Images of the future in cinema: the transformation of cultural paradigm

Savchuk Mariya Romanovna ORCID: 0009-0005-2582-8941 Postgraduate student; Institute of Public Administration and Management; Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration 119571, Russia, city, Moscow, ave. Vernadsky street, 82 savchuk-mariya@mail.ru

With the increasing influence of globalization, digitalization and the development of new technologies, the world is changing at a high rate, which causes its impermanence and transgression. The transformation of traditional economic, scientific, technical, socio-cultural forms, active immersion in the virtual environment, expands the boundaries of human perception of reality and its further development. However, people have always been interested in the prospects of the future, lifting the veil of this mystery. Starting with the philosophers of antiquity, the inventors and thinkers of the Renaissance, the first attempts at scientific forecasting in the 19th century. Science fiction writers created images of the future that reflected the hopes and fears of their time. The avant-gardists, caught up in the ideas of modernism, also actively experimented with various types of future design. Creating drawings and models of futuristic structures, experimenting with elements of clothing and decor, they created variations of the projection of images of the future. With the advent of futurology, the possibility of understanding, researching and predicting the future has become the most relevant.

The term "futurology" was first proposed by sociologist O. K. Flechtheim in 1943, and it took shape as a scientific discipline by the 1960s. The need for forecasting responds to modern challenges by analyzing and designing ways to develop society. Drawing a parallel with the concept of "challenges of civilizations" by A. Toynbee^[1], which serve as an impulse to socio-cultural transformation, it seems possible to assume that the development of culture is carried out as a search for answers to these challenges, while a variety of ways to solve problem points is possible. In this model, there are two possible outcomes: transition to the next level of development, or disintegration. The outcome of this polarity can be traced in utopian and dystopian models of the future, reinforced in futuristic cultural texts.

As M. S. Kagan writes, a futurological type of culture is emerging in Modern times, aiming at the future. "Futurologically oriented culture not only activates the forces of imagination, fantasy, and the ability to construct ideas about what cannot be seen because it is not yet there, but also specific ways to create ideas about the future," emphasizing the predictive possibilities of culture. "Opportunity <cultures > go beyond the acquired experience and comprehend the non-existent and the non-existent" in modern culture is developing most actively, the need for this kind of forecasting is now most relevant ^{[2, pp. 40-42]}.

The clarifications of I. V. Zheltkova and A. L. Bryzgalov are significant, that images of the future are modeled in the present, thereby basically acting as "elements of actual social reality" ^{[3, p. 89]}, the authors also confirm the hypothesis that "individual representations of the image of the future have a formative effect on collective ones", however, due to the "synchronization effect of social representations" we have a certain set of stable futurological concepts ^{[3, p. 89]}. "Collective images of the future are located mainly in the public space, therefore, their analysis through the corpus of a wide variety of texts seems to be quite effective" ^{[4, p.23]} In this study, representations of futurological images in cinema as a cultural text are interesting.

N. A. Simbirtseva confirms, "in the last decades of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The dominant perception and transmission of information is the visual" ^{[5, p. 1138]}. Cinema, due to its mass character and accessibility, can be considered as a universal tool for the transmission of scientific ideas, technological innovations and cultural landmarks. Despite the conventionality of the narrative and the existence of near-scientific stereotypes in cinema, it is necessary to note the high degree of popularization of the material. According to Y. I. Klimov, "cinema, by destroying the traditional understanding of borders, promotes the spread of a certain cultural code (unit)" ^{[6, p. 51]}, thereby being able to mediate social representations that are built through the artistic image of an allusion to reality.

In futurological cinema, the subject environment is a significant element of modeling the image of the future. Along with costumes and props, the interior creates a special atmosphere that transports the viewer into the world of the future. An important point is project forecasting, which allows us to outline a possible trajectory of events and representations of the reality of the future, based on the experience of modernity and scientific and technological progress. According to M. A. Chervonnaya, "the main task of project forecasting is to prepare culture and society for the images and trends of the future, to develop architectural and design solutions reflecting the upcoming changes in the human lifestyle" ^{[7, p. 2]}. The object-spatial environment, modeled in accordance with the futurological vision, embodies cultural and social features inherent in a particular time, allows us to fully reflect the forecasting of the future.

