Science fiction film's alien contact subgenre and evolution

¶ … Science Fiction Film Genre

Defining the Science Fiction Genre

The genre of science fiction has been defined saying that it describes,

The probable consequences of some improbable or impossible transformation of the basic conditions of human (or intelligent non-human) existence. This transformation need not be brought about by a technological invention, but may involve some mutation of known biological or physical reality" (Baldick 1991, p. 200).

Another source says that:

Sci-fi tales have a prophetic nature (they often attempt to figure out the future) and are often set in a future time. They are usually visualized through fanciful settings and advanced technology gadgets, scientific developments, or by fantastic special effects" (Dirks 2002).

While these aspects of science fiction films are generally true, such as having special effects, the one aspect that makes a film science fiction is that it is not based in the current reality. Beyond this, the genre varies from films based on alternative realities, such as The Matrix, to films based on projections of what the future might be like, such as Minority Report, to films based on what science might allow to happen, such as Jurassic Park.

The history of SF feature films begins in the 1920s with Metropolis (1926), the first successful SF film (Dirks 2002). SF films continued to be made for the next two decades but without any major developments. Then in the 1950s SF films really took off, with SF films being seen as a good financial decision for the first time. This has continued up to the present time, where a significant number of successful films are in the SF genre. For example, of the top 20 grossing films of 2002, as listed by the U.S. Box Office, five can be classified as SF (MovieMarshall 2003). These films are Spider-Man, Star Wars II, Men in Black II, Minority Report, and The Ring.

The range of subjects that SF films can cover makes the genre a broad field. To consider some specific films, it is useful to break the genre down into subgroups. One recognized subgroup is alien contact. This theme first emerged in the 1951 film The Thing From Another World (Dirks 2002). SF films featuring alien contact then continued right up to the present with major films such as the recent Men in Black II (2002).

To consider the development of feature films involving alien contact, three examples will now be discussed. The first will be Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). The second will be Contact (1996). The third will be the most recent, Solaris (2002).

These films will each be discussed for the purpose of showing how they fit into the SF genre, while also showing why they are all good examples of the genre, and illustrating the variability occurring in science fiction films.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) is a film based on the subject of the first human contact with aliens. This alien contact is the subject that the film revolves around. However, the actual aliens are not the focus or the major part of the film. Instead, the major focus is on the human characters who are encountering these aliens. These human characters are three average people: Roy Neary, an average man who encounters an alien spacecraft while alone one evening and is then drawn to the landing place to see these aliens; Jillian Guiler, whose son is taken by the aliens and travels to the landing place with Roy to find out what happened to her son; and Claude Lacombe, the scientist who is in charge of the alien investigation.

The basis of the film in following the experiences of these three characters is what makes this film a good example of the science fiction genre. Firstly, the film is not based on a current reality, therefore making it a science fiction film. The next question is why it is an example of a good science fiction film. The answer is that it is not based only on the science fiction component.

The important point is that a science fiction film needs to have a plot. In one source the author notes the error made by directors who believe that a film will be "magically transformed into sf by the addition of sf furniture" (Harrison 1978, p. 6). In the case of Close Encounters of the Third Kind the important point is that Spielberg does not make the mistake of thinking that the aliens will make the film effective. Instead, he creates a science fiction film with a human story behind it. The three main characters are the center of the film and it is these characters that the viewer can identify with. The major point of any great film is that the audience identifies with the characters and journeys with them. This is why the film Titanic is not a documentary about how the ship sank. Instead, the basis of the film is the human love story at its center. In short, a film requires a background upon which to work from. But the film is only effective, when a human story is added that the film can follow across this background. In Close Encounters of the Third Kind the background is the impending alien encounter. The human story of the three characters travels across this background, emerging the viewer into the story. It is this feature that makes the film a good example of a science fiction film. Spielberg knows that the science fiction element is not enough to make the film effective. He adds the human drama to engage the viewer in the film, so they journey with the characters and experience the film actively, rather than passively. In short, the audience is not just viewing events, they are experiencing them on an emotional level by identifying with the characters.

