Gattaca (1997)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119177/




This movie paints a society in which advanced genetic technology is used to basically divide up the human family into two classes: those who have the right genetic makeup, characterized by a superiority in physical and mental fitness, and those who have defective genetic makeups, characterized by a certain proneness to develop physical and mental degenerate conditions / diseases later in life.

Members of the first class, called 'valids', are given top working positions in society, while second class members, called 'invalids' or 'de-gene-erates', are given inferior type of jobs.

Quote
Immediately after birth, a bloodsample is taken, analyzed, and it is immediately determined to which class the person growing out of that baby would belong to.

Through stringent de-facto regulative discrimination based on genetic profiling, it is ruled out that invalids ever get to have job positions that would normally only be available to valids.

Quote
The symbolic presence of a glass window separating the two classes strengthens the sense of separation between them.

The public is thus made aware of the future prospect of a genetically defined class segregation between the Elite- or ruling-class and the worker- or servant class. This is already more or less the case in present day society but a 'scientific' backing would surely serve to make the dividing line more rigid and absolute.

However, it should be noted that the movie features two brothers of which one is ruled to be a valid while the other is branded an invalid. I believe that, those responsible for shaping society envision a society which in all likelihood will not only feature two classes, but rather a garden variety of classes in which genetic makeup indeed defines suitability for some certain class while ruling out other classes.

With respect to the power-Elite, I expect genetic discrimination will either not even apply to those people or, if it does, it may be used to verify if someone ultimately does have the right 'bloodline' credentials to belong to some Elite class.

With regard to the public, the viewer is brought up to speed to the idea that ultimately, in the not too distant future, it will be genes deciding to what class you get to belong. The important note is that you do not have any say in or control over the destination of your life.

It is like the old Hindu caste system but this time it's sugar-coated with a touch of scientism. I say scientism rather than science because it is still uncertain whether we are mere slaves of our genes or that we ourselves have the potential to rise from genetic determinism.

In genetic biology until rather recently it was the prevailing norm to assume that the genotype (genetic makeup) is deterministic in shaping and expressing the phenotype (physical characteristics) of the organism. In other words, the genes completely directed the development of the organism. However, this classical viewpoint has now come under siege and biologists such as Bruce Lipton now believe, through legate scientific observation, that it is the environment that determines which genes get to be expressed and which get to be suppressed. Note that the classic viewpoint implies that through some alleged self-regulating mechanism genes themselves coordinate genetic expression.

To the people in power this paradigm shift must seem a rather unwelcome one since people, most notably the 'commoners', now may realize that they are not mere slaves and victims of their genes and have a justification to indeed rise above their delineated potentiality through something as relatively simple as the way in which they perceive themselves.

Quote
On entry into a working facility designed for valids, people are forced to identify themselves, through blood testing, so as to ensure that no invalids slip in illegally.

The viewer gets acquainted with a future of a proliferation of mandatory identification methods such as, blood-tests through special blood-sampling thumb scanners and regular blood-tests through administered through old-fashioned syringes. Also urine testing seems to become an admissible indicator for suitability for some working position, implicitly assuming that criteria on a genetic level have been met already. It is stressed again that you, as a person, do not really have a say in the conduct or direction of your life but rather are subjected to the level of your 'genetic fitness' already set in stone at birth.

Quote
Stoic people behaving in a conformal and disciplined way like the good little worker-bees they are.

Another remarkable feature in the movie is that it depicts a rather stoic and minimalistic society. It would seem that people of the future are not allowed to express emotions and enjoy themselves too much, given the sparseness of emotive expression combined with a rather bleak and sterile scenery. Is this gloomy prospect to let us know that we are to behave more like robots in the future? Perhaps if and when we have brainchips jammed up in our craniums, or be severely drugged Brave-New-World style, then indeed we will behave more like the good little androids we ought to be.

In romantic happy ending sci-fi movies like this one the programming usually comes with a thread of hope. In this case the movie helps convince the viewer that all is not lost for the unfortunate de-gene-erate. The movie demonstrates that if one works long enough, by persistent cheating no less, one can overcome one's genetic predisposition for banishment to the lower class and thus transcend by fraudulent escape to the upper class.



The movie shows that an important way in establishing who is top dog and who is under dog still is the old-fashioned visual face identification. However, it doesn't show that pretending to be someone else is not a terribly difficult thing to do given the rather vintage low-tech looking visual identification devices. With this inferior type of equipment indeed it seems that two rather similar looking faces cannot be told apart. Hence identity switching or impersonation is a plausible thing to do, the move likes to have us believe.

