In reading Peter Lev’s, “Whose Future? Star Wars, Alien, and Blade Runner,” it is evident there are very clear points being made in respect to the way in which these directors depict the future. The article presents science fiction films as a vessel to pedal ideologies, and further demonstrates how these three films vastly differ in the messages they convey. On one end of the spectrum, he displays Star Wars as an incredibly conservative work devoid of almost any sexuality, which seeks out a future with a return to traditional values and beliefs. Contrastingly, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, and Alien, glimpse a far more diverse future which is grappling with issues of gender, sexuality, as well as other structural and societal issues. All of this he does to create a larger picture of how these films analyzed the current social structure, and what changes they foresaw in the not-so-distant future. In examining this article, I find the texts we have read this semester such as the mentioned film Alien, as well as the world of Herland most closely support the claims made in Lev’s article.
It is quite easy to point out the changes in social structure the world has experienced since the release of Alien, by Ridley Scott and the short novel by, Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Reeling from the changes in values and ideologies which occurred leading up to the subsequent release of both texts, they were a response and quite possibly an answer to these changes from the view of the respective creators. These values included the role of women outside of the home and in society, as well as the conversation concerning gender roles and ideals which is largely inevitable once we begin the previous discussion.
On one end of the spectrum, Alien was a direct departure from the conservative values as mentioned in the article. The film featured a female lead who ended up being the only character able to escape and defeat the villain of the series. Looking deeper, one can see how the company and the ship represent a larger evil force which only desires the alien and cares nothing for the crew. As a result, Ripley’s not adhering to the orders of her bosses is a fight against patriarchy and its persistence in the culture and structure of our society. This was most likely done by Scott to document his view of how the roles as well how women were viewed by society were changing as we became more liberal, and feminism rose to challenge preconceived notions of women’s role and place in society.
Contrastingly, in the novel, Herland it seems while the author details a matriarchal society of solely women and devoid of gender roles and ideals, she is promoting a more conservative society much like George Lucas did in Star Wars. Gilman crafts a world virtually devoid of sex and sexuality, where the women who make up the country only possess one goal in life, and subsequently their work and aspirations revolve around this coveted gift of motherhood. While this does speak to the power of women in society, there are significant flaws which make me view it as more conservative than I originally thought. Also, this society they formed has virtually no free thought, and as a result almost no issues. In a world where these women only wish to have children and live by the rules of their ancestors without question, it conjures images of an obedient class of citizens who survive and prosper because of one common goal. I would relate the society of mother’s in the novel to that of a theocracy, as their religion of motherhood and prosperity silences all dissent and reigns supreme. In these ways, the two texts perfectly exemplify the points that the article makes.
Both these films seek to further Lev’s point, which details how authors and directors both seek to offer their views of where the world and society is headed in the future through the genre of science fiction. Whether it be in the future such as in Alien, or in an alternate universe like, Herland. These films analyze the customs and norms of the culture which they exist in, and give an opinion on how it might develop further down the line. However, which direction it goes is solely up to those who inhabit it. Us.