The other important part of Close Encounters of the Third Kind that makes it a good example of a science fiction film is the use of special effects. This is another case where Spielberg puts special effects to good use without making the error of believing that a good movie can be created based only on special effects. Spielberg knows that special effects must serve a purpose, and that purpose is not just to create something visually appealing. If visual appeal were all that was necessary, Spielberg would be creating art, not films. Several authors describes Close Encounters of the Third Kind, along with Star Wars, as marking a turning point in films, based on the sudden acceptance of special effects in films (Gross 1995, p. 7., Sobchack 1987, p. 282). The important thing, though, is not that Spielberg used especially great special effects. The important thing is that he shows how effective special effects can be when used well. In the film, Spielberg does not uses these special effects just to create visual appeal, he uses them to create mood. This is especially apparent in the final scenes were the spacecraft arrives at the landing zone. In this scene, Spielberg uses special effects in the form of lighting and the scene has a strong visual appeal. However, this visual appeal also creates a certain mood. The entire focus of the movie is based on showing that aliens encounters are not necessarily going to be the feared event that everyone should panic over. Spielberg's perspective is that it is more likely to be a peaceful and moving event. The visual appeal effectively creates this exact response in the viewer. The beauty of the lights and the scene creates a sense of calmness and awe, rather than anything that suggests fright. The important point is that the special effects create a mood that enhances the meaning of the film. It is this effective use of special effects that resulted in the new era. Spielberg showed how special effects could create meaning and this was the basis of their success, not just the fact that it was a nice scene to look at.

Solaris

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Solaris (2002) is another film describing a first alien contact experience. The film follows the story of Chris Kelvin, a scientist sent to a space station orbiting the planet Solaris. The planet is actually the alien life form, with the planet able to take on the form of the scientist's dead relatives. This occurs as Chris's deceased wife, Rheya, returns. The story is then based on the interaction of Kris and Rheya, while also bringing up questions of life, death, and love.

Like the previous two films discussed, Solaris is science fiction because the events described are not based on current reality. Central to the story is the planet Solaris and the alien life form that exists on it. Also like the previous two films discussed, Solaris is really a story of human drama.

In this case, the human drama is based on Chris's interactions with his deceased wife and the various issues this raises. This makes the film a romantic science fiction film, though one with very deep issues at its base. Of the three films, Solaris is the one that is based on the questions it raises as much as the events it describes. This was partly true for Contact and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but not to near the extent of Solaris. Solaris raises issues such as what life is, whether a copy of a deceased one can be experienced in the same way as the deceased one, and what love is. This creates a science fiction film with a whole different purpose than most. Solaris can be described as a good science fiction film because it takes a basic genre and focuses it slightly differently than most. The basic science fiction genre is effectively used to create an unrealistic yet acceptable scene, which manages to ask questions that a realistic scene would have found hard to do. The purpose of Solaris seems to be to make you question what you know about life and love, and in this purpose the film is successful.

Conclusion

This concludes the analysis of these three science fiction films, each one based on a first contact experience. The interesting thing is that while each film has the first contact experience as its background, each is very different in its focus and in the meaning created. The thing that all three have in common is the focus on human drama to drive the storyline. It is this aspect that makes them all good films, since this human drama engages the viewer. They also each use special effects to create meaning, rather than just to create visually appealing images. Beyond these similarities, the films differ widely. Close Encounters of the Third Kind is essentially a human drama. Contact is a human drama with the addition of meaningful themes. Solaris is a romantic science fiction film whose main purpose is to ask questions on meaningful themes. The differences seen in these three films suggests the direction that the science fiction genre will proceed in. It is predicted that the science fiction genre is so broad that it will develop in various directions, from adventure to romance. One of the most interesting things noted in the analysis of these three films is that even though the science fiction components are the same, they are widely differing films. The implication is that the science fiction genre is capable of combining with all other genres. It is likely that the future of science fiction films will involve more and more variations as the science fiction genre combines with various other genres.