top of page
Writer's pictureSherica Chua

Elysium - Utopia and Dystopia

Updated: May 23, 2022

"Elysium" is a 2013 American sci-fi action film. They filmed on both a ravaged Earth and a luxurious artificial world called Elysium. In its own way, the film offers a clear social commentary on topics such as immigration, overpopulation, health care, worker exploitation, the justice system, and social class in society. (Wikipedia,2022)

Shown robots from Elysium are trying to attack Earth people, going to bring them back to their "habitat". https://123moviefree.sc/mov/elysium-2013/watching.html/?ep=45

Through this film, the dominant regime can be identified from the part where they show that the CEO has access to both the Elysium and Earth data. With the power held by the CEOs, they have the right to give powerful instructions to their workers to proceed with just a command. In both worlds, there are robots around. However, the difference between the Earth and Elysium robots are bots on Earth treats their citizen badly and rudely, unlike bots in Elysium who will protect their citizens at all cost. This is so the people on earth are classified as poor, whereas people on the Elysium are classified as wealthy the politicians do not want to bother caring about the people on earth more than the people on Elysium.


In today's society, we are somewhat still being judged based on our social class in society. To sociologists, it's important because it reflects unequal access to rights, resources, and power in society today - what we call social stratification. Due to this, it has a direct impact on an individual's access to education, the quality of that education, and the level of success that an individual can achieve. One's social network also affects their economic and employment prospects, political participation and power, and even health and life expectancy among other things. (ThoughtCO, 2022)


In the previous topic, I have written have also explained the topic of Utopia and Dystopia. Utopia, in my view, is a place of fantasy where everything is an idealistic place, including in-laws, politicians, and social conditions. Dystopia, on the other hand, refers to an imagined world or society in which people live wretched, dehumanized, and fearful lives. If it's a reconstructed history or an erased history, it would be an undesirable place.


Shown the Elysium world and Earth, both different conditions. https://123moviefree.sc/mov/elysium-2013/watching.html/?ep=45

Going into these topics, I would like to point out the Utopia and Dystopia in the film too. The idea of Utopia in this film would be the “Elysium” a space of wealthy people living in it, where they would never get sick or old. As they are supported with advanced technology called Med-Bays, they would just have to lay into the machine and it will heal every part of their body like it was never there. Considering this a Utopia because it gives a sense of fantasy living in space where you would never die, which one will wish for. The other side which is Dystopia would represent the “Earth” in the film, where it is overpopulated, polluted, and justice system. Scenes showing everywhere on earth are not tidy and not clean. Where they have to squeeze or queue up everywhere they go. This would be considered Dystopia because, in reality, the world is slowly overpopulating and unfair.


To end off, to me I would say that if I was living in the film I would also dream of staying in Elysium like the actor Max did. As it is easier to fantasize about having everything I want than to actually work for it. The part where Carlyle says “Don't breathe on me. Cover your mouth.” to Max’s in-charge, really made me feel the pain and discrimination. It is something that I personally have gone through when I was judged and compared for my grades in Secondary School. The experience taught me that the world isn't a fair and judgment-free place, where once I believed it was.


Reference Link:


Comments


bottom of page