Science Fiction has offered us a plethora of infinite possibilities by transcending the limitations imposed on the human mind. Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, ‘Frankenstein’ serves as the first stepping stone toward this specific category. Whilst she may have written the first sci-fi novel, Hugo Gernsback is credited with recognizing it as a distinct field in 1926 through the publication of his magazine ‘Amazing Stories’. Science fiction has grown and evolved over time into the spectacle that it showcases today. It introduces viewers to a period that they are still to witness.
A franchise that has cemented its legacy and has been a fan favourite of this genre is the 1985 film, Back to the Future. Overflowing with vivacity and coupled with it being a romantic science fiction comedy, Back to the Future proves to be a classic 1980s blockbuster.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis with the screenplay woven by him and Bob Gale, the film follows the adventures of Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) with Dr Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) by his side in an old DeLorean serving as a time machine. Transported back into his father George (Crispin Glover) and mother Lorraine’s (Lea Thompson) high school phase of life, Marty inadvertently changes the past. Now he must attempt to reconcile his parents with each other to ensure that the future turns out to be the one he remembers.
Perched right at the overture, the numerous clocks that fill the screen, foreshadow the events that play out later during the course of Marty’s journey. With time being a central theme several references towards it are sprinkled throughout Marty’s period in 1950. Pivotal scenes shine through with seamless yet symbolic melodies playing in the background. Contradictions between the opening musical sequence ‘Take me back to the future’ and the concluding arrangement ‘Take me back to the past’ point toward the ingenuity that Zemeckis consistently portrays in all his projects.
Costumes play a significant role in materialising the filmmaker’s vision. Ensuring appropriate clothes are worn by characters when alternating between the past and present was an endeavour undertaken by Deborah Lynn Scott. Certain common colours appear in George and Lorraine’s clothing in 1955 further depicting their soon-to-be-born son as an alien in that society.
Exposition as a technique enhances and prompts the audience to pay close attention to the occurrences on the screen resulting in no loose ends. Conversations that may seem pointless are actually detailed factual cues hidden in plain sight which ultimately aid Marty in returning to his present.
Being a double-period piece, Back to the Future provided cinemagoers with a better understanding of what the people of 1955 thought their perspective tomorrow would shape up to be. A trailblazer amongst the scores of other films released alongside it, the representation of a futuristic world by Zemeckis and Gale was unlike one ever seen before.
Nevertheless, with the dynamic changes that this industry has witnessed, sci-fi finds itself being savoured by a selective few and on a decline in recent years with the masses switching over to its fantasy equivalent. With particular elements being a staple sight, there has been increased pressure on the screenplay and characters to propel the narrative forward. However, Back to the Future revels in being a breath of fresh air and remains an iconic template for cinematic visionaries who choose to venture or dabble with science fiction.
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