(By)Product of the Future

Pollution, Decay, & Corruption

The persistent rain and darkness in the future city of Los Angeles in Blade Runner is suggestive of the pollution and overdevelopment of a high-tech, industrialized, and decaying city. The city constantly seems to be hiding behind a screen of rain and fog. A downward spiral of societal collapse in the city is reflected in the cycle of pollution and rain coming back down to earth furthering the process of decay; a city projected from familiar elements from the past and present with little hope for the future. Most scenes are dimly lit or immersed in darkness with the only source of lighting coming from artificial neon lights. Similar instances of the dark decaying city portrayed in Blade Runner can be seen in other films such as Metropolis 2001, Akira, and the Fifth Element. In these films, similar imagery of a hyper-developed, mechanized metropolis saturated with “junk-yard technology”, chaotic pipe-work, circuitry and infrastructure, pollution and decay all or partially immersed in darkness and rain can be seen.

The elements of darkness and rain are used to a different effect in Sin City. A stark contrast of white and black creat throughout the entire film a fearful environment full of corruption and crime, reflective of the overwhelming evil occuring in Sin City with little glimpses of justice.

Anonymity

Darkness and rain are sources of mystery as well as concealment; incidentally, it is also a source of fear. In the sets of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Metropolis 1927, and The Black Cat, the darkness was used as a way of creating an atmosphere of suspense and horror. For silent films such as Caligari and Metropolis 1927, the imagery is especially important. Anxiety and fear is heightened through the use of darkness to hide what is about to come. The element of suspense and fear of the unknown is critical in creating the environment for these films. From the dark dungeon of The Black Cat, Rotwang and Maria's chase through the catacombs in Metropolis, to the murder scenes in Dr. Caligari, darkness, shadows, and concealment were strategies used to heighten the sense of doom and terror. The setting for the dystopic film Alphaville takes place in a modernizing Paris at nighttime. The particular angle that the film took creates an unsettling futuristic world by assembling elements found in the present. Filming the movie in Paris at night with artificial lights helps in creating the computerized world where Alpha 60 is in control. Here, the darkness contributes to a surreal setting where all its inhabitants are more like drones than humans. In Blade Runner, the dimly lit scenes hide parts or all of the characters faces. Movement and action occur in the darkness, sometimes emphasized with lighting coming from unknown sources through the windows. Furthermore with themes delving into individuality, with Replicants, probing lights, and omnipresent police surveillance, the value of individuals are depreciated. With details of the characters faces and clothing concealed, people become anonymous in the dehumanizing city of Los Angeles in 2019.

images: 1) the decaying city of Blade Runner. 2) the dark Zone 1 lit by artificial lights in Metropolis 2001. 3) the workers slaving deep underground. 4) faces & figures hidden in the darkness, Blade Runner. 5) the dark and evil Sin City.