of the world in the year 2001 based on Arthur C. Clarke’s story. The movie’s distinctive ’60s-era vision of the future certainly seems futuristic, with its stark white rooms and round shapes. Space travel is commonplace, computers are smart and food is processed into ready-to-eat containers.
Hold on, that sounds eerily familiar. Could we possibly be looking for answers from a mysterious long, black, rectangular-shaped object that might be full of stars?
No, probably not. But in fact, scientists did discover in the past year that there is a giant black hole in the middle of the Milky Way. They discovered that there might be water on Mars and that cloned pig organs could be useful for transplants.
Then again, these are just small steps compared to Hollywood’s grand visions of what the future might bring. That’s because those in the movie business have an obligation to entertain audiences. Still, there are some truths in the fiction. Hollywood.com takes another look at futuristic films from the past to see exactly how close to reality they get.
Genetic Engineering and Deadly Viruses
In the movies, both of these subjects generally make for high drama. Cloning gone awry, revolting replicants, viruses wiping out whole towns – now that’sentertainment.
In the strain of virus movies, there’s “12 Monkeys“(1995), about a convict (Bruce Willis) in the year 2035 who lives underground after a plague wiped out the world in 1996. He is sent back in time to stop the virus from mutating but gets sent too far back and winds up in 1990, where he’s considered crazy and thrown into an insane asylum.
Let’s not forget the sci-fi classic “The Andromeda Strain“(1971), based on Michael Crichton‘s novel about a deadly virus brought to Earth from a crashed space satellite, and “Outbreak” (1995), about an airborne virus that spreads in a small U.S. town.
Genetically speaking, in “Gattaca“(1997), Ethan Hawke plays a man living in the not-too-distant future who was born “naturally,” that is to say, his parents did not have him genetically altered to be a perfect human. In their society, he is considered “damaged” and therefore relegated to menial jobs.
The cult classic “Blade Runner” (1982) takes this idea a bit further. In what’s portrayed as a dark, bleak, wet future, “replicants,” or genetically manufactured people, are outlawed on Earth and hunted down. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger got cloned in last year’s “The 6th Day” — and not in a good way. He has to battle his evil self.
Reality: With the advent of the AIDS and Ebola viruses, deadly infections are a very real threat. However, ironically, scientists are using genetic technology to battle diseases by analyzing actual DNA codes of patients to prevent illness before symptoms start. They are even experimenting with gene mutation that may give humans longer life spans.
And none of us expected that we would be teetering on the edge of playing God with our newest plaything — cloning. We all know about Dolly the sheep, but now scientists are trying to clone extinct animals and even pig organs, which are so identical to human organs they could be a viable answer for desperate transplant patients. Human cloning doesn’t look too far off. (But don’t tell Arnold that.)
Good Computers Gone Bad
It’s certainly a concern that the world relies too heavily on technology. And Hollywood paints the picture that if those computers get too smart for their britches, we are going to be in a world of hurt.
In the “The Terminator“(1984) and “Terminator 2: Judgement Day“(1991), that is exactly what happens. In the future, the world is taken over by computers and humanity is nearly wiped out — save one hero, whom the machines try very hard to eradicate from existence.
Going back to “2001: A Space Odyssey,” the demented mission computer HAL has been programmed with a little too much human emotion and becomes the bad guy. Lacking arms and legs, he still manages to ruin the mission, killing most of the crew and, naturally, refusing to open the pod doors.
And in “The Matrix” (1999), well, it’s incredibly frightening to think that our whole existence is basically a computer program manufactured by machines, while we humans sit sealed in goo with wires hooked up to us.
Reality: Most of the people had a real fear of computers crashing with last year’s Y2K scare, which would have certainly put the world on hold. Fortunately that did not happen, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that machines control much of what happens in a day — and the trend is not ending. Society must advance, but let’s hope there are some checks and balances.
A Utopian Society?
The subject of a “a better society” has also been explored in many films. These societies seem to spin out of a bad situation in which humanity has gone haywire and needs a little shaping up. You know, a watchful eye, so to speak, to make sure things don’t get messed up again. However, this generally goes hand in hand with the loss of freedom.
In “Brazil” (1985), one worker bee (Jonathan Pryce) tries to correct an administrative error in a retro-future world but ends up becoming an enemy of the state. Errors are not allowed in any form. Neither is love or even a complete desk to work at.
“A Clockwork Orange” (1971) examines how authorities in this futuristic society control an ultra-violent teenager by brainwashing him (basically tacking his eyelids open and flashing happy images in front of him nonstop). They cure him of his violent ways . . . or do they?
The camp classic “Soylent Green” (1971) has Future Earth way overpopulated and food is scarce – until people start dying and up pops a new food source called “soylent green.” Yummy. Or how about “Logan’s Run” (1976), where life is just about perfect, if you don’t mind not being allowed to live past 30.
Reality: Or more to the point, can we say “reality programming?” À la “Survivor,” “The Mole” and even a TV show that explains it all, “Big Brother.” George Orwell may have written about an omniscient government watching over the little people in his novel, “1984,” but the concept is the same. Of course, the people in the shows want the rest of the world to watch them, but it’s a little scary how popular this kind of programming is.
The Mars Equation
Space travel and alien worlds continue to provide a wealth of material for moviemakers in Hollywood. But most of these films take place so far in the future that it’s hard to equate them to life as we know it now That is not to say we aren’t looking forward to the possibilities. Holodecks and transporters need to happen.
However, there have been a rash of movies about the planet Mars that warrant further investigation.
The one-two punch last year of “Misson to Mars” and “Red Planet” showed how the Red Planet may become Earth’s last chance to preserve life.
And in “Total Recall” (1990), Mars is colonized mainly as a tourist spot – and for radiation mutants, who know the secret power to make Mars a breathable place. Arnold Schwarzenegger to the rescue again (if anything major happens in the upcoming years, Arnold has got to be there).
Reality: Scientists actually discovered that Mars might have water, which would support the belief that Mars carries life. NASA plans to send a mobile science laboratory to Mars as early as 2007. Hey, we’re all set to colonize.
So, no hovercrafts or energy from trash, as in “Back to the Future II.” But Hollywood isn’t totally missing the mark either, as life has the strange way of imitating art.
