The document provides an analysis of the science fiction genre through a comparison of the movies Oblivion and Elysium. It summarizes the plots, which are set in the years 2077 and 2154 respectively, and depict a devastated Earth and humanity struggling to survive under oppressive authorities. Key differences are outlined, such as living conditions being designed for the rich on the space station Elysium versus inhabitants of Oblivion's Earth living in a state of endless warfare. The document concludes that understanding genres helps in better analyzing and identifying movies.

1. Compare or Contrast
Science Fiction
English 2 (ENGL 0205)
Assignment 2
FNBE September Intake
Lecturer: Mr. Woon Wai Cheong
Alexander Chung Siang Yee (1003A78541)
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2. Compare or Contrast on two English language Movies
What is Genre? How do we ensure that we had come to a full
understanding about genre? When we come across various movies, how do we
identify which category are these movies belong without mixed up? And, if our
perception are correct, are we sure that we had approached the whole or we are
merely interpret the tip of the iceberg? According to NCTE/IRA [1], genres or the
two major categories, are fiction (about things events, and character that are not
true) and nonfiction (about things, events, and people that are based on fact).
From these two major categories, we can classify even further down to poetry,
drama (plays), or prose. Those categories tell us something about the form of the
work. Further, we also classify fiction according to layout and style. There are
picture books, which contain words and picture, novellas or short novels, and short
stories. Content and theme are also under classification of fiction. Whence, we find
our common genres: adventure stories, science fiction, mystery, horror, romance,
realistic fiction, and historical fiction. When we are reading please bear in mind
that it is not necessary that genre must stand-alone, but it is comfortable to have
the element of crime story or mystery story set in the science fiction or history
fiction.
I have chosen science fiction as my topic to contrast between two movies:
Oblivion (2013) and Elysium (2013).[2] Science fiction is a genre of fiction in which
the stories tell about science and technology of the future, as shown in the two
movies mentioned above. It is crucial to note that science fiction has a connection
with the principle of science where these stories involve partially true and partially
fictitious laws or theories of science. For instance, over decades, scientist is in the
attempt to create an environment to allocate human to live in spacehabitat, which
is able to self-sustained. It should not be completely unbelievable, otherwise it
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3. then moot into the genre fantasy. It was shown in the Elysiumwritten and directed
by Neil Blomkamp, and set in the year 2154. It was describe by Anthony Lane, a
film critic for The New Yorker, noting that: ‘the tile refers to a space station, in the
shape of a wheel, orbiting just beyond the confines of Earth---less than twenty
minutes away, by shuttle. Look up, and you see it hanging in the sky, shiny and
unreachable, like a second moon or a vast Mercedes-Benz badge: a fitting
likeness, because Elysium is solely for the rich’.The plot creates situations
different from those of both the present day and the known past. Science fiction
texts also include a human element, explaining what effect new discoveries,
happenings and scientific developments will have impact on us in the future.
Oblivion directed by Joseph Kosinski, and set in the year 2077, has brought this
statement came to life. 60 years after an alien invasion rendered the Earth are
uninhabitable. It has been destroyed beyond repairafter alien invasion. The other
survivors have long since relocated to Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, leaving
behind a few Scavs. A veteran assigned to extract Earth’s remaining resources
begins to question what he knows about his mission and himself.This essay aims
to discuss ‘Humanity struggle to survive in a devastated earth’. Human that
remained on the earth are threaten by absolute force from the authority that
possess superior or advance weapon. Humanity is seemingly having no value on
earth. They do not stand a chance to fight for survive.A lot of them has give up
their dignity as human and submit to the authority and abide the survive system.
Therefore, the earth is longer an ideal place to sustain. But, there are differences
between these two movies.
Living purpose in the Elysium is structure by the people with great fortune.
Most people on the earth who live solely work for the Armadyne Corp, the
company that built Elysium, helping to build the clanking, hostile robots that serve
as the city. Some of them stand up against the Corp; they steal and hack the
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4. property of the Armadyne Corp. Moreover, human reside on the earth are govern
by the technology, which designed by the Corp. There are no compassion and
mercy on the earth, as the machine has no reason to understand as human. But it
is different on the case of Oblivion. The world is fully controlled by the machine
who namely Sally, who are able to clone human and self-sustain. It sent human
down to the earth to collect raw material from the earth and protect the machine
that harvest material from being destroy by the Scavs. When it finds the teams are
no longer an effective team, a deadly armada named drone will sent and
exterminates them.
Secondly, the living condition in the Elysium are designed only the rich.
There is a barcode forge to the skin on the citizen on Elysium. The rich has the
right to dwell in the wheel’s enormous rim, breathing in clean atmosphere, disease
free and eternal youth. All these are possible with the Med-bay. It is a machine
that able to instantly restructure and restore the atomic structure of human body;
no matter how serious injured are caused.But it is completely a glum to think about
the human who live on the earth.It is a common phenomena that insufficient
capability for the local hospital to accommodate the patient that without modal.
However, in Oblivion, the maintenance, is living in a penthouse-like tower spent
their day to maintain the drones, eating candlelit dinner, and swimming in a glass
pool.
Thirdly, the state of the living in Elysium and Oblivion are different where
the earth in Elysium is still consider as a peaceful country where people still
manage to live as their will. Unfortunately, the ‘’Scavs’’ later known as human are
destine to be killed once on sight of the Drone. It only recognizes the maintenance
as ally. Human that live on the world of Oblivion are live in an endless warfare.
Consequently, it is important to understand the genre of amovie. It trigger
as an analyzer so one can get a better understanding thoroughly. Further, they
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5. can identify a movie based on the categories of two. It makes a lot different when
you watching a make up story and a fact. The audience may live up to the belief
that something thatmakes up in fiction does actually exist. It happen when an
individual fail to identify genre.
(1089 words)
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6. Citation
1. Anthony Lane. (Monday 12th August 2013). BEYOND CONTROL,
‘’Elysium’’ and ‘’Our Children’’. The New Yorker, [online]. Available
at:<http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2013/08/12/130812crci_
cinema_lane> [Accessed 23 September 2013]
2. Anthony Lane. (Monday 29th April 2013). HOME FRONTS, ‘’Oblivion’’ and
‘’In the House’’. The New Yorker, [online]. Available at:
<http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2013/04/29/130429crci_cin
ema_lane?currentPage=1>
3. Read Write Think. International Reading Association & National Council of
Teachers of English. Definition of Science Fiction. [online] (Published
2005) Available
at:<http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson927
/SciFiDefinition.pdf> Accessed 25 September 2013]
4. Read Write Think. International Reading Association & National Council of
Teachers of English. What is Genre? [online] (Published 2005) Available
at:
<http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson892/g
enre-def.pdf> [Accessed 25 September 2013]
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