Thinking About Science Fiction Movies

D. Cronenberg & Humankind-Technology

David Cronenberg, Canadian film director, usually works on science-fiction movies. He integrates science-technology effects over Human's body or psychology with humankind's problems.

He processes technology's effects over humanity such a way is that There usually occurs a dichotomy because of the technological breakthroughs. Scanners (1981), can be given as one of the examples of this dichotomy.

In Scanners, humankind's weak, forgiving side is shown. A creature who can scan and control people and has incredible power, is created. And this technological creature differs from humankind owing to its power. Humanity succumbs to technology. Considering in another way, these creatures demonstrate the evil side of humanity. Besides that, We are awared of the thinking side of humankinds. Humans are separated from the other livers with the property of thinking. In 'Scanners', the technological creatures can think about not only their own ideas, but they hear the other's thoughts. Humankinds who can think about lots of things at the same time, are try to cope with that, especially in this era.

It is get used to encounter with science fiction movies, about exploding of earth, not Human's brain. This is a difference of Cronenberg' s interests over Humanity.

In some of D. Cronenberg's movies, story usually progresses in the way that humans are subjected to technology and than, Humanity problems are shown.






Videodrome (1983),directed by Cronenberg, is a science fiction body horror film. In that movie, it is focused on media consumption. Throughout Videodrome, it is shown how humankind is on the up level of consumption and obsession and how they have sexual passion existence.
n addition to that the movie shows how people starts to engages with the technology. As the Conenberg's other movies, we encounter with the weakness side of humanity, again.

Pressure of society is a real ongoing for many years. In some Cronenberg movies, Cronenberg reveals many different kind of pressures which are over humans with the usage of technology.




Shivers (1975) is one of the examples of that. In Shivers, some people are infected by virtually non-existent parasites. These infected people, behaves in infinite freedom and it is seen that There is a sex-crazed personality beyond humankind.

In eXistenZ (1999), There is a deep philosophy over humanity notion. This movie query what humanity would like to have?
Cronenberg represents humankind-technology relation in his movies not only in terms of humankind's psychology way, but also the materiality of humankind. In eXistenZ, Some people who are not satisfied from their lifes, invents a new game. Joysticks of this game are like the parts of human body.





This shows how much people are integrated with technology like video games, internets, media, vs. People start to behave like different two personality. One of them is the nature of that person, the other one is the person who influenced by technology. Human and technology, so organic and synthetic are so integrated that the distinction between these two terms are blurred. Technology is invaded to human's body so obvious that the proof is the implication of technology over medicine.

If we make an overview about Conenberg's movies, it can be true to focus on a word 'control'. Technology controls every forms of people; the body and the mind of people. The irony is that technology has being advanced by people. Technology kills its creature.

In scanners, technology captures the mind of people and kills the humanity.
In Shivers technology captures people in every form and turn them to totally different character.
In Videodrome, technology captures people, again and kills them. In EXistanZ, technology captures people, too.



Science-Fiction Cinema & Society, Times, Culture

This is so general that In 'Science fiction Cinema', new society is fictionalized in order to focus on an issue, and show how this issue effects the humanity and life. This fiction can be based on many ways like travelling in time or creating a dystopia or just creating a character. It is possible to encounter with fantasies, desired world while composing these fictions.



The Time Machine directed by George Pal is an example for talking about integrated social issue and technology. A protagonist travels to future and explore how future generations are ignorant and far from learning challenge.(196directed by George Pal is an example for talking about integrated social issue and technology. A protagonist travels to future and explore how future generations are ignorant and far from learning challenge. Social degeneration occurs because of previous generation.
At the future, two kind of social classes occur; Capitalists and proletariats. When Capitalists are nescient, proletariats are intelligent and more wisdom people.

David Cronenberg is a great example in order to talk about the relationships between science fiction movies' and society.

'Shivers (1975)' which is one of the most well known movie of David Cronenberg, is focused on an issue by creating a new community. Some people, living in an apartment, are infected by parasites and they become sex-crazed people, behaving so unconscious and formless and show exaggerated movements.
This fictionalized small community shows how people are suppress their feelings and behaviours.

Sci-fi films, especially express society's anxiety about technology. Videodrome (1983), directed by Cronenberg, is about the social media's effect on society.

In some of Cronenberg's movies two societies have to be involved in a battle. For instance, In Scanners (1981) Cameron Vale is taken charge to destroy Revok's dystopia. He deals with problems which have been already overcomed by Revok. He struggles with the pressure of his powerful scanning ability. In addition to that, He has trouble with huge amount of people' thoughts that he can not even hear his own thoughts. As if power converts goodness to evil, Sometimes Cameron behaves like a bad guy. On the other hand, David has already reached to maximum evil level. He hasn't got any trace of humanity. So it is almost impossible to eliminate the dystopia. So, distopia will be last forever. Technology's creature will win.

Science fiction genre movies have been effecting the culture in many ways. Their' different kind of characters started to flourish different kind of toys depend on characters and these characters turn to children's hero.

Star Wars which are American science fiction film series,



directed by George Lucas. The characters of Star Wars become a worldwide pop culture phenomenon. The series exploded in media so much that books, television series, computer and video games, and, comic books were created. These series involved with every moments of these generation's children.

In addition to that, especially for 2000s generations, It has been flourished lots of games depend on these characters. These games, can be played in everywhere from i-pads to computers and even phones, effects children in many ways. Game-addicted children become more anti-social and build their own imagination world.