Forbidden Planet

Zach Carroll
Comps. & Society
Prof. Fisk
November 7th

“Forbidden Planet”

There are many themes in “Forbidden Planet” such as greed, jealousy, and . But the most important theme is using technology as a means of extending intellectual consciousness. The “Id Monster” represents mans deepest fears and it was made possible by technology. Basically, the underlying message is that technology will progress faster than the human mind will, and the fall of mankind will be because of technology.
The Krell were an intellectually superior race compared to mankind. Although they were seemingly omniscient, they did not know their impress ive knowledge would be the downfall to their race. The “plastic educator,” which measured and increased knowledge and understanding, allowed their brains to project three-dimensional objects of thought and created any object their genius subconscious mind could think of. The Krell made projections of “Monsters from the Id” that ultimately slaughtered every last one. They did know anticipate their demise because it was not understood by them that the plastic educator not only increased the conscious mind, but the unconscious mind too! The two different minds grew in tandem, which allowed for the “Monsters” to be more powerful and dangerous. The Freudian concept of the three separate minds: Id, Ego, and Superego, which were neglected by the Krell, eradicated their existence. The relevance of this film teaches a myriad amount about our society today. It shows that creation leads to destruction. The Krell created a form of technology that could not be harnessed, even by their supreme intellect. It compares to today’s society, having energies such as nuclear bombs and wastes that cannot be tamed once unleashed. It also shows that no living organism in the universe can play the role of God. No matter how smart, humans will always have flaws that will separate themselves from divinity. A message the film poses for me is that humans heavily rely on technology. Everywhere there is to look, a form of technology can be seen, whether it is someone using his or her smartphone, Ipad, iPod, laptop. Personally, I catch myself wasting countless minutes texting, or using Facebook, or other silly, needless apps on my IPhone. It shows how much humans, such as myself, “need” to be in communication with others at any point of the day. In terms of generations, there is a lack of edicate among the younger generation who strictly use their technology as a source of communication. People become more introverted and shy and have a harder time interacting with others in real life. My little brother texts and talks to others online consistently, yet, is the shyest kid I know. It’s discerning to me that technology does the talking for us nowadays.