Transition: Future Worlds Context

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Introduction: Visions of the Future

Watch the below montage of scenes from famous science fiction films (which have a distinctly dystopian edge).

After watching the above clip, answer the following questions:

  1. What futuristic elements were present in the sequence?
  2. What different future world could you identify?
  3. What made these worlds and societies different from today?
  4. How many different films could you identify? (There are 43 in total – no cheating by looking at the YouTube description!)

Using these examples and your own research, construct definitions for the following terms. Each definition should be a minimum of three sentences long and include at least one example.

Define:

  • Utopia
  • Dystopia

 

The most extreme dystopian visions: Post-Apocalyptic Worlds

The Road is a Pulitzer Prize winning science fiction novel by the acclaimed American author Cormac McCarthy. The futuristic world is describes is one where society has completely ceased to exist after an unknown disaster, and tells the story of an unnamed man and his son who take an endless journey south in search of food, shelter and warmth. It has been made in a bleak, brutal, intense, and yet starkly beautiful film. Watch the opening scene below (3.00 minutes to 6.00 minutes)

Start at 3 minutes 00 seconds: http://youtu.be/x6arDlAAF4Y?t=2m56s

  1. How is this future world established?
  2. What is the effect of stripping away aspects of our current society? What is left behind? What does this reveal?
  3. What do you think the purpose of stories like this could be?

Extension: Find out more about the story by reading this extract from The Road by Cormac McCarthy. 

 

And now for something completely different: Wall-E’s Dystopia

Not all visions of the future need to be this extreme. The Pixar film Wall-E also presents a dystopian society. Watch the below clip to see an illustration of it:

After watching the clip, consider the following questions:

  1. What makes this society ‘dystopian’? Provide examples to support your claims.
  2. What links exist between this society relate to our present day society?
  3. What comment do you think the filmmakers are making about our current world and the effects of our current choices?

 

 

Holiday Homework: Begin reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. We will be studying this novel in the second half of Term 1 next year. Make note of any futuristic or dystopian elements that you see in the text.