Retrofuturism: A peek into the Future of the Past

Retrofuturism is an artistic movement that deals with the future as envisioned by the past. It includes books, movies, comics, and other types of art that imagine the future. Originating in 1909, futurism was celebrated as the furious pace of the new century which gave rise to cars, machines, and built-up cities. Retrofuturism often blends highly advanced technologies with the characteristics, fashion, and a way of thinking predating the 1960s. Often, retro futurists become futurists of our era, extrapolating today's condition and problems into the future. By doing that, they peer into the past and form an idea of the hope and expectations people had for the future. In this way, they also bring forgotten ideals of the past to the table.

Here are 2 of the greatest contemporary animation films dealing with this theme of retro-futurism:

WALL-E

When we talk about retro-futurism, we look at it from a certain perspective. One where we blend what is old with an incredibly futuristic idea. It is the media that imagine what could be, and it is a media that believes in the infinite possibility of the future. It allows us to let us imagine a future unreachable in our lifetimes, but we derive great joy from the sheer possibility of it. At its origins, retro-futurism has been about imagining a glorious future and prosperous land, where humans triumph over many obstacles, solving many problems. Often this ideation can take a utopian view. Writers and artists from the 18 and 1900s, dreamt of cars that fly, highways that connect the world, their imagining of the human future was overwhelmingly stunning.

We can see a stark contrast in recent generations, however. Wall E, is a hilarious watch, and a heart-warming story of homecoming, hope, and the human condition told through the eyes of a funny little garbage bot. However, from the lens of retro-futurism, its creators paint a very dark picture of a world fallen into hopeless chaos. One where the human greed and capitalistic intent has broken the plant, to the point where no life could be sustained on it for 700 years. In many of the shots, it is hard to distinguish, buildings created by man and mounds of garbage. An apocalypse created by mankind itself. Wall E is not a text of hope, it is a cautionary tale for the present and the future. Science has advanced, in the world of wall E to a great degree, but human progress is for the sake of survival and escape, rather than a glorious yearning to advance and understand.

Often, looking at retro-futuristic art from that past makes you giggle at the ridiculous nature of what people in those days came up with and their ridiculous expectations they had towards the future. Wall E, is one such piece I hope the future can look and laugh at, wondering what must have been going on for the artist to have created such a dark futuristic narrative.

On a positive note, sporks still exist so all may not have been lost!!! Hope lives on!

---

Akira

For a film that came out in 1988, Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira does not hold back when it comes to exercising visual fidelity. Set in the backdrop of towering cityscapes and rampant capitalism; Akira is a fully-fledged realization of a dystopian version of Tokyo, as seen through the lens of the past. It recounts the tale of Kaneda, a biker gang leader, and his associate, Tetsuo, who runs amok upon gaining destructive psychic abilities. The film is a gritty and gruesome tale about the loss of one’s humanity that comes with the gain of power. It explores bridging the gap between oneself and technology and criticizes the dark underbelly that is human civilization. With events transpiring a few decades after the occurrence of a nuclear catastrophe, Akira is a stunning showcase of retro-futuristic intent, as can be seen in the many detailed technological wonders and set pieces sprinkled throughout the movie.

It would be a disservice to talk about Akira and not mention the iconic motorcycle that Kaneda rides. Characterized by the brightest of reds and a minimalist look on the exterior, Kaneda’s motorcycle is a treat for the eyes; it ends up being something that can only be described as a strange but fascinating hybrid between a scooter and a chopper bike. Even when taking present-day standards and technological advancements into account, the bike has a strikingly futuristic look.

From a horribly oppressive cyberpunk setting characterized by militaristic rule and civil unrest to wildly imaginative technology oozing style and personality, Akira is the cream of the crop when it comes to depicting a retro-futuristic vision in media. If Wall-E can be seen as a somber, melancholic representation of a post-apocalyptic future with moments of peace and retrospection, Akira in contrast, is a noisy dystopian nightmare reveling in the chaotic mess and uncertainty it has created. It’s an unsettling yet strangely dazzling sight to behold.