2013-14710
BACONGUIS, Liana Isabelle
STS-THY Group 7
Reaction Paper: The Fly
The Fly is a
perfect picture of 1950s science and their visions of the future – they had
grandiose dreams of flying cars and teleportation (neither of which we have
today, sorry!), things very large-scale and grandiose. However, while its
conflict is very speculative, it also paints a vivid picture of the very real
dangers involved in creating such things.
I realize that while the film played fast and loose with “gene
mixing,” (understandable for the level of technology at the time), it was
trying to tell us that while science can be beneficial, there are lines it
should not cross, because just one tiny mistake – like the titular fly in the teleportation
chamber – can cause drastic, serious damage.
The film also played with the idea of justified killing – is
it wrong to kill a monster if it was once a man? Was the inspector justified in
killing Andre if he was part insect? Was Helene? Would either be considered homicide?
It’s all quite gray. Perhaps that’s why today’s science tries its best not to
step over any toes. However, today’s line between acceptable and not is just as
blurred as it was sixty years ago – science can help us progress, can extend
our lifespans, etc., but at what cost?
Despite all this, the film does not view science negatively.
At the end of the film, Helene’s beleaguered brother-in-law Francois reassures
his nephew that his father Andre died doing the most beneficial act for
humanity – “the search for the truth.” Perhaps what the film was trying to say
is that science is neither good nor bad – it is inherently neutral, and in the
end, it is up to us to decide how we use it.
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