Science+Fiction+Films+and+the+Impact+on+Society

When one thinks of science fiction films, images of a socially awkward adolescent or an intelligent tech support employee often fill the imagination. As a society, we tend to believe that sci-fi movies are created for a small consumer market and will never affect us the way that other movies such as //The Godfather// have. In reality, however, the themes and inventions explored through science fiction have made an impact on its viewers throughout the last thirty years, at least. The //Star Wars// franchise created a unique experience that generations of children and adults have witnessed. These films also explore various themes such as “environmentalism, racism, and the temptations of power and greed,” major elements that leave viewers questioning their own beliefs long after the credits have stopped rolling. Important sci-fi films do not end with //Star Wars//; several others, including //Short Circuit// and //Soylent Green//, have predicted or foreshadowed certain events or inventions that have already occurred or have been developed. = Star Wars = //Star Wars// has influenced people on both a developmental and emotional level. For example, //Star Wars// helped introduce Dolby Stereo in movie theaters. Its use was so successful that it became a standard for the movie-going experience shortly after. In a time where action heroes were predominately male, //Star Wars// introduced one of the first female leads that fit this role with the character of Princess Leia. While action heroes still have a large cast of male actors fitting this role, there is no doubt that there has been a spike in female action heroines since the release of the first //Star Wars// film. The film even reached the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, where an exhibition for the trilogy was held. Developments aside, //Star Wars// fame will always be recognized more for its complex plot and the effect it has on its viewers. Primarily regarded as a boy’s film, //Star Wars// offers a universal bonding opportunity for fathers and sons. Fathers grew up watching the adventures of Luke Skywalker and can recapture that imagination once again as they view the films with their own awe-struck sons. As they walk down the aisles of toy stores, looking at action figures of their favorite characters, they each live through the same childhood experience again and again. Professor Christopher Sharrett notes how //Star Wars// blends several races to mirror our own multicultural society: “[Star Wars] has good aliens and bad aliens, good robots and bad, rebellious Anglo-Saxons and authoritarian ones.”He also goes on to say that the structure of master and apprentice is dominant and is key to many other films. Kevin Smith also goes on to say that //Star Wars// is about “ . . . bad guys versus good guys and everyone wants to see that story. That story will never grow tired, never grow old.” Even within the realm of science fiction, //Star Wars// offers a plot that plays off of these concepts and delivers it well enough to be recognized as one of the greatest film series of all time, inspiring countless others.

= ** Other Science Fiction Films ** = It is not just //Star Wars// that made an imprint on the world; other science fiction films have also influenced the flow that the rest of the world has taken. Science fiction naturally introduces elements and inventions that appear to be only products of the genre itself, but over time some of them have inspired people to create such things for real life use. In //X-Men//, a three-dimensional map system was presented. Douglas Caldwell and the U.S. Army Topographic Engineers were impressed and inspired to develop something similar. Eventually they created the Xenotran Mark II Dynamic Sand Table to aid soldiers on the battlefield. The use of robots in countless sci-fi films such as //The Day the Earth Stood Still// and //I, Robot// has resulted in years and millions of dollars of research to develop what we have seen in movies. In the //Star Wars// films, holographic projections are used to represent social status. Within the Empire, the Emperor’s hologram is enlarged to show the difference between himself and his subordinates. In the Jedi council, where everyone is an equal, all holograms are projected within the same scale. This representation of status can be seen in various forms of social life. Bosses will have larger offices and workplaces than their subordinates, people can prioritize relationships publicly on social networking websites, etc. (see here for more examples) //Short Circuit// introduced the idea of automated ground robots for military use. media type="youtube" key="9GV7ne3_688" height="390" width="480" //Soylent Green// predicted a warmer climate due to overpopulation. //Destination Moon// foresaw potential problems with space travel. And //Minority Report//'s display technology is starting to be replicated with touch interfaces and three-dimensional displays. media type="youtube" key="MsGCczPrJFE" height="390" width="640" More on these examples and others are available here.

References: Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed on History Channel The ongoing fascination of 'Star Wars' Make It So: What Interaction Designers can Learn from Science Fiction Interfaces The 10 Most Prophetic Sci-Fi Movies Ever