THE USE OF BAD ENGINEERING IN METROPOLIS THE INVISIBLE RAY & FORBIDDEN PLANET
In today's technological universe, most science fiction films andtexts, being "the only literature capable of exploring the macro-history ofour species. . . in a cosmic context" (Franklin, Internet), are structuredon hard science and research and contain machines or other devices whichare quite recognizable in form and shape to the general viewing audience.But this has not always been the case, for in a number of science fictionfilms produced in the early days of Hollywood and well into the late1950's, the portrayal of mechanical devices, such as robots, weapons,communications instruments and navigational aids, not to mention certaintheories or ideas concerning radiation and power sources, were based onpure speculation and hypothesis with a grain of engineering ingenuity addedfor good measure. Some of these devices and ideas were well ahead of theirtime, but most were either ill-conceived or based on pseudo-science, beingunscientific in nature. Three films stand out as prime examples of theapplication of "bad engineering"-Metropolis ( 1926), directed by FritzLang; The Invisible Ray (1936), directed by Lambert Hillyer, and ForbiddenPlanet (1956), directed by Fred MacLeod Wilcox.
One scene shows a huge machine with numerous dials thatresembles some kind of ancient timepiece. This robot, endearingly called Hel, one of Rotwang's oldgirlfriends, appears to be very well put together, for it is jointed withmovable arms and legs and has an almost human-like expression molded intoits metallic face. In The Invisible Ray, "Radium X" is obviously ofextraterrestrial origin which might complicate the fact that radium, as faras scientists are concerned today, only exist in earthbound sourcematerials. The plotline,centered around the crew of the spaceship that discovers "a group ofadvanced beings who once inhabited the planet. Hispassion for these systems is quite overwhelming, for in some key scenesfrom the film, he takes the space travelers from Earth on a great tour,telling them of the power and magnificence of the Krell. In essence, Metropolis, set in the year 2026, relates the tale of a futuresupercity where the workers spend a zombie-like existence workingunderneath the city, running the machines that keep it alive and that allowthe elite city masters to frolic in reckless abandon. Some of the amazing devices/ mechanics which the Krell left behind before disappearing include an electronic teacher/manipulator which was placed on the head of the user so that his thoughtscould be recorded and then transferred to a lighted table where they wouldmaterialize in three dimensions, and far beneath the planet, the remnantsof the Krell's self-repairing energy plants that generated millions ofwatts by utilizing some unknown source of power and stretch for hundreds ofmiles above as well as hundreds of miles below in the heart of the planet. Morbius, and finally the famous "Robby the Robot" with his bubble-likehead and rubber-jointed arms which has been imitated in dozens of otherscience fiction films. Another example can be found inthe underground city, where the workers toil for endless hours with littlerecognition. This image ishighly reminiscent of German Expressionism, most notably seen in films likeThe Cabinet of Dr. He is, indeed, a flawed scientistattempting to manipulate a flawed mechanical system that has outlived itsusefulness.
Common topics in this essay:
Forbidden Planet,
Hawkins Metropolis,
Franklin Internet,
Bela Lugosi,
Invisible Ray,
Maria Hawkins,
Hel/Maria Metropolis,
Caligari Nosferatu,
Ray Radium,
Ray Morbius,
science fiction,
invisible ray,
science fiction films,
fiction films,
bad engineering,
forbidden planet,
dozens science fiction,
machine flawed,
ray 1936,
hundreds miles,
hel/maria metropolis,
dr morbius,
human brain machine,
invisible ray 1936,
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Acceptance Essays