Functionally, the artistic space and the objects inside it can go beyond the existing reality, make a kind of scientific predictions and model possible ways of developing society and scientific and technological progress. H. Santanu emphasized that "functionally, the design of spaces and objects allows you to "eliminate" the meaning of reality, carry out scientific forecasting, predict possible ways of social and technical development.about development and thus create a chronotope of the future" ^{[8, p. 143]}. The organization of the subject environment, both external and internal space, allows you to create an atmosphere of the near or distant future. Thus, architecture, interior, design elements, costumes and props become important artistic components in the structure of the film, which act as translators of socio-cultural and technological representations of the future.

Lugovtsev writes that object design plays a key role in shaping the visual language of futuristic cinematography, which leads to the separation of the subgenre of design fiction. "Design fiction is primarily an activity of building a model of a new world" ^{[9, p. 441]}. It follows from this that films set in the conditions of the future are mainly based on an artistic image. In terms of the evolution of the image, the technology of its creation is no less important. With the development of the technical potential of cinema, hyper-realistic modeling of futuristic prototypes and visualization of the most complex intonation ideas became possible. Appealing to the annals of cinema development as a means of capturing and transforming reality, it is worth considering the technical component.

Within the framework of the cultural approach, the most important thing is the fixation of socio-cultural concepts of the future, the transformation of functions, images that become engines of progress and development. In the framework of the study, the cultural paradigm is interpreted as a multidimensional matrix that includes a set of values, worldviews, cultural codes and reflective practices that dominate in a certain historical period, forming a collective idea of the image of the future. This paradigm manifests itself in cinematic representations, where it serves as a tool for visualizing and translating the cultural code, reflecting current socio-cultural problems and extrapolating them into futurological images that concern society in different eras. E. Toffler highlights the value-based nature of considering futurological cultural works from the point of view of the "sociology of the future", which is extremely important for "self-orientation in the future", through the imaginary exploration of the spheres of political, social, psychological and ethical problems ^{[10, pp. 462-463]}. Artists often become harbingers of change, able to capture the subtle threads of emerging problems or new discoveries. They simulate futuristic images and predict technical innovations long before they actually appear. Some ideas remain in the field of fantasy, but they reflect important ideas and ideas for their era. Films that extrapolate primarily from the cultural paradigm and reflection on the issue of "human technology" are important for research.

Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927), with its sharp contrasts between the gigantic skyscrapers of the elite and the underground poverty of the workers, reflected the problems associated with industrialization, class inequality and the value of man for the sake of technological progress. The architecture of the film, towering and imposing, embodies the mighty potential of technological progress. At the same time, the polarity with which such gigantism and grandeur are contrasted with the lower floors of poverty and labor, there are fears of widening the gap between social strata with rapid force in the future. The widening gap between strata is a leitmotif in most futurological cinema, despite the fact that almost a century has passed since the film's release, fears of deepening trends in social inequality continue to be relevant.

The film production of the 1950s reflects on the fears of nuclear war. Hyperbolized images of huge monsters are created, awakened or drilled as a result of atomic disasters – "The Monster from a depth of 20,000 fathoms" (1953, directed by E. Lurie), "Godzilla" (1954, directed by I. Honda) Films about the future of that period extrapolate the well-founded fears of society in a post-war world shaken by horrors and power nuclear weapons. Revealing in an exaggerated allegorical form the concern about the moral side of the consequences of the appearance of weapons of mass destruction.

The classic genre of film fiction is being formed against the background of growing interest in scientific achievements and technological progress in the 1960s and 1970s. Cinema sought to convey the "dynamic coordinates" of reality ^{[11, p. 12]}. In terms of depicting household items (furniture, appliances) and clothing design, film artists started from the developments of industrial design and the fashion industry of that time, exaggerating shapes, colors and functional significance. Certain cultural patterns are laid down, which are subsequently transformed and evolved. The topic of space exploration is beginning to be actively used, which is naturally due to the rapid development of cosmonautics. Such a scientific and technological breakthrough is changing the axiological world landmarks, the concepts of the development of civilizations are reaching a new level, and a planetary scale is being acquired.

