Technology in Films

This week I read "Images of Technology in Popular Films: Discussion and Filmography" by Steven L. Goldman. I enjoyed it immensely because I have always found interesting the popularity of films that portray high-tech equipment and "futuristic" human achievements. People love going to see movies like these because they want to see what the world could be like in the future. They want to believe it will be possible for everything to be done for them one day. For some people, the future is flying cars and jet backs, for others it is robots cooking and cleaning and serving them. There is a fascination with a utopian universe where anything is possible and there is no more war, famine, or violence. However, popular movies have portrayed an entirely different picture of future technology. In them, dystopian and apocalyptic results have occurred after scientists have created new and more powerful ways of doing things. Again and again technology is seen as destructive and anti-human. Robots created to service humans have become sentient and turned against their creators and taken over. Machines have backfired and waged war on civilization, destroying the entire world. It is never the scientists' and inventors' anticipation that there will be negative consequences, but it is the determined outcome. Movies have warned us of becoming too opportunistic and selfish with dreaming of never having to do anything for ourselves one day. It is painting a picture of one of many terrible outcomes to changing the environment too much. Goldman's work states that it is mostly science-fiction films that give this picture of technology being disastrous and killing those that created it. 





A more recent movie that I enjoyed that portrayed this as well is director Shane Acker's 9. In it is the view of a world directly affected by the machines that were supposed to prevent what it ultimately caused. It also brings up one of Goldman's points about movies having a scientist or engineer create something at the request of higher ups (military, presidential). In 9, a scientist is commissioned to make a fabrication machine by a dictator, who eventually uses it to make other weapons to kill his enemies. This leads to the machine becoming sentient and completely independent, making weapons without anyone telling it to. It results in a revolt by humans to destroy the machines, but they fail and the machines kill every human being. The scientist who created the machine regrets ever making such a dangerous invention and uses parts of his soul make dolls that he hopes will finally stop the fabrication machine and allow for life to exist in Earth again. This is a perfect example of the terrible consequences of investing in futuristic technology. It even shows the remorse of the scientist who feels responsible for destroying the world and dies himself trying to rectify it. I loved the movie because it also showed that there is still hope of humans will learn from mistakes and not be so eager to willingly doom themselves.