I, Robot (2004)

Though I have never been to Chicago, this is probably what I would expect to see in 2035. It has only been recently that set designers for sci-fi movies and shows have realized that, in the future, not everything will have radically changed. In shows and movies past, cities were depicted in some extreme as too dark, too metallic, too tall, and so on. It is reassuring to see that not all visions of the future are so drastic.



This scene is a rather obvious attempt at foreshadowing. It starts with a view of the body of an employee, a high-in-the-ranks scientist. It zooms out to encompass the yellow police line and goes further panning up to take in the statue which dominates the interior of the building. The thing on everyone's mind is, "Why would this man kill himself?" and the style of this shot gives the answer clearly.



Here I see an interesting contrast taking place. As it is with most technologies, they are gradually integrated in what we have today. Rarely do they ever intrude to the point of completely replacing everything. The small, sleek automobile in front of the old-style architecture of the home with the large unidentified robot nearby depicts that gradual phasing-in of technology and new designs.