My second idea for my final research paper is to study a cross section of cinema that tell a narrative story set in the future. The central argument I am proposing is that the “future” represented in narrative cinema is an emulation of utopian or dystopian ideology contemporaneous with the production of the film. Some formative works that fit this bill include

Metropolis – Lang (1927)

Farenheight 451 – Truffaut (1966)

2001: A Space Odyssey – Kubrick (1968)

Barbarella – Vadim (1968)

A Clockwork Orange – Kubrick ()

THX 1138 – Lucas (1971)

Escape from NY and LA (1981)

Blade Runner  – Scott (1982)

Brazil – Gilliam (1985)

Tank Girl – Talalay (1995)

Drawing on these examples, I will do some preliminary research and analysis to narrow down which films have particularly interesting  or important similarities and differences, in order to explore the possibilities for the narrative of the future represented in these works. I will focus on formal elements, story, plot, and  subject matter among other things, as well as the historical and social context surrounding the films, and the reactions it received during and after its release. 

I hope to discover the ways in which a narrative can work as metaphor for futuristic scenarios, and how they are shaped and born of the present moment. After viewing each work, I will be able to form an argument grounded in specific material, and evaluate each work through the lens of various theorists in order to determine the language of narrating the future. 

 

Any comments would be helpful!

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