Stanley Kubrick laid down the classic model for the image of the future, which became in subsequent years. In the movie "Space Odyssey 2001" (1968), the action takes place on a space station. The space is free, minimalistic and sterile: the vast majority of surfaces are white. The main texture is chosen plastic, which adds alienation and artificiality to the object environment. From the point of view of socio-cultural projection, the film pushes the boundaries of cinematic futurism, highlighting the significant potential of space exploration as an important resource for empowering humanity. At the same time, the inhumanity and ruthlessness of sophisticated technologies are emphasized, which are not capable of empathy, but act on the basis of programmed attitudes.

"Blade Runner" (1982) by Ridley Scott laid the foundation for a whole field of science fiction. The aesthetics of cyber-punk became a new trend in the visual imagery of that time, and is used to this day. The focus of cyber-punk is on the hyperurbanization of culture, the infringement of the role of man, and the rise of corporations as the main ruling strata. The main theme is exploring the fine line between human and artificial intelligence, which in the film are represented by androids (replicants).

The apocalyptic concept, where a "rise of the machines" may occur at a certain period of time, is firmly rooted in the mass consciousness thanks to the cult film "Terminator" (1984) James Cameron, in which the image of the future is constructed, where cyborgs rule, and humanity is on the verge of extinction in a war with a supercomputer. An alternative catastrophic outcome of a technological singularity, which implies reaching a point of development at which technological development is many times ahead of human development. The concept of "confrontation between man and machine" continues to develop in film fiction, consolidating a collective image that simultaneously projects fears of controlling technological development, and also forms a special evaluative discourse of attitudes towards intonation technologies.

"Tron" (1982) by Steven Lisberg for the first time transports a person into the field of virtual space. Today, VR (virtual reality) technologies, the Internet space, and computer games are firmly rooted in human existence. The sociocultural paradigm of transferring one's self to a character, creating an alter personality, and escapism characterizes an archetypal behavioral pattern. The main film that fully explores the theme of simulation and virtual reality is The Matrix (1999, directed by L. and L. Wachowski), in which "the postmodern tendency to simulacarize human existence and cultural space continues to develop" ^{[12, p. 2]}. It is noteworthy that the film appeared at the turn of a thousand years, marking a new era of absorption into virtual space.

With the development of digital technologies at the beginning of the 21st century, it becomes possible to model and represent the most complex visual images, which greatly expands the boundaries of possibilities for film fiction. In the 2000s and 2010s, there was a tendency to increase entertainment, an abundance of special effects, and the increasing introduction of a fantasy component. With the increasing share of blockbusters as the highest-grossing, the representation of the future tends towards visual form, contrary to value-constructive cultural forecasting. This is due to the commercial component, the growing rivalry of film concerns, the change of the audience to a younger generation and the strengthening of the "consumer society".

Paintings that draw the viewer to ethical, value-based cultural orientations and socio-cultural analysis of the image of the future are particularly important for consideration, for example, the films "Idiocracy" (2006, directed by M. Judge) and "Human Child" (2006, directed by A. Cuaron) "Idiocracy" is a social satire that focuses on degradation and a total decrease in the mass level of intelligence, which leads to an economic and cultural crisis. The disappointing forecasts of cultural regression and impoverishment of values, the prerequisites of which can be traced in modern society, are weighty. The need to return to the correct axiological path is extremely important in order to limit the possibility of creating a half-witted world, which is shown in the film. In the film "The Human Child" (2006), Alfonso Cuaron raises several important topics at once: the decline in the birth rate, refugee migration issues and the habitual totalitarianism of power. The subject environment of the film is not stylized according to the futuristic image of the future familiar to the viewer, on the contrary, it is intended to be a metaphor for a fading world – a childless civilization cannot be directed to the future.

