Things to Come
As horrific as the events in “Things to Come” get, this adaptation of an H.G. Wells story- by Wells himself- is part of a strain of science fiction that sees an optimistic future coming out of horror. A century after the beginning of a world war, society has advanced to where peace and prosperity rule the day rather than animosity. They also look to the stars. It’s striking to think that, in the decades after this 1936 film came out, we would see this unfold in real life (without the peace and prosperity, sadly), as the desire to explore space got stronger after the devastation of the two world wars. But in the vision of Wells and director William Cameron Menzies, society can only get to this future with the destruction of war behind them. Sadly, humanity cannot really get past its violent nature; division is almost our default setting.
In 1940, on Christmas Day, John Cabal (Raymond Massey) is hosting a party when news begins to leak out that war might be imminent. A guest, however, is optimistic- maybe out of war, technological progress can be found. War does break out, and it lasts decades. We never find out who the enemy is, or what the motivations for war are. Next comes the plague. Known as the “Wandering Sickness,” everyone it touches dies, but not before taking on a zombie-like form. The Wells story being adapted, The Shape of Things to Come, was written in 1933, so even though this is about a second world war, it is using the events of WWI as a template. Eventually, the epidemic fades, but not before killing half of humanity. Eventually, the city of Everytown in England- where the film is largely set- is controlled by a warlord known as “The Boss,” and he begins conflicts for resources over again. Eventually, a new form of aircraft flies overhead, and out comes Cabal, now much older. He is part of a band of engineers and mechanics who are formed an organization called “Wings Over the World.” They are rebuilding civilization, and have banned war. Can Cabal bring reason and peace to the world?
Visual effects were still in their infancy in the 1930s, so science fiction often relied more on massive production design to create new worlds, or new visions of the Earth. Set designer Vincent Korda’s work in this film is staggering, from the early scenes of a world thriving before war, the destruction war causes, to the advanced technology of Wings Over the World and beyond. I’ve been familiar with Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis,” as well as “A Trip to the Moon,” for decades, but “Things to Come” brings something different to the table. This shows us to evolution of one view of the future out of an all-too-real beginning; in “Metropolis,” Lang threw us into the fire of the new world. Even now, this is unheard of, as we do not really get the progression of society, even when one portion of the story takes place in the past (or present) vs. the future. Even if the story Wells eventually came up with from his writing- it’s said the screenplay had a tough birth- is not high on depth of character and purpose, that it is what brought this unique spectacle of cinema to life is meaningful. We are left with things to ponder- is Cabal, who is preceded in the future by his grandson, Orwell (played also by Massey), representative of an authoritarian leader, for whom conquering enemies through fear is his way of gaining control of the world? How did Cabal and other intellectuals survive, and thrive, without being detected by others? Why is it humanity seems to fall into the same patterns, over and over again, only to have to start over? That is the question no film can truly answer, and we have to work through on our own, especially if we’re going to break through our habits, and truly live in peace with one another.
