THX 1138: passive culture and individuality - Personal Statement Example

Movie Review- THX 1138 by George Lucas The movie THX-1138 was produced and directed by George Lucas, and set in an underground society controlled by technology where “video cameras monitor everywhere, computers record everything, and life is completely controlled” (“THX 1138”). This film portrays control and surveillance over the people in the society, having no idea who really is in control. In this film, Lucas depicts a society where all tasks are controlled by a computer and psychological reactions to conformity leaving many people wondering about their place in the society.

Passive culture and individuality are some of the themes that this film reflects. This paper presents a discussion on passive culture and individuality based on Lucas’s movie THX 1138. The theme of passive societies prevails in Lucas’s film. THX-1138 reflects a future society where some members of the society are hopeless to be active to better their lives and improve their living conditions. For instance, in this film, THX disappear due to his power to continue fighting the rest of the society.

Furthermore, LUH breaks the law in order to give individuality to THX and later she proves that she is capable of giving up her own life and that of her child. This movie presents a dark and deep outlook of the future where societal members will have no place to work as technology dominates, and a society without any leadership (“THX 1138”). Generally, individuals are afraid from escaping from the society like SEN who was not capable of escaping from the society even if he was in the worst part of the society claiming that he has nowhere to go.

The film THX 1138 is a reflection of a threatening future society where everyone is controlled wherever they go and are not given any chance to make self-decisions. It shows how society can be controlled by technology and societal members are left inactive and cannot perform some important tasks in the society. THX proved not to be a hero since he cannot even help his lover LUH and he only fights for his own safety. Additionally, this film shows how individuals fight to fit in the society, the conflict between individuals and the society.

In THX society, individuals are worried because technology is taking responsibility to perform many tasks and they lose their work. The society without a leader and controlled by machines making individuals to lose their identity and importance in the society. In addition, individuality is also one of the main themes in this film, which affects people as they struggle to escape from such society in order to independent. There is complete loss of individuality by all the minor characters. Internal forces control the society and there is no any form of leadership to guide societal members.

The activities are under surveillance with people making decisions without anyone in charge of all these (“THX 1138”). Everyone in the society is a follower with no leader and no member of the society is able to act independently. The law in the society needs conformity whereby, individuals are expected to behave according to the societal values and social norms. However, this is not the case as people in this society use drugs with adverse effects. Sadly, there is no one questioning these drugs since they are implanted in their bodies and there are cameras all over.

In case one questions these drugs, they are reminded that individuality is wrong and all are created for the masses (“THX 1138”). Everyone is capable of doing mindless tasks using technological controls; actually, the society is only interested in making its needs efficient and does not pay attention to the well-being of its members. Personally, this film dictates that all decisions made in this society are driven by economics. The society does not care much about the welfare of its members.

More so, this film reminds people the dangers of surrendering their freedom to a group as this will undermine their rights remaining voiceless in the society. THX 1138 is a reflection of loss of individuality in the society and technological over empowerment where everything is controlled by technology. Indeed, all these show that there are dangers of sacrificing individuality to be part of a group because this deprives a person the right to operate independently. In conclusion, the film THX by George Lucas presents a society where technology dominates, in that, computers control individuals’ lives, and there is no leadership.

Due to dominance of technology, the computers leaving people unsatisfied with their jobs conduct all tasks. They struggle to identify themselves and their place in the society. The major themes in this film are passive societies and individuality and these two come out clearly, by what is going on in the THX society. The computerized society has left people afraid of losing their identity. For instance, until his determination to escape, THX is afraid to lose his identity. Moreover, in this society, no one is expected to act independently as they are warned that individuality is wrong.

Works Cited THX 1138. Dir. George Lucas. IMDB. 1971. Web. 11 October 2013. < http://www.wikihow.com/Cite-a-Movie-Using-MLA-Style>