Fahrenheit 451 begins with
zoom in to close ups of TV antennas with multiple psychedelic
colors with mysterious music that makes the sequence very strange. The antennas
symbolize the oppressive grip over the common people by the government. They
plan to stamp out free thinking and expression. 
"The book burnings of
Fahrenheit 451 are clearly intended partly as entertainment, designed to
procure the complicity of the general population in the burning of books and
the persecution of readers. Their purpose is more symbolic than it is literally
to destroy all books, which have already been rendered ineffectual by the
general population’s lack of interest in reading them.”(M.
Keith Booker)
I agree that the book
burnings are entertaining when not having any sympathy or care for books such
as the firemen and anyone who has a television signal like Montag’s wife. When
the woman sees the firemen in her house she quotes Hugh Latimer who was put to
death for Heresy by burning at the stake. She said "play the man, master
Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by god's grace, in England, as I
trust shall never be put out."
The lady refuses to leave her books as she
stands on a large pile of her book collection scattered on her floor. The
camera cuts to a close up of the book The world of Salvador Dali. The pages of
the book move frantically with the music revealing various pictures of artwork.
"the flapping, pigeon-winged books died," it transforms the books
from cold objects to beautifully alive birds, whose death is tragic and
disturbing.” Ray Bradbury Fahrenheit 451
The camera cuts away to
a close up of a fire hose being ready to spray through the window. Blue liquid
is sprayed all over the books where the lady is standing. Before the firemen
can set the fire themselves she lights a match underneath her lighting
everything on fire including herself. I believe the lady wanted to die with her
books because she could not live without them. The firemen resemble Nazis going
door to door destroying literature. The firemen also seem to be blonde hair and
blue eyes in intimidating uniforms like army soldiers. The lady never seems to
be in pain but faints in the middle of the blaze of fire that lights her entire
living room into a blaze.
The book burnings are
more of a spectacle than they are necessary because most of the people in Fahrenheit
451 are already stupefied so destroying all the books is more of a statement of
power and control.
Being connected to the signal is a way of
control over the people who watch it. “A general suspicion of
technology, and the expectation that advanced technology is inevitably
dehumanizing” This theme is present in Fahrenheit 451 because Montags wife and
her friends seem to be emotionless and have concerns only for whatever is on
television. One of Mildred Montags friends starts to cry when Montag starts
reading from a book. This suggests that the women are holding back emotion and
thoughts that are being suppressed by the television signal and not reading
literature.
“for whom the vision of
books as a crucial tool against oppression has to be heartening.” M.
Keith Booker
This is a good reason
why books are banned in Fahrenheit 451 because it is believed that the books
cause unhappiness and makes people want to live in other ways as said by
Montags captain. “The only way for everyone to be happy is for everyone to be
made equal.” Captain Beatty.
I could also argue that becoming untouched or
unaffected by their emotions like Montags wife could be catastrophic. Mildred
attempted suicide without even realizing it and she couldn’t even remember it
the next day.
“To be dystopian, a
work needs to foreground the oppressive society in which it is set” M.
Keith Booker
In Soylent Green the
government controls the over populated city by closing them in poverty. People
eat processed food with a dirty secret. Only the rich can live normally tightly
secured away in guarded buildings.
“Concern about
overpopulation is interconnected with long-standing political, cultural, and
economic competition between urban and rural America.” Brian
Ireland
Over population is one
of the many problems seen in Soylent Green. People are living on the stairs of
apartment buildings and even in broken down cars. At one point people are
carried away in machines they call scoops like as if they were trash.
Technology was supposed to help the city thrive but it seems only those with money
and power will survive in the harsh conditions of scarce food supply, living
space and inclement weather. 
“something must . . .
be done in the present to avoid the future” (Evans 33).
If this film was meant
to be a warning I think it did a good job of showing what could happen to a
city that becomes too large too quickly. Also why would people continue to have
kids in such horrible conditions in a densely populated city filled with disease
and crime?
When people die in the
city their bodies are taken to a factory where they are transformed into edible
products for people to consume. The city recycles itself and only the elite few
are able to eat expensive bottles of strawberries and animal products.
Women in the film are referred
to as furniture and are used as concubines. Shirl talks Robert Thorn into
staying the night after her master was killed. They lay in bed together while
maintaining conversation with the notion that romance is not necessary. There
is no explanation for why women are turned into sex slaves in Soylent Green.
Pretty women seem to be more of a luxury item than anything else. Even Martha Philips
the woman eating strawberries offers Robert her company.
This sort of theme portrays women as useless slaves, not one female in this
movie has any equality to a man which is no surprise. This film was made in (1972)
and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women wasn’t until (1979). I am not positive the story would have been any different
if made in a later year but compared to modern day films the sexism is off the
charts.
Overall I wish this
film dived deeper into the elite world. I wanted to know more about the dark
side of the city and who is behind the Soylent green production. How was it
possible? How can a human body be transformed into an edible product that
people would eat? This film seems incomplete like there should be a part 2. I
would enjoy watching a part 2 of when the people of the city find out the truth
and how they react to eating dead people. For as awesome as this movie could
have been I don’t feel like I will always regard this film as a must see
classic.
On Dystopia analysis
To be Dystopian the
society must be worse than the reader or watcher is experiencing themselves.
The society in non-existent meaning someone has created this society in great
detail but it doesn’t actually exist. According to M. Keith Booker new trends
in dystopian films are encouraging audiences to feel better about their own
lives. It’s hard to agree with this completely but I wouldn’t say this does not
happen in the modern age. As far as keeping the genre alive it is definitely
possible to shock audiences with new dystopian societies.
