Genre Studies: Science Fiction

Science Fiction is another of today’s most recognizable genres. While its “Golden Age” has perhaps past, the genre no longer being quite the studio power horse it was in yesterdays, it still manages to be one of the largest genres within the medium. It is an ancient facet of film, tracing its roots all the way to the beginning of the art, and has consistently supplied viewers with an interesting taking on a variety of our worlds innermost difficulties, while providing filmmakers ample atmosphere in which to apply their skill.
As mentioned above, the genre can trace its roots to the very beginning of cinema. The early film A Trip to the Moon (1902) was one of such films, the plot revolving around the construction of a rocket, the journey through space, and the interaction with and escape from the moon’s imagined inhabitants. While this film was responsible for the beginning exploration of the genre, it was not really confirmed as such until after World War I. It was at this time, with such amazing advances in technology and weaponry that the true themes of science fiction in film really came into being. Films such as The Lost World (1925) and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927) are considered the more stable roots of the genre, the films establishing progress into the scientific discovery and futuristic exploration aspects of the genre respectively.
In the 1930’s we begin to see an interesting turn in the genre. With such films as Doctor X (1932), The Invisible Ray (1936), and Dr. Cyclops (1940) entering into the mainstream, aspects of the horror genre are subtlety entwined amidst the fledgling realm of science fiction. The films primarily revolved similar plot contrivances in which some scientist or another created, by accident or on purpose, some sort of monstrosity, either within themselves or by some other means, to which resulted in antagonistic actions against the general populace or some personal tragedy to their own person. This vein continued until its brief faltering in the 40’s, but has since evolved, and continued to appear throughout the years within the science fiction genre with films such as The Thing From Another World (1951), The Fly (1951, as well as its 1986 remake of the same name), and It! The Terror From Beyond Space (1958). This eventually resulted in a complete crossover, creating horror films with science fiction aspects such as Alien (1979) and The Thing (1982, a remake of the original The Thing From Another World mentioned previously).
Additionally, with the popularity of serials during the 1930’s, we see another blending in the science fiction genre, this time with the action genre, its roots inherent to these early low budget serials. Flash Gordon, and his knock off, Buck Rogers, both came into relatively gripping popularity at the time. The series’ Flash Gordon: Space Soldiers (1936), Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938), and Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940), as well as some others featuring Buck Rogers or simple alien invader stories, are some examples of such serials. Much like the horror elements within the science fiction genre mentioned earlier, the presence of action elements within the genre eventually resulted in a complete crossover into science fiction labeled action flicks during the 1980’s. These serials continued with moderate success up until the early 1950’s, giving way to the “Golden Age” of science fiction, where most of the genre’s conventions solidified.
These conventions are perhaps the most inherently confusing of the genres when set against such, mainly due to their easy transference into other genres, which also explains why the science fiction genre is also most susceptible to cross breeding with the other genres, as we saw in previous sections. A vital inclusion of science and technology is essentially the primary convention of the science fiction genre, usually taking form in one of three ways, namely: scientific discovery, alien invasion, or futuristic interpretation most often dystopian in nature. The confusion in categorizing a film into the science fiction genre is directly tied to this baseline convention. Glorifying crime, frightening the audience, creating high octane action sequences, or pursuing adventure can all easily exploit a focus on science and technology as an excellent backdrop or accompaniment in the execution of their exposition, whether it be in the vein of scientific discovery, alien invasion, or futuristic interpretation, without such being truly vital to the actual story.
In science fiction on the other hand, in true science fiction, science and technology are undeniably inherent to the story itself, so much so that if removed would result in a collapse of that story. One of the most used examples would be Star Wars (1977), classified as a science fiction fantasy film. The science fiction coming before fantasy in the description, signifying it as a label, opposed to fantasy, written after science fiction, signifying the genre. This is due to the conventions within the film. The archetypes and plot exposition are most often seen in fantasy films, while the technology, aliens, ect., are merely the setting for the adventure. And, most will agree with this classification. However, there are many other films that are often wrongly categorized as science fiction, that do not truly uphold the genre’s baseline convention.
For example Signs (2002), and Alien (1979), are both films that use science fiction elements, but are ultimately horror films in nature. Signs uses an alien invasion as a plot device. It’s not inherent to the actual film. In Alien, if you take out the spaceship and replace the alien with some other monster, you would have, essentially, the same film, albeit with a significantly different feel. The television show Firefly (2002) also uses this technique. It is of the western genre, but uses elements of science fiction (futuristic interpretation) to achieve a much different feel than most westerns. These labels and categorizations, however, are not absolute, as the previous example alludes to. The series’ finale, the film Serenity (2005), transitions the series into pure science fiction, the focus suddenly becoming the character Rain, a sort of super soldier sleeper agent, created by the government in the film. The film is science fiction because of this focus. Without Rain, a technological marvel, the film would collapse.
In addition to its baseline convention, the science fiction genre possesses several others used much of the time in films of the type. First, with the vital focus on science inherent to science fiction, we usually see a much greater character focus on doctors and scientists within films of the genre. Advanced technology, of the like we have never seen, is also a significant convention of science fiction, most often seen in the futuristic interpretation vein, but also seen quite often in the discovery vein. In the alien invasion scenario, the advanced technology of the invaders will also be significant within the film. Additionally, there will also be a large focus on the technology we have now, and how it relates, or can be used against, the technology of the invaders.