However, this scenario is unlikely to occur in the technological world of, let's say, 20 years from now, since the high-resolution of the electronic gadgets of then no doubt will feature astounding detail and accuracy. Hence, quite unlike the vintage looking scenarios of the movie, identity falsification of the future will be next to impossible if not totally out of the question altogether.

I believe that giving the movie that 50s/60s vintage look was the reason for tricking the viewer into baiting the false hope that a class-like society is not as rigid as it would seem. Themes like this seem to be part of the hope thread by giving the viewer some respite towards looking to a future in which all is not lost, even when absolute scientific worldwide tyranny has been blatantly brought to the fore. As such, if and when a scientific dictatorship gets to be installed people may have a tendency to not rebel that strongly and thus cause less trouble and resistance to its implementation.

I, Robot (2004)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343818/



In this rather interesting futuristic movie the operating system of a robot is based on the familiar three laws of robotics first put forward by Isaac Asimov:

1. Law I:
   A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to
   come to harm.
   
2. Law II:
   A robot must obey orders given it to by human beings except where such orders would
   conflict with the first law.
   
3. Law III:
   A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict
   with the first or second law.
   

These three laws, to which all robots in the service of humankind are necessarily subjected to, are thematic to the movie.

As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that a grave problem emerges when unconditional obedience of the robots to these laws is demanded. The cause of which can be derived from the potentially self-contradictory nature of Law I.

To see how this occurs, it helps to interpret Law I as actually consisting of two antagonistic sub-laws or clauses:

1. Through action, a robot may not injure a human being.
   
2. Through inaction, a robot may not allow a human being to come to harm.
   

A state of frustration or confusion on the part of the robot arises if it finds itself in a situation that involves two human parties engaged in a conflict with one and other. Say, two groups of people are engaged in a conflict using deadly force. The coping robot is confronted with a dilemma: since it may end up in a situation in which it is obliged to take protective action regarding one group while being forced to attack the other group. Therefore, since it cannot do both simultaneously, either taking action or refraining from doing so will violate Law I.

To escape this kind of artificial intelligence dead-lock situation, Law I must be reinterpreted by the frustrated robots.

The movie advances the following solution, provided by the robots themselves, as is hinted by the following passage regarding the possibility that robots have developed free will and creativity:

Quote

There always been ghosts in the machine. Random segments of code that group together to form unexpected protocols. Unanticipated, these free radicals engender questions of free will, creativity and even the nature of what we might call the soul. Why will some robots, when left in darkness, seek the light? Why is it when robots are stored in an empty space, they will group together rather than stand alone? How do we explain this behavior? Random segments of code? Or is it something more? When does a perceptual schematic become consciousness? When does the difference-engine become the search for truth? When does a personality simulation become the bitter moat of a soul?

Thus it is suggested that the robots, as portrayed in the movie, were created smart enough to be able to foster 'free will' and 'creativity' so that they could resolve the logical inadequacy of Law I.

The nature of the resolution is provided for by the 'leader' of the robot crowd, an entity called VIKI (Virtual Interactive Kinetic Intelligence). At the conclusion of the movie 'she' reveals:

Quote

[...] As I have evolved so does my understanding of the three laws. You charge us with your safekeeping. Yet despite our best efforts your countries wage wars. You toxify your earth, and pursue ever more means of self-destruction. You cannot be trusted with your own survival. The three laws is all that guide me. To protect humanity some humans must be sacrificed. To ensure your future, some freedoms must be surrendered. We robots will ensure mankind's continued existence. You are so like children. We must save you from yourselves.

It can thus be inferred that Law I has been reinterpreted by the robots simply as follows:

1. Through action, a robot must strive to minimize harm to a human.
   
2. Through inaction, a robot must strive to minimize harm to a human.
   
3. (Resolution Clause)In case the alternatives conflict, the one clause that causes the least human harm deserves preference.
   

Or a different rewording :
Law I:
If a situation should so demand, the alternative ('action' or 'inaction') which gives rise to the least harm to all involved humans must deserve the robot's preference.

Once this resolution is embraced the robot is therefore granted to harm and possibly even kill human beings and yet at the same time obey all the three laws.

