Sci-Fi Genre and sociohistorical context




Allegory
  1. a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

    "Pilgrim's Progress is an allegory of the spiritual journey"
    A metaphor that makes a broader comment on society
e.g. Animal Farm.

Zeitgeist- noun
  1. the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.

    "the story captured the zeitgeist of the late 1960s"
The 'spirit of the time'

Godzilla- (Japan, 1950)
-Representing the Americans bombing Japan and Godzilla represents the Americans destroying their cities.
-Make a film that doesn't stir emotions on certain topics and to attract a bigger audience.

The Invasion of the Saucer-Man (USA, 1957)
- America were locking horns with Russia and were in direct conflict with them, cold war.
- This film represents Russian spies infiltrating society through the use of aliens.
- Russians are taking away their American women.

Independence Day (USA, 1996)
-Global terrorism, America was worried about it blowing over.
-You can't fight terror.
-The white house represents democracy, freedom
-The film is about aliens which represents terrorism.
-You can get away with a lot more in Sci-Fi films.
-The aliens attack the Americans, which gives them the right to retaliate.

Humans Sci-Fi conventions
  • Blue eyes
  • Robots (Robotic speech)
  • Synthesising theme tune
  • Not comedy
  • Artificial intelligence themes.
  • Clean blue mise-en-scene
  • Stiff performance of the robot.
  • Realistic real world elements (unconventional)
Themes
  • Sexualisation
  • Sexual Exploitation
  • Modern Slavery
  • Capitalism and the nuclear family
  • Prostitution and the rights of sex workers 
  • Racism


Allegorical Aspect

  • Sex robots are actually a thing, A robot is a depiction of a human
  • Representation of representations.
  • This is a big issue as people may become desenstitive to reality.
  • This show could be representation of pornography.
  • Gives the user that this is what sex is like.
  • Cultavation theory as this is making the user feel like this is how sex is performed.
  • Modern slavery
  • They buy Anita from a shop.
  • Slave market represented by the synth shop.
  • Exploitation
  • The synths have been programmed to do all the housework without being paid.
  • Matilda is trying to torture Anita.
  • Slaves are seen as inferior to their owners and they aren't seen as human or as equal to them.
Key Theory 3- Steve Neale- Theories around genre 

Why does genre exist?
What benefits from generic classification?
What are some advantages of genre?
What are some disadvantages?

Laura meets Anita

  • She looks disgusted by Anita's presence.
  • Slow zoom on both Anita and Laura's faces.
  • Shot-reverse shot.
  • Their facial expressions.
  • Laura is older and Anita is younger.
  • Anita is east asian and Laura is white.
  • Could be something about China and their technology is very advanced.
  • Anita is wearing basic clothing, the mise-en-scene of this shows that she has been cleaning.








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