In the context of the symbiosis of technological and socio-cultural components, the main theme of film-futuristic and cultural discourse is the study of AI (artificial intelligence). Ethical issues related to the possibility of empathy and self–awareness of artificial intelligence are actively highlighted in futurological films - "Artificial Intelligence" (2001, directed by S. Spielberg), "I am a Robot" (2004, directed by A. Proyas), "Out of the Machine" (2014, directed by A. Garland), "Robot by named after Chappie" (2015, directed by N. Blomkamp). Humanoid robots capable of thinking and reflecting independently have not yet been developed, but mechanisms for emulating emotions and thoughts have been actively introduced into modern reality in recent years. Voice assistants and chatbots are becoming full-fledged participants in communication, artificial generation of responses and the similarity of thought have reached a fairly high level – it is becoming increasingly difficult for a person to separate emotional reflection due to the "humanization" of such systems.

In Spike Jonze's film "Her" (2013), the illusion of the future is very subtly conveyed, the director addresses the topic of artificial intelligence and relationships with it. Reflection on the growing problem of social isolation and alienation, filling the emotional vacuum through technology. An identical theme is supported in Blade Runner 2049 (2017, directed by D. Villeneuve), where the main character's love line is built around his relationship with an artificial holographic program. The study of how deep an emotional connection can arise between a person and a program remains on the agenda of the socio-cultural field and philosophical understanding.

"Upgrade" (2018, directed by L. Whannell), with the concept of implanting technology into the human body, appeals to questions about the boundaries of human identity, and the main question is what does it mean to be human in the era of the technological revolution? Mainly, the importance of humanistic value orientations and moral ideas aimed at the development of a highly cultured civilization is highlighted.

With the development of the genre of science fiction and technology, which become the material and tool for the representation of futuristic ideas, are undergoing visible changes. Visualization of futurological concepts is changing along with the world, anticipating and predicting possible ways of development of society. Film artists try to predict the future through the subject environment: costumes, props, architecture and design of objects, as well as through socio-cultural models of society. The connection between science, technology and culture is manifested through changed conceptual approaches and futurological images that form ideas about the future based on the historical and cultural context and the stage of technological progress of their era. Each artist, immersing himself in his era, perceives its markers and fixes them in his works. Yu. M. Khanyutin confirms that futurological cinema "is able to capture the most burning problems of an instantly changing world" ^{[11, p.12]}.

Comparing films from different decades, one can observe changes in cultural coordinates, which makes cinema a kind of mass chronicle of futurological ideas. The main socio-cultural and philosophical themes present throughout the retrospective of futurological cinema, but reflected in the context of the cultural dominant of their time, are: social hierarchy and inequality, the relationship between man and machine, the impact of technology on society, control and individual freedom. The beginning of the twentieth century was marked by a reflection on the development of industrialization, growing class inequality, and fears of nuclear war. By the 1960s and 1970s, a visual language for the representation of space exploration was emerging, and there was an increase in interest in scientific discoveries, but at the same time, concerns about increasingly complex technologies were growing, which strengthened in the 1980s. At the turn of the millennia, the boundaries of virtual space and information technology are being actively explored. With the development of scientific progress, the integration of digital technologies in both film production and the role of technology in human daily life is increasing. The main topic of recent years has been the exploration of AI capabilities, the degree of embedding in the everyday field, the possibility of empathy and the humanization of artificial intelligence, as well as issues of genetic modification.

However, now film fiction is going through a period of stagnation, based on stereotypical ideas about the future. By modeling the objective world of the film, the artists use familiar themes and forms, while trying to modernize the space in their own style. The problem field is outlined in several categories. The period of stagnation is associated with a cultural crisis, humanity is to some extent at a dead end – the loss of a humanistic face, a certain emptiness and flatness of images. Futurological concepts and socio-cultural forecasting, however, continue to evolve and seek innovative ways to visualize the time and space of the future, and at the same time broadcast cultural landmarks and perspectives.