SCIENCE FICTION CINEMA

Science fiction is the popular name given to the genre that derived from fictional literature, along with fantasy and horror fiction. 

Born as a literary subgenre distinguished in the 1920´s and subsequently exported to the media, it enjoyed a boom in the second half of the twentieth century due to the popular interest in the future created by both scientific and technological progress achieves over those years. 

In literature, film and comic, science fiction proposes a fanciful version of reality, likely related to all the branches of science.

The genre imagines about the uncertain future but also suggests the active presence of extraterrestrial life and unexplored scientific possibilities in the contemporary time.

However, science fiction films offer a negative view of the future, which has made specialists understand that the viewer attempts to reconcile the fears that assault him/her towards scientific findings of difficult understanding. One of the most typical figures of speculative fiction is the mad scientist: a very competent researcher who discovers a mechanism or phenomenon of enormous power. From doctor Frankenstein to the geneticist that designs dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, this characters mark the evolution of the genre.

In film there are great examples of the genre, through the adaptation of stories and novels, and the production of films with scripts especially created for both the big and small screen. Science fiction cinema has been used occasionally for critical comments of political or social aspects, and the exploration of philosophical issues like the definition of the human being.

The genre first appeared on television during its golden age, first in Great Britain and then in America. The special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present an image of an imaginary world that is not limited to reality; this makes television an excellent medium for science fiction.

Films follow the trail of literature. George Méliés was inspired by the works of Jules Verne to shoot “Voyage dans la lune” (1902). New technological discoveries promoted fiction arguments too, like Spanish Segundo de Chomón, whose best known film, “El Hotel Eléctrico” (1908), explores the possibilities of electric energy, which use became popular at the time.

Russian film “Aelita” (1924) directed by Iakov Protaznov, is considered one of the first masterpieces of a genre that particularly influenced a follower of German expressionism, Fritz Lang, who drew in “Metropolis” (1926) a future that bore parallels with the rise of Nazism. “The Lost World” (1925) directed by Harry Hoyt, based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel, and provided the genre with another of its conventions: the prehistoric monsters that survive extinction.

Horror and science fiction genres intersect in productions like “Frankenstein” (1931) and “The Invisible Man” (1933) by James Whale, where the protagonists reached a terrible outcome for having found two scientific secrets.

The generalization of science fiction comics like “Flash Gordon” favored its cinematographic adaptation. Some examples are “Flash Gordon”/”Rocket Ship” (1936) by Frederick Stephani, and “The Adventures of Captain Marvel” (1941) by William Witney and John English.

The influence of the Cold War is also traceable in film, with productions like “The Thing” (1951, Christian Nyby), “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951, Robert Wise), “The War of the Worlds” (1953, Byron Haskin) and “The Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956, Don Siegel).

The researches on radioactive materials resulted in titles like “The Beast from 20.000 Fathoms” (1953, Eugene Lourie) and “The Incredible Shrinking Man” (1957, Jack Arnold), while others like “20.000 Leagues Under the Sea” (1954, Richard Fleischer) and “From the Earth to the Moon” (1958, Byron Haskin) showed more innocence. “Forbidden Planet” (1956, Fred McLeod Wilcox), “The Fly” (1958, Kurt Neumann) and “The Time Machine” (1960, George Pal) presented the mysteries about the future.

The 60’s brought films like “The Village of the Damned” (1960, Wolf Rilla) and “Barbarella” (1968, Roger Vadim). The film “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968, Stanley Kubrick) offers a realistic prospect of the evolution of science.

The fascination for aliens is reflected in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977) and “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” (1982), both directed by Steven Spielberg while “Alien” (1979) directed by Ridley Scott shows them as a threat. On the other hand, the 70’s came up with adaptations of popular comics and TV series like “Star Trek: The Movie” (1979, Robert Wise) and “Superman” (1978, Richard Donner) and with the revival of atomic fear, “Mad Max” (1978, George Miller).

The 80’s showed movies like “Blade Runner” (1982, Ridley Scott), “The Terminator” (1984, James Cameron), “Ghostbusters” (1984, Ivan Reitman) and “Robocop” (1987, Paul Verhoeven). But maybe one of the most famous is “Back to the Future” (1985, Robert Zemeckis), in which a teenager, Marty McFly, is sent back in time to 1955, where he meets his future parents in high school and accidentally becomes his mother’s romantic interest. 

Since the 90’s digital special effects gave new impetus to visual entertainment in movies like “Jurassic Park” (1993, Steven Spielberg) and “Independence Day” (1996, Roland Emmerich).

Definitely, science fiction has improved markedly since the beginning, and if there is a highlight, these are the special effects. Today, with all the technology we have, we have made incredible effects. Although lately, has been questioned from several people arguing that "Examples of before were better than now" Like, Jurassic Park where dinosaurs looked more real than now with pure computer special effects.

But overall, it is a very good genre to enjoy because it is interesting and calls the attention of varied groups of people.

Finally, we leave you our Top 5 Recommend Science Fiction Films:

The Avengers 

The Star Wars franchise

Ghostbusters

The Batman franchise

The Back to the future trilogy

Magalí Nenezian, Kevin Vera and Federico Vargas - 3rd Year