Genre Analysis – Sci-Fi – Dystopia

Dystopian Science Fiction can be most easily described as the opposite of Utopia. It is set in imperfect societies in the near-future. Dystopian Science Fiction often includes Utopian elements like deep social control. These measures of control within future societies are taken to the extreme within stories of Dystopian Science Fiction. Often Dystopian stories look closely at who has the control and how the people of this society are oppressed by it often leading to a rebellion. In many cases the control focuses on a political issues of the time.

Often the dystopian story follows one character/sometimes a group (the protagonist) of the narrative. The protagonist questions the oppression on the people and the political and societal views of the time. Often use of costume separates these characters from the protagonists and the antagonists. For example in THE HUNGER GAMES, a teenage dystopian movie there is ‘the capital’ (the government) live, they oppress the rest of the people in ‘the districts’ this segregation between the people with the control and the people without is shown through costume.

In these images the people of ‘the districts’ wear dull/colourless/ simple clothing. Resembling

clothing of a simpler society. Their hair is natural and neatly presented. This immediately contrasts with the costume for people of the capital. The use of colour enhances all their features and they look futuristic with their abstract makeup and hair. This is clear

demonstration of indicating to the audience the separation of their futuristic society.

Another feature of the dystopian genre, like in THE HUNGER GAMES, is the use of violence. Although not all films will, the theme of rebellion often involves conflicts

resulting in violence between the protagonist and antagonist. The violence may reoccur throughout the development of the plot as the protagonists try and fail to banish the control resulting in a complex and exciting plot that may lead to an intense battle between the distinct sides. This

overall idea of a futuristic society may be designed to resemble views of today’s society and develop on these ideas standing as almost a prediction of a futuristic reality provoking not only fear but questioning of today’s political/societal issues in the minds of the audience.

The first film of the genre Science Fiction was the influential German film METROPLIS:

- ‘In a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working class prophet who predicts the coming of a saviour to mediate their differences.’ – IMDB

- The plot greatly resembles that of a dystopian future composed of opposing views/issues in which a protagonist wishes to break the barriers of their separation.

List of famous dystopian directors:

Andrew Niccol Terry Gilliam Steven Spielberg Micheal Bay Ridley Scott The Wachowski Brothers

List of famous dystopian actors:

Keanu Reeves Harrison Ford Sigourney Weaver Arnold Schwarzenegger