In addition to the focus on technology, science fiction films are most often extremely pointed. The most grounded of the more “fictional” genres, science fiction films will usually have a subtle or even blatant message regarding various topics, usually regarding technological advancement, nuclear warfare, big government, the environment, as well as many others. These films are often quite violent as well. While certainly not quite of the same caliber seen in the horror or action genres, due to the story of most science fiction films, revolving around the conflict of rebellion against society, human against alien, or creator against creation, violence usually becomes a significant part of the film. Fantastic sets or exotic landscapes are also a large part of science fiction. This is most often inherent to the futuristic interpretation set up, but is also seen in scientific discovery films (Jurassic Park, 1993). Naturally, with such elaborate conventions, special effects are very much a part of the science fiction genre, perhaps even more inherent than their inclusion in other genres. Finally, much like the horror genre, a large number of science fiction films will possess an ambiguous ending.
Looking back to the 1950’s, we see, as mentioned previously, the solidification of many of these conventions. Decried as the “Golden Age” of science fiction, it is easy to see why, the country, at the time, possessing a fascinating obsession with scientific advancement in conjunction with the Cold War. The film Invaders from Mars (1953) is one of the films created during this era. Within it, we can note many of the genres early conventions, as well as the early progression of many others. The film, about a young boy and alien baddies, is, as one would expect, extremely special effects oriented. And, while laughable now, still convey, to a point, the overall effect of an alien invasion. The focus is very much technology oriented. We see the afore mentioned focus on both doctors and scientists as main characters, the invaders’ technology, and the current technology of the period, which, in the film, is used to combat the invaders.
Towards the end of the film, events transpire that leave the audience with two different trains of thought. The ending leaves to open interpretation whether or not events prior actually happened. That these events might have been just a simple nightmare, yet retaining the possibility that they were not, gives the entire film a heightened sense of ambiguity. Additionally, there is a good amount of on screen violence within the film; nothing at all by today’s standards, but for the time would have been on the edge of controversy. This, however, is soothed by the copious amount of support given to the meta-narrative, for the film exemplifies the culture of the time period.
The film begins with an off screen narrator, much like Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) used in previous studies, for the same reasons therein mentioned. The film revolves around a perfectly happy family, with no portrayal of anything but the most steadfast devotion to one another. The child gives no sense of rebellion, remaining in an entirely obedient posture. His parents, the first to be captured by the aliens, actually sleep in separate beds. Invaders is also an extremely patriotic piece, possessed of multiple scenes in which nothing is shown except the grand United States military, blowing things up in a completely ineffectual nature, all to a tune straight from a drafting commercial. In the film the military is the absolute authority, and is portrayed in amiable manner. Additionally, the nod to God as the higher power in the universe is included as well. Most of this drivel however, is far removed within the next couple decades.
Brazil (1985) expands upon many of the conventions seen in Invaders, but does so in a thoroughly post-modern manner, while presenting subtle progression within the genre itself. At first glance one might assume Brazil to one of the many films misconceived as true science fiction, noting the many comedic elements within the film. However, if one looks closely at the dynamics of the film, this assumption will prove false. In the film, Gilliam is not making jokes about technology or the conventions of science fiction. Rather, he is using technology to poke at society, nor do these pokes make up the bulk of the film. Therein lies the difference. The film would not collapse without comedy. It would, however, collapse without the technology and futuristic interpretation that in essence is the film.
The film is dystopian in nature, which perhaps is the most significant shift within the genre since the 1950’s. It is not about the embracement of technology, or the successful embracement, rather, focuses on the negative aspects of such focus. Within the film we see the same fantastic sets and locations, this time with addition of vivid dreamscapes as well, something more inherent to the dystopian aspect of the genre. We see a much greater reliance on technology in Brazil, not as accompaniment to society as more commonly portrayed in earlier genre entries, but almost as having become society itself. With this we see an excessive exacerbation of the problems inherent to this technological reliance, which is where most of the comedic elements stem from.
However, these elements are toned down by the depressing view of technology the film provides. The technological reliance, while comically lighthearted at times, is, in the end, portrayed in a much more somber tone, belying a tragic message. Extrapolating upon this, we see the character’s ultimate rejection of society as a whole. This is a significantly different stance than what would have been acceptable in the 1950’s, and from which we can see another shift within the genre, a much greater amount of dystopian films being released in recent years, while the more discovery oriented films wane (those of the invader vein pretty much remaining stationary). The theme of the film is to escape from and rebel against society, rather than exploring or saving it. We also see a more existentialist focus, the main more often being thrust about by fate than by his own decisions, where as in Invaders the film was moved along primarily by the actions taken by the main characters.
Despite these significant shifts within the genre, it in itself remains one of the larger, more popular genres, ultimately remaining true to its primary conventions. And, with the recent release of Avatar (2009), proving that the general public has not forgotten the love given to the genre, it is certain we shall see additional science fiction films in the future. Whether the poisonous 3-D craze will overshadow this certainty… one can only hope for the best. But, with a genre as sustainable and rife with breedability as this, the future can only be one of smiles.