Life has never been easier – communication between two
people across different continents is made possible, traveling from one place
to another a thousand miles away is much more efficient and even the simplest
task such as opening a can is easier. These are just a few of the deluge of
wonders Science and Technology has brought. However, as all things in the
world, it has its downsides as well. This is mostly due to the fact that
humans, the users, are never satisfied. They crave for instant gratification,
for continuous progress, for "something better" than the current one.
They want ease. They always seek for greatness and are mostly goal-driven. This
is the story of a scientist named Andre Delambre. This is The Fly.
The Fly is a science fiction movie set in the 50’s. It
revolves around a man – a scientist – Delambre and a mahcine he built, the
disintegrator-integrator. This device is used to transport an object from one
place to the other through, as its name suggests, disintegrating the atoms of
the object and re-intigrating them in another location. Delambre spent years
perfecting it. Finally, he succeeded by using inanimate objects to test its
capability and limitations. Blinded by his success, Delambre upped the ante – increasing
the risks as well. He tried it on the house cat and failed. However, he did not
stop there. He used guinea pigs and the result came out well. Discontent, eventually,
he tested the machine on himself. Unfortunately, a fly came in with him during the
process. Its atoms got mixed with his and when they re-integrated, some body
parts were switched. His head and an arm were on the fly. Meanwhile, the fly’s
head and limb grew in his human form. A few days after, the fly started to
control his mind. He begged his wife to save him but, if it proves to be
impossible, kill him instead. Failing to capture the fly, the latter occurs.
While categorized as a science fiction film, The Fly
encapsulates the repercussions that society’s greed brings forth. As I’ve mentioned,
we are really fortunate to gain knowledge and have the expertise to mold
Science and Technology into works of pure genius. However, we have to be
responsible enough to know its limitations and be aware of its consequences.
Everything has its risks but we should be able to make use of our abilities and
turn them into calculated ones.
