This was an assignment for my Media production class comparing two films within the same genre.

2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968 directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Staring Keir Dullea as Dr. Dave, Gary Lockwood as Dr. Frank Poole, William Sylvester as Dr Heywood R. Floyd, Daniel Richter as Moon-watcher, Leonard Rossiter as Dr Andrei Smyslov and Margaret Tyzack as Elena.

Space, the final fronter (Not from this movie), and the next step in the evolutionary chain, is the grand premise of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The evolution, growth, and development of man so far and what is next for them. The movie follows a group of scientists as they embark on a mission, although they are not entirely aware of what they are headed toward. The crew clashes with the on-board AI unit. The AI seems to have become sentient when the crew members plan to disconnect it after a conversation with the AI about human error. The AI kills all crew member, minus one, who manages to live and disconnect the AI from its higher brain functions. Then, the Last remaining person discovers the true nature of the mission.

Blade Runner, 1982  directed by Ridley Scott

Starring Harrison Ford as Deckard, Sean Young as Rachael, Rutger Haur as Roy and William Sanderson as Sebastian.

We have advanced to a time where the robots perform many tasks and even look like us. They can blend in with society however, what happens when one goes rouge? You call in the Blade Runner to retire these replicants. This story follows Ford, who is hunting 4 replicants, whom seek to meet their maker at the Tyrell Corporation. Ford becomes intertwined with Rachael who believes she is human.

Genre conventions

Science Fiction as a Genre has an open concept. Is it the future? Is it cool? Science fictions takes what we know now and investigates what we could be. What technologies changes to take us to the next level. What break through can be found just beyond where we are now. Ironically, the nature of human, regardless of the advances, stays the same and through the changes the same human experience happens over and over again. We really do not know any better and nothing teaches us that better than Science Fiction, but Science Fiction at least makes it look cool.

The most outstandingly Science Fiction aspect of Space Odyssey that it is in space. A Space Odyssey takes many of the classic Sci-Fi Troupes such as space, a focus on technology, and a certain aesthetic for concepts beyond human understanding. Also, for the time period it was produced, there is a heavy focus on the tech advantages, such as video calling. At the beginning, there is a scene when the man calls his daughter back home telling her he won’t make it to her birthday, and this is something we literally have heavily depended on since COVID. The fact they are walking around in these space suits like its nothing, NASA could only imagine. The AI although at a point of the film you could consider it sentient, which is also a common Sci-Fy theme, is able to read their lips when they sneak off to talk privately in the pods is a nod to the advancements. Blade runner also captures many of the classic Sci-fy points, there are flying cars and robots. The robots or replicants are so human life they have a special test to register emotional response to be able to distinguish them.

Comparison

 The Replicants seem almost human, much how in Space Odyssey they consider the AI as part of the crew it would be difficult to distinguish Rachael from a normal girl on the street. The intelligent emotional response from a machine created by man is a central theme in Sci-fy. The fascination with creating life through non-organic means, resonates through this Genre and both films. They both feature a primary conversation that signifies this change. The conversation between the scientist and the AI when he is trapped outside the ship and the conversations between Deckard and Rachael when she ends up in his apartment. Blade Runner though, does a lot more explaining of what is going on.  Space had significantly less talking and more open interpretation of what’s going on. The ending scene when He finds the Black Artifact and spirals into this psychedelic space time worm hole is incredibly unique. Both movies have fantastic soundtracks that really feed into the genre. Both movies fully embody the genre of Sci-fi through its primary themes and storytelling styles. Space though I would also consider a thriller. Scenes such as when he is disconnecting the higher brain functions of the AI and HAL is repeating how it was afraid. The energy in the scene is so intense the image of the red reflection almost like blood from him essentially murdering HAL is fantastic. These movies are two dots on a spectrum both designed to make you think and consider your own universe.