Connections to SciFi In Moon

I feel that Moon, like other science fiction films we have watched this quarter dabbles not only with the future of humanity but what will happen when we attempt to create stand-ins for humanity. Moon places Sam, a clone, and GERTY a compassionate computer in the same lunar space station to live and coexist. As their lives are paralleled the viewer can see certain things that Sam can do that GERTY cannot and vice versa. By having the two isolated in the space station you see these two interact as though they were two human characters. GERTY is capable of emotions and compassion, as depicted on his screen and his helping Sam escape despite orders not to. He takes care of Sam and ensures he is able to fulfill his task of supplying fuel for Earth. While these two are meant to take the place of humans it is clear that they are not held to the same esteem as humans. What I found interesting and different about Moon was that it depicted classic science fiction characters, a clone and a computer and their relationship with each other. I felt that the director was aiming to show that the characters had human qualities in attempts to question what defined a human and whether or not human rights pertained to Sam. I felt that the director made Sam’s only friend a computer because humans are meant to carry out social functions, but the fact that his only interaction is a computer shows that the company is demeaning him to the likes of a clone, not a human. I found this interesting because in films like 2001 the space station has multiple humans on board all of which interact with one another. What makes Moon unique is that the characters that are meant to be emotionless workers are filled with emotion and depth. The concept of cloning and the ethical treatment of clones was also a prominent theme in Blade Runner. The replicates in Blade Runner are created to function and look exactly like a human, however they are demeaned by society to merely be clones. You see the internal struggle of the clone because he is not original like a real human being. He is just a copy. Moon raises a similar point by portraying Sam as a pawn to the industry that controls him. The fact that the company uses clones instead of humans because of the risk of radiation shows that they feel clones are lesser than humans, raising the ethical question about whether or not clones can be considered part of humanity. Cinematically, the Mise-en-scene of Moon has very close ties to 2001. Both Moon and 2001 used a model of a space station as opposed to using CGI, which wasn’t even an option in Kubrick’s time. The inside of the Lunar compound in moon looks very similar in design to that in 2001, perhaps paying tribute to the spectacle. The other obvious similarity is GERTY and HAL. Both films incorporate this advanced computer character that aids the humans or clone maintain order and stability in space. This is not uncommon in science films but I thought it was worth noting that both films incorporate a dynamic character that isn’t human as a means of depicting the future of humanity. The premise of Moon seemed similar to that of Brazil in which a large corporation controls a dystopian world. The beginning of Moon explains the devastating condition that the earth is in, thus making it necessary to dangerously extract energy from the sun. Sam is assigned to do so despite the risks because he is a clone. However Sam believes that he has a life waiting for him at home and attempts to escape with the help of GERTY. Similarly in Brazil Sam Lowry escapes the 1984-esq corrupt government by use of his imagination. However in both films it is not certain whether or not the corporation wins in the end.