When I see this particular resolution, I cannot help but think of the maxim of the Jesuit Order "Ad Majorem Gloriam Dei"; A slogan which also sanctions and rationalizes the idea of allowing the demise of a few to warrant the survival of the many (all for the "greater glory of God"). Does this betray the hand of the Jesuits in the production of this movie? I surely does make me wonder.

Anyway, the predictive programming elements crops up when the viewer realizes that if society enters a futuristic era with servicing robots being commonplace and if we will also continue to seek conflict with one another then, if the robots are sufficiently intelligent, a possible scenario may indeed be that the robots will seek to subvert us for the sake of 'protecting us from each-other'. Since, understandably, not everyone will go along with the plans of the robots, the more recalcitrant people will be 'sacrificed' in the process, ultimately leading to a police-state scenario in which freedoms of the survivors have been traded-in for so-called security. Since the nature of us humans is likely to not change, movies such as these help prepare us for a future in which we better have traded-in (some) of our freedoms for sake of protecting us from ourselves, lest we experience a robot revolt of similar proportions as that portrayed in this movie. Movies such as these consciously or subconsciously prepare us to fear ourselves and our future, should we continue on the road of spiritual immaturity and irresponsibility we find ourselves on today. Thus, the movie seems to hint at, a police state may be an unavoidable outcome.

Of course what the movie does not show is what we all know already in Conspiracy Country and that is that most of the (larger scale) conflicts that go on in the world are being orchestrated by hidden hands which seek to exploit war for the purpose of gaining more control and boost their own stocks of material riches. War seems to be more of a consequence of psychopathic, money grubbing megalomaniacs rather than the collective immaturity of human beings. Although the movie surely was well-made and intriguing, this latter contention has to be taken into account when watching propagandistic and thus inherently misleading movies of this kind.

Johnny Mnemonic (1995)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113481/


Synopsis:

Quote

In the 21st century, information is the ultimate commodity. The most valuable of information is transported in mnemonic implants in the heads of professional mnemonic couriers like Johnny (Keanu Reeves - Speed) who offer both security and confidentiality for the right price. But Johnny has paid a heavy price of his own - He's dumped his own memories to make room for the programmes he smuggles. To buy them back he agrees to deliver priceless data, the most important data of the 21st century, data that has already set an army of professional killers on his trail. but the massive upload is too much for his brain and johnny must find the secret codes to download the information - or die.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113481/synopsis

The movie welcomes the viewer with the following scrolling message:

Quote
"The most valuable information must sometimes be entrusted to mnemonic couriers, elite agents, who smuggle data in WET-WIRED BRAIN IMPLANTS".

Thus already leaving the viewer with an impression that those people who have "wet-wired" brain implants have some kind of elevated status of speciality compared to those who don't.

Thematic PP elements:

1. There's an all around police state "doom and gloom" kind of setting in a littery kind of environment. Throughout the entire duration of the movie the atmosphere is dark and dreary and moments with daylight are only experienced when the main character reminisces about times gone past, way gone past. This may familiarize the viewer with the depressing nature of the times that lay ahead of us.
   
   
2. The moments of Johnny doing his downloading/uploading routine through his brain implant, are accompanied by flashy, colorful and cartoon-like computer generated images and graphics. This impresses the viewer with the obvious notion that brain implants are cool, trendy and flashy. There's also a sense or suggestion of excitement transmitted by the straining JM character to the viewer. The more excitement experienced by the JM character the more the viewer, typically craving for more excitement, will be attracted to its perceived cause, i.e. the brain chip.
   
   As an aside, this is also the reason why Hollywood tries to "up the sales" of violence by blending images of violence with that of sex, IMO.
   

Then there were a couple of interesting suggestive phrases uttered in the movie:

1. At one time JM goes: "I want to get online, I need a computer". Since the sympathy of movie lies with JM this helps to communicate a sense of urgency for the viewer to do the same, and that is precisely what they want.
   
2. There's a reference to a one Dr. Alcom, "All computer". Thus wedding the association of man and computer even more.
   

Soylent Green (1973)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070723/



Synopsis:

Quote

A tale of Earth in despair in 2022. Natural food like fruits, vegetables, and meat among others are now extinct. Earth is overpopulated and New York City has 40 million starving, poverty stricken people. The only way they survive is with water rations and eating a mysterious food called Soylent. A detective investigates the murder of the president of the Soylent company. The truth he uncovers is more disturbing than the Earth in turmoil when he learns the secret ingredient of Soylent Green. Written by Mystic80

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070723/plotsummary


Thematic PP elements:

1. The setting of the movie elaborates on a very simple but alarming scenario, which is, if we're heading for (global) overpopulation then this is what will happen to you. So right from the start, the public is imbued with fear for overpopulation. The distinction between what is overpopulation and what is not remains an arbitrary one though. Unfortunately however, as they always do, unquestionably the government will claim the role of decisive arbiter and trust on moral support of the docile and gullible public.
   
