A science fiction moral parable

Rating: 7/10 (29 August 2013)

This film which utilizes the most advanced technology for its special effects has as a core a very ancient myth. I am not writing my personal idea I just reproduce the characterization that Dimitris Bouras, the film critic of "The Kathimerini" newspaper in the issue of Thursday 22nd of August gave to the central hero: a Messiah leading the downtrodden to heaven/redemption- that is to Elysium. Truly it is one of the times that I agree completely with the film critic. Perhaps I should have read the critique after I had seen the movie.
Briefly the plot is that in a future world human society is sharply divided between the poor masses who live in filth and the privileged rich who live in an artificial world, a satellite of Earth called Elysium, from the Greek name of the after-world where the souls of heroes dwelled- the equivalent of the Christian Paradise although the qualification for entry were different. This point is very strongly made from the first instance of the film. It follows a long line of dystopian fiction such as "The Time Machine" by Wells, "The Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley, "1984" by George Orwell, the science fiction comic "The Incal" by Jean Giraud(Moebius) and Alejandro Jodorowsky and also the theories of many theorists of oligarchical rule in the 20th century such as Vilfredo Pareto, Gaetano Mosca and Michels-even James Burnham. It is also based on the experience of a great part of human recorded history which witnessed a great cleavage between the ruling class and the popular masses.
This perennial theme is set in a not so distant future and with a cast of characters that E.M. Forster would term flat: The central hero, an orphan raised by nuns, a semi-criminal type and factory worker who after a terrible accident follows a path that leads him to martyrdom and the saving of the poor- thus confirming the prophecy of a nun that he would achieve great things despite his humble background- in the same sense that Jesus Christ did- although in his case he expiated the sins of others not of himself; the ruthless defense secretary of Elysium that does anything to safeguard the interests of the rich and advance her personal ambition; the sadistic and vicious undercover agent that is illegally hired by the powerful, is dumped by them and then betrays them in his turn as all self-respecting mercenaries do. And some other characters less or more sympathetic that fill the canvas of this predictable and simplistic movie.
But I have to point out that it is not a bad movie. Many people accuse it for being naive but frankly class hatred and political oppression are pretty black and white concepts and most people in history have experienced them in such a manner. Sophisticates and intellectuals may complain here but one must not rationalize too much. When sources are divided very unequally hatred and chaos follow and one does not need the theories of Jurgen Habermas or Noam Chomsky to state the obvious. Yes the movie is as subtle as a tone of bricks falling on your head as a reviewer wrote but it is a movie and not a sociological treatise. And as we know political and religious myths are more powerful motors of history than the writings of learned intellectuals.
Briefly speaking if you are conversant with Christian mythology and modern dystopian fiction and you love visual and sound effects go and see this film. If you want sophisticated descriptions of modern social problems and are offended by the idea that the poor are good and the rich evil then don't go.