Steven spielberg minority report and oedipus rex - Essay Example

Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report and Oedipus Rex This analysis illuminates how ical drama set the stage for modern drama and strives to identify thematic elements that featured preeminently in Philip Deck’s Minority Report and Oedipus’ Rex by Sophocles. Minority Report is a neo-noir sciences fiction thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg in 2002. The setting is Washington, D.C., circa 2054. The film is about an upcoming society where homicides are stopped through the efforts of three mutants’ individuals who had the ability to see the future.

The author explains how the department of justice has found a seemingly impeccable means to avert homicide in D.C area through a prophylactic pre-detection of felonious. The author had used three mutant psychics which he refers as Pre-cogs. Pre-cogs is a type of life-sustaining nutrients which is capable of controlling the level of serotonin located in precognition who are Dashiell, Arthur and Agatha people responsible in finding murderers before they commit murder. Minority Report is futuristic movie which depicts component of both utopia and dystopia.

Oedipus Rex is political thriller and a psychological whodunit. Sophocles, the author, uses his work to explain the irony of a man determined at exposing, tracking down and punish the murderers turn to be the assassin. This paper shall strive to elucidate how the theme of prophesy, blindness and fate are evident in both dramas and further explicate Aristotle’s expectation of modern drama. Blindness is one the prevailing themes found both in Oedipus Rex and Minority Report. Both Anderton, the protagonist in Minority Report, and Oedipus are metaphorical blind.

Oedipus is blind to the point that he is the liable of pollution on the land. Detective Anderton is also blinded for he had believed that Pre-Crime is infallible. Jocasta, Oedipus, and Laius all had tried to escape their destiny. "Have you eyes, and do not see your own damnation? Eyes, and cannot see what company you keep?" (37)Additionally, prophecy prevails both in Minority Report and Oedipus Rex. Teiresias prophesied that Oedipus will kill his father and lay with his mother and this came to happen.

Anderton also showed prophecy by working for Pre-Crime, and he relies on the visions of three precognitives, Dashiell, Arthus and Agatha to find murderers before they commit murder. Finally, Oedipus Rex and Minority Report left a strong theme which proves that no conspiracy can outwit fate. Oedipus, upon hearing the prophecies, he fled from Corinth were he believed his parent were and he went to exile were he end up killing his father Laius and married Jocasta her mother hence in the end, fate is victorious.

In Minority Report individuals inevitably believed in fate. If individuals had free will, then Pre-Crime could not work, otherwise; who is to say the killer couldnt decide not to commit murder?Evidently, classical work was fundamental in laying the foundation upon which contemporary entertainment is built. The various thematic elements that featured in classical masterpieces are further developed in production of modern films and other forms of entertainment only with some small twisting. While viewing the film, one feels that they are watching the very drama by Sophocles only that it lacks the deep sense of originality.

Consequently, Sophocles might perceive Minority Report as a modern drama that lacks critical dramatic elements and sheer authenticity.