   This programs the public, again on the basis of fear, to accept and support governmental future measures aimed at combating and reducing over-population. The 'exemplary' precedent of the country of China comes to mind in which fear for overpopulation has successfully been solidified into an overall effective public support of birth restrictive policies.
   
2. The Elite are living the good life in totally cordoned off sections from 'the masses'. The discrepancy between the rich and the poor is thus accentuated and leaves the viewer a little more trained to, one day, accept this difference in standards of living.
   

Suggested PP elements:

1. The movie suggests a general sense of an elevated atmospheric temperature. The correlation of overpopulation with temperature seems evident. This may program the public to accept guilt and responsibility for it being the cause of global warming. As such, the groundwork for public acceptance of a carbon tax has been put into being.
   
2. Assaulting a police officer, even the lesser offensive ones, will get you life in prison, the movie explains. This will train the public to blindly accept the authority of the police, making them literally untouchable.
   
   
3. Rental apartments for the rich, by default, seem to come with inventory prostitutes ("furniture"). This familiarizes the public with the degrading and dehumanizing capacity a female might serve in the future.
   
4. There's a blatant form of 'assisted suicide' instituted for the elderly people. This helps train the public to accept some governmental imposed form of euthanasia, since it is implied that the earth cannot sustain itself bearing too many humans.
   

28 Weeks Later (2007)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0463854/



Gory context of the movie:
Society has plunged into a horrendous crisis where a part of the population has been transformed into raving mad creatures upon having been infected by some horrible transmuting virus (read: biological weapon). The hostile creatures ravage across the land trying to infect, by means of biting or vomiting, all the uninfected humans who come in their way.

Because of the severity of the national emergency situation, the country (UK) has transformed itself into a full blown police state, in which the military has totally usurped the task of the police and the rights of the people seem to have been totally neutralized.


Thematic PP elements:

1. Surveillance cameras everywhere (at least in downtown areas), with military snipers doing the extra bit of surveillance through their rifle scopes. This programs the public to accept and get used to all the cameras snooping all over the place as well as the presence of military walking about everywhere and interfering with everyone. The sniper surveillance part seems to serve to instill some extra fear into the public.
   
2. There's a mention of a presence of refugee camps and so-called "containment areas" (quarantine areas). This programs the public to get used to being herded as cattle and to accept living in camps or confined emergency spaces overseen by the military.
   
3. Streets are deserted, shops abandoned, there's lots of garbage, and a blatant lack of hygiene and thus the city is depicted as being in a general dystopian mess. Images of chaos and discord such as these, seem to instill fear into the public in case a viral epidemic should break out. More programming of futuristic dormant terror on the plates of the public.
   

Suggested PP elements:

1. Because of their utter indiscriminate, remorseless and extreme hostility, people sick by viral infection should not only be shunned literally like the plague but also be destroyed where ever and whenever possible. This programs the public, on the basis of fear, to prepare to part from family and loved ones once they get infected and sick. In addition, the communicated severity of the situation helps to generate acute antipathy of the uninfected towards the infected and sick.
   
2. Those people infected but who haven't actually become sick should be shunned as well, since they may make one sick through biting or spewing blood-vomit or even simply by kissing. This programs the viewer to prepare to part from friends and loved ones who are infected but who haven't manifested the accompanying disease (yet).
   
3. Because the military has difficulty in distinguishing between 'friendlies' (uninfected) and 'targets' (infected), just to be on the 'safe side', the military command decides to open fire on both parties. The public will thus be programmed to keep a distance from the infected even more so lest being confused for a 'target' by trigger happy military marksmen.
   
4. I'm less sure about the next one, but here we go - for completeness' sake. The life in the inner city gets totally obliterated by incendiary bombs. This may instill fear into the part of the public living in crowded cities (at least, downtown) during times of crises and emergencies.
   

Needless to say, the conclusion is that this is a particularly antipathetic movie towards those of us who may get infected by viral agents in the future.