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  • Essay / A Review of The Time Machine by Marxists

    The Time Machine is a 1960 science fiction film produced and directed by George Pal. Based on an 1895 novel of the same title by HG Wells, the film depicts an inventor's journey into the distant future and his discoveries. As George, the inventor, leaves his Victorian English home in 1900 and arrives in 802 701 AD, he discovers that civilization as he knows it has been completely lost. Soon, he discovers that humanity has evolved into two distinct species: the Eloi and the Morlocks. As Matthew Taunton notes in an article titled “Class in The Time Machine,” “HG Wells was a committed socialist and also a scientist with an active interest in evolution” (par. 1). Therefore, the film's presentation of the disappearance of modern civilized norms in this future society and the presentation of the division of power between the Eloi and the Morlocks must be viewed through the prism of Marxist criticism to understand the political commentary taking place . Say no to plagiarism. . Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The film opens with a scene that depicts a series of clock faces drifting into nothingness and ends with a photo of Big Ben, a remarkable English monument. This opening scene symbolizes both the concept of time and modern civilization, and helps introduce viewers to what the film is about. The film begins in media res and viewers are introduced to the main character, George, as he stumbles upon a dinner party in his own home. His appearance and behavior contrast sharply with those of his friends and colleagues gathered around the dinner table. While his friends and colleagues seem to be the embodiment of modern civilization, George enters the film with the dirty appearance and exhausted demeanor of a wild man. The film then uses a flashback to show viewers how and why George ended up with his clothes in tatters and his knowledge too big to understand. Soon, viewers see George alone in his workshop preparing to make his journey to the future. As he sits inside his sleigh-like time machine, George watches the days, nights, weeks, months and years pass through a window. He observes the changing times through the changing clothing styles of a mannequin in a storefront across the street. He made a few brief stops in 1917, 1940 and 1966. Apparently fascinated by his ability to travel through time and by the changes in civilization he witnessed, George continued his journey into the future until his travel machine in the time indicates the year 802 701 AD. he stops his time machine, he begins to venture into his alien surroundings, and he soon discovers a group of extremely passive men and women by a river. These men and women are all small, with tan skin, blond hair, and blue eyes, and they sit idly while a woman drowns in the river. George rushes to save the woman, Weena, and he is amazed at the passivity of the people he encountered. He doesn't understand why they would sit with indifference in front of a woman drowning before their eyes. This is the first interaction George has with the Eloi, one of the two human species of this future civilization. The Eloi's passivity, coupled with their small stature and good looks, helps viewers understand the film's political symbolism. The foundation of the political statement becomes even more certain when George discovers the second species of this future, 1995.