Biography Of Martin Luther King Jr. - 2232 Words

Martin Luther King Jr. once highlighted an important historical reality that is the basis for what justifies freedom fighting: â€Å"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.† This idea is the foundation for Neill Blomkamp’s allegorical film, Elysium, in which two very unequal societies exist: an oppressed people that reside on the deficient, poverty-stricken Earth and the oppressors that reside in a paradisiacal, luxurious space station orbiting the Earth known as Elysium. Spider, the leader of an underground group that illegally transports the people of Earth to Elysium, focuses his work on making it possible for every individual on earth to become a citizen of Elysium, thus allowing for the†¦show more content†¦By representing modern-day United States as Elysium and Earth as present-day Mexico, Neill Blomkamp brings to light the contemporary issue of immigration in a manner that parallels the current context a nd attitudes surrounding immigration in the United States. Every year, thousands of illegals immigrate to the United States to realize the American Dream, to live a more comfortable life through decent work, or to live in harmony with their respective families. In his film, Blomkamp effectively establishes a disproportionate class conflict between the elite and the poor by evidently emphasizing the commodities, superior quality of life, and the sophistication of both language, architecture, and technology on the Elysium habitat. The film operates on the premise that Elysium is like a beautiful utopia, where the elite and privileged reside with state-of-the-art technology and healthcare capable of instantaneously curing any disease, injury, or ills within seconds. In fact, Elysium is shown to have a wide array of commodities such as swimming pools, mansion-like homes equipped with medical pods, and a beautiful, green landscape that is to evoke a sense of peace and prosperity (Blomkam p). In this way, Elysium symbolizes a loose interpretation of the American Dream; a place where every unfortunate individual can have the opportunity to transform his or her life. By contrast, Earth is depicted as a poverty-stricken wasteland,