Elysium

Work Title: Elysium
Medium: Film
Episode Title:
Year: 2013
Writer(s): Neill Blomkamp
"Original" Writer: Yes Own work?: No
Summary:

In the year 2154, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Delacourt, a government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium. That doesn't stop the people of Earth from trying to get in by any means they can. When unlucky Max is backed into a corner, he agrees to take on a daunting mission that, if successful, will not only save his life but could bring equality to these polarized worlds. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535108/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ql_6

Era/Year of Portrayal: distant_future
Distinctive characteristics of the world in portrayal:

Robots perform many government jobs: parole officers, policemen, etc. Earth is in a state of ruin Wealthier humans live on a space station called Elysium "Med bays" can heal any human malady Citizens of Elysium have a barcode embedded in their skin Space Ships/ Flying transports are used for transportation around Earth, and can make the trip to Elysium in under 20 minutes

Technology

  • Name of portrayed presence-evoking technology: robots, brain download, implants
  • Description of the technology: The robots have taken over many jobs- they serve as police, parole officers, butlers, and fulfill many other roles. They interact with humans in the function of their jobs, but they do not have the capacity to exhibit empathy or mercy, they are simply programmed to follow the specific rules of their jobs. They are highly functioning in their ability to speak, hear and respond to a human, however they do not resemble humans very closely (no skin, hair, etc.). Rather, they look very industrial. The brain implants are not specifically referred to as any named technology; characters only refer to it when talking about "downloading" information from people. The technology allows a human to share information between themselves and another person or a computer. people. The technology allows a human to share information directly from their brain to another person or a computer. Other implants that humans have assist with increased strength, such as the metallic exoskeleton that the main character wears, or implants that allows a remote viewer to see on a screen everything that the wearer sees.
  • Nature of task or activity: all technologies are integrated into everyday life
  • Performance of the Technology: All technologies function as intended
  • Description of creator(s): The company that manufactures the robots is called Armadyne. The CEO of the company is the target of an information heist and is killed. In the movie, the company is struggling to keep profits high.
  • Major goal(s) of creator(s): The company Armadyne is a for-profit company. The manufacture these robots to make people's lives easier
  • Description of users of technology: Although the action takes place in Los Angeles, it is assumed that everyone on Earth uses these robots, as well everyone on Elysium. The brain download technology seems to only be available to the wealthy (i.e. those who live on Elysium).
  • Type(s) of presence experience in the portrayal: both
  • Description of presence experience: Humans talk to and interact with robots as if they are humans. There seems to be a total acceptance of them as a part of society. The brain implant technology and physical enhancement technologies also seem to be fully integrated. People can communicate with one another instantly, and see most goings-on remotely through their use.
  • User awareness of technology during experience: All users are aware of using the technologies
  • Valence of experience: Since the technologies are so integrated into daily life, it seems that users enjoy it well enough, but it is used more as an everyday function, so it is less about enjoyment.
  • Specific responses: The main character experiences increased physical strength with the use of his implanted exoskeleton. When he gets in a shootout, his 'boss' is watching remotely (through the help of the implant) and gets very worked up over the situation. People who have uploaded information into their brains don't always seem to be able to access the information with their memory. So, a human brain is more of a storage drive than access point for the person. For example, the main character steals data from a CEO and he is not able to understand what he has acquired.
Long-term consequences:

There seem to be no bad consequences to the technologies. At the end of the movie, we see that the mainframe has been reprogrammed to recognize all humans as citizens of Elysium, giving them equal rights to use all available technologies that were previously reserved mainly for the use of the inhabitants of Elysium. We are left to infer the greater consequences of these changes.

Other:

Coder name: Patti Hobfoll
Coder email: tuf29584@temple dot edu
Coder affiliation: Temple U.