Space combat fantasy. New Fighting Fiction

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

In Russia, the film genre term "combat fiction" was initially used, in the West the concept of "military sci-fi &fantasy" (literally translated - "military science fiction and fantasy") is used. At first glance, to an inexperienced viewer it may seem that the difference between them is small, but it is quite significant.

Essence

The basis in the structure of films related to combat fiction is the battle itself, the bloody battle, but the military tends to pay more attention to the various facets of the action called war. The descriptive reflection of battles, star squadrons is just a detail, undoubtedly important, but not the only one. In addition to battles, the plot contains diplomacy, politics, tactics and strategy, ethics and morality. The predominant part of military fiction is pure "entertainment", or, as it is also called, "combat". However, there are films whose creators, in one way or another, touch upon quite serious problems, seek to analyze the causes and consequences of military conflicts, design a strategy for future wars, and even convey anti-war messages to the viewer.

Geometrymovie wars

Combat fiction often uses one of the most sought-after plot schemes - a military epic, which is a whole complex of stories closely intertwined. Individual directors and directors aim at a detailed description of events with an impressive number of characters. A typical example is J. Lucas' epic Star Wars, which continues to enjoy phenomenal popularity and success in many countries around the world. By the way, there is practically no blood in the film epic, even in the largest battle scenes.

History of the development of the genre. Home

The 20-30s of the 20th century gave humanity a lot of fantastic pictures, but it is difficult to classify them as “combat fantasy”. The films of this period are mostly focused on human dramas, and not on wars, space and aliens. But in the middle of the century, the film industry began the era of films about monsters, mostly aliens, who, of course, are trying in every possible way to harm the inhabitants of planet Earth.

The clearest example is Byron Haskin's film "War of the Worlds". And at the end of the decade, the topic of space exploration and possible consequences became incredibly popular, and space combat fiction pushed aside other movie genres: When Worlds Collide, Destination - the Moon, Space Conquest, Evil Red Planet, It! Horror from outer space” (film-precursor of “Alien”), “Earth vs. flying saucers”. After the appearance of Kubrick's masterpiece "2001: A Space Odyssey" studiobegan with a great desire to invest in pictures about space and space battles. Through the efforts of directors, mysticism has been added to science fiction, as examples include such films: "Silent Run", "Planet of the Apes" (with numerous sequels), "Western World" and the gloomy "THX 1138" by D. Lucas.

Closer to modernity

In the science fiction of the 80s, the futuristic fairy tale "Star Wars" ruled the ball, thanks to its success several iconic films appeared: "Star Trek", "Blade Runner" (1982), "The Thing" (1982).) and "Alien" by Ridley Scott. By the end of the 20th century, some patterns emerged in the development of science fiction that determined what the viewer would watch in the future. The following films reflected them: "The End of the World", "The Matrix" (1999), "Equilibrium" (2002) and "Independence Day".

In the era of scientific and technological revolution

The rapid development of computer technology, which has transformed the face of the entire cinema, stimulated a new surge in the appearance of films in the genre of "fighting fiction" in the coming century. The best of the variety that appeared was appreciated by the viewer:

1. "Divergent" (2014). A vivid dystopia where the heroes fight for the freedom and independence of everyone, for new laws and the reorganization of the world. In the film, only one city remained inhabited on the planet, and the world became completely different. It is in the vastness of Chicago, the last dwelling on earth, that all events unfold.
2. "Lucy" (2014). The film became a cult and captivated the audiencewith its colorful storyline and exciting action. Lucy, a girl who accidentally became the main participant in the events, suddenly knew everything that is in the world. This interferes with many, and militants are trying to destroy it, and scientists want to get knowledge for the progress and domination of world science.
3. The Maze Runner (2014). A film with a gripping storyline. Several people live in a safe area in the middle of a kind of labyrinth, finding a way out of which is not so easy. However, this security disappears when two other characters appear in their little world. Will everyone make it out of the maze or will it swallow them up?
4. "Iron Man" (2008) "a film about progress, about the development of one successful engineer and businessman - iron protective shells. Will people with such armor be able to save the world this time?
5. Guardians of the Galaxy became one of the most popular films of its genre in 2014. The film resolves an intergalactic conflict, which the American pilot involuntarily witnessed.

There was no "combat" in the USSR?

Combat fantasy is a favorite genre that has long been mastered in the vastness of our country. But the films of the Soviet era are clearly beyond its scope. Soviet directors were much more interested in the development of mankind, they have a lot of "social sphere". "Aelita" is considered to be the first-born of Soviet science fiction. After that, a real boom in science fiction cinema spurred the release of such films: "The Silent Star", "The Sky Calls", "Planet of Storms", "Prisoners of the Iron Star", "Moscow - Cassiopeia", "Inquiry of Pilot Pirks". Russian combat fiction of that period is filled with propagandaspirit - the good heroes-cosmonauts fought with vicious astronauts. All films are similar in their shortcomings: rough scientific mistakes, timidity of the author's fiction and stereotyped characters.

Domestic cinema. Revival

Russian fighting fiction is in line with the trends of the new era, films that can compete with foreign ones are released:

1. "Night Watch" (2004). One of the most popular Russian films and the most popular domestic film of its genre. Great action and an incredible world with vampires, witches and other supernatural forces, and with the "watch" opposing them.
2. "Day Watch" (2005) - a continuation of the idea and plot of the film "Night Watch", a little less popular than the first part. Here already, in order to maintain a balance in the world with dark and light forces, the day watch balances the forces of good and does not allow it to become stronger than the dark forces.
3. Keepers of the Net (2010). A film about a secret organization that monitors the Internet. The heroes of the film, who were once professional hackers, now serve their Motherland and are ready to control life on the net.
4. "We are from the future" (2008). In the film, a group of people who are engaged in illegal mining of artifacts found special documents from the war years during their work. There they also found their photographs, but taken during the Great Patriotic War. Soon the heroes themselves become participants in hostilities in order to solve the mystery of this find.
5. “We are from the future-2”(2010). Continuation of the plot of the first film, which captivated the audience with its action and originality. A group of people who got into the war in the past should influence its outcome and the future of the country.

An unprecedented phenomenon

All the novelties of combat fiction represent a single unprecedented phenomenon. The advantage is large-scale blockbuster action with an unexpected but impressive cast:

1. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). The Avengers attack the enemy headquarters of G. I. D. R. A. Taking advantage of enemy developments, part of the team secretly creates Ultron, a robot whose mission is to protect peace and order. But something went wrong…
2. "Divergent Chapter 2: Insurgent" (2015). Beatrice Pryor confronts her inner demons to save society.
3. Jupiter Ascending (2015). Simple cleaner Jupiter Jones is at the epicenter of an intergalactic intrigue that can change the universe. The girl's routine life changes dramatically.
4. "Welcome to Paradise" (2015). A city has been created for millionaires, where they can fulfill all their desires with the help of androids. You can do anything with a robot, and there are a lot of people who want to try it, despite the price. Then the devices are sent for repair and the memory is erased, but one day the program crashes, one of the androids remembers all the horrors that happened to him and his brothers.