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Loosely based on H. G. Wells’ The Shape of Things to Come, and adapted by Wells himself,
Things to Come is a landmark of science fiction cinema, that you can find on Amazon Prime.
Made in 1936, the film opens only 4 years in the future,
which makes predicting that future, much easier.
And the descent into war of Everytown - which I think we might as well call London –
is observed by Raymond Massey’s John Cabal.
‘These fools are capable of anything’
This section boasts the film’s most bravura storytelling through montage and powerful imagery.
Director William Cameron Menzies was best known as an art director and certainly knows how to compose a shot like a picture.
We also get some disturbingly accurate predictions,
this could almost be newsreel footage from 5 years later.
But, thankfully unlike reality, Wells’ war marches on
and on,
into a post-apocalyptic wasteland,
ravaged by pestilence,
after which, humanity is reduced to a second Dark Age.
A place ruled by petty warlords, living in the ruins of borrowed luxury and decrying progress.
‘Science? An enemy of everything that’s natural in life’
Into this comes Cabal, returning to his old homeland,
proving that some have treated this disaster as a chance for a fresh start
and they have big plans for the world.
Setting in motion events that lead to a new future,
in which science has taken the place of government
Ruled by John Cabal’s great grandson, giving the film some necessary continuity.
‘Our revolution didn’t abolish danger and death it simply made danger and death worthwhile’
A lot of critics then and now have cited the film’s naïve optimism about the role of scientific progress,
although it should be noted that not even Wells could envisage a future without discontent,
personified by Cedric Hardwick’s Theotocopulos,
‘Is it any jollier than the world used to be in the good old days when life was short ’
and because the character narrative is light, the film’s ideas are discussed as much as its story.
‘That’s nothing, what government are you under?’
‘Common sense.’
John Brosnan, for example, in his history of science fiction, described it as ‘a cold and lifeless memorial to H. G. Wells’ obsolete ideas…’
‘We shall make such use of the treasures of sky and sea and earth as men have never dreamt of.’
It is flawed; the dialogue can be clunky and declarative.
‘God, why do we have to murder each other.’
and its idealism does feel almost absurdly optimistic.
‘The human things go on. We. Forever’
But I strongly disagree with cold and lifeless;
it may preach, but it does not bore.
It may have more faith in humanity than we deserve,
but it is engaging and entertaining.
'Rebel, now is the time.'
The great success of Things to Come is that while this is a STATEMENT,
you follow it as avidly as any other film,
a tribute to how well it is made.
Also, and rather oddly, while it fails to predict the 20th century,
it still feels prescient, because – while the technologies may change –
this is always a route humanity might tread, so it is timeless in its timeliness.
‘This is only a beginning’
And I do wonder if that was the point, if Wells wasn’t trying to predict anything,
and was wanted to say, this choice is always there.
Thanks for watching. Are you a fan of Things to Come? What H. G. Wells adaptations do you like?
Let us know in the comments below