The Fly - Reaction Paper

Jonathan Idolor
2013 - 14792

The movie was quite interesting, being acquainted with the more recent version, it was nice to see what the first version looked like. The flow of the story was made to confuse or most probably get the attention of the viewer from the very start. The ending was anti-climactic though and just seemed to aim to eliminate any possibility for the story to continue for the human fly.

The concept of teleportation is very familliar of course. One thing I was expecting to see was how the concept of the soul would be explained in line with teleporting people or living objects. But due to the focus of the story, they focused more on disintegrating and reintegrating matter.

Their views on scientists showed the general public's skepticism for new and profound inventions. It was apparently expensive to be curious back then. People were also very afraid of change and of things they could not explain and understand, which explains why they so abruptly killed the fly.

The overall feel of the movie seemed to be directed towards the concept of playing with science. How human experimentation was, and still is taboo. On how being too skeptic can hold you back from great things but without understanding the limits, can destroy you.

Reaction Paper (The Fly)

- Krystine Pearl Robles (2013-70142)

                As a teenager with modernistic views, the 1953 film The Fly didn’t catch my interest at all. It is that type of film I would never consider watching. Maybe I just don’t like super old movies starring people with weird clothes and weird haircuts, I don’t know. So as I watched the film, deep inside, I wanted it to the end quickly. Even though, I decided to give it a chance and I was quite amused with the creativity of people back then. All in all I think the plot though was weird and funny.

                I think the film served as a warning so people will not use living things as test subjects and do weird creepy experiments on them. I guess you could consider it as the morality of the play: Never ever play with living creatures because we never know what horrible possible things could happen.

                It somehow reflects on the views on Science and Technology during 1950s. From what I saw on the film, i can conclude that during their time using humans or other living things on dangerous and out of this world experiments is bad and immoral and as of today I think that view is still accepted and practiced.

The Fly (1958) - Classic Sci-fi

by Erwin Dennis Umali | 2010 - 23119

Despite the slow plot development reminiscent of classic movies, The Fly manages to pique my interest enough to make me see it till the end. While I managed to suspend my disbelief, its stereotypical 50's interpretation of science still felt off-putting, leaving me with a bad taste by its conclusion. Its message, compared to the rest of the film, sounded so contradictory.

The film circles around the mad scientist Andre, going beyond normal science and inventing a matter transporter. Andre then goes on to conclude that his invention will end shortages and conflict. Well, that escalated quickly! I'd say its exaggeration was done purposefully; later on, the scientist abandons the notions of careful, methodical science and tests on himself, where his errors become the central plot of the movie. Strange, really. By the end, the rest of the cast smile upon Andre, telling of him to be one who searched for the truth. Such a benevolent act! Yet portrayed in such drama and non-science.

The Fly felt like it tried to incite morality into viewers, but you can glimmer some overdramaticism mixed in. I think only incited fears on how rapid technology was progressing at the time. Colored TV's, the discovery of DNA, atomic submarines, Sputnik's launch into space -- surely something has to go awry, right? Yes! His transporter does, in such a horrid manner.

In the end, I think I'm criticizing too much on what supposedly is a sci-fi thriller. While, for me, The Fly  entertains, it leaves a lot of misleading thoughts and questions to ponder about science. Search for the truth, become a hideous beast? All part of the job! By the end, it's all up to the viewer how to paint his image of science; The Fly encourages you to paint it grisly, but beautifully.

The Fly

by: Paulline Olabre 
      2013-11698


     As the movie started with some kind of mysteriously creepy music, I thought it was a horror story. I got really confused when I saw the title "The Fly" and I think it would be so ridiculous to make a movie about a fly. The first part was so weird because of the woman who is so obsessed with flies and she killed her own husband. But on the latter part, it turned out to be about a scientist who created a disintegrator-integrator machine that could teleport anything from one place to another. I don't think that the movie is entertaining for me since it's some kind of an old fashioned movie and is too fictional but it is quite interesting seeing how people were so into inventions a long time ago.

    Scientists and their underground laboratories at home and their not so modern equipment. The movie showed how the scientists from the past are so into inventions. How passionate they were for new innovations and their eagerness to make things that would benefit everyone. It is a morality play since Andre, the scientist wanted to kill himself since the accident happened and also before that, his wife already told him not to use animals for the experiments. This movie could've had a happy ending only if the scientist himself was very careful with the technology.

   Science and Technology in the 1950's would be something that I would compare to a kid. It is still developing and is learning more and more everyday. The characteristic of the scientist in the movie shows how important is the innovation for them because he knows that this would make a big thing to everyone and it would really help for future inventions. With their not so modern equipment, they are more curious and more eager to find out more about where technology would be able to take them.

The Fly 1958

by: fidel delos reyes

2009-31842

-The film to me is not that entertaining and interesting. Just like so many suspense movie that I’ve seen, nothing extra ordinary. I find the story ridiculous and funny. How can a small sized head of a fly become big to fit the body of the inventor,so was the left arm.  Likewise how can the big sized head and arm of the scientist fit in a fly body. Add to this is the fact that the fly head could still think like a human being, meaning that only the head and not the brain was reintegrated. How could one separate the brain from the head?

-The commentary that I remembered most about the film is what Vincent Price said “a man (scientist) dared to play God.” Surely this could be an issue on morality since it concerns a human being, and if this is brought out for debate, I’m sure it will become  a big issue. If the animal carers protect the life of animals by protesting against the use of animals as guinea pigs for scientific experiments, what more is a human life, which is more valuable than that of an animal?

-The movie reflects the idea on science and technology in the 1950 which I think is still true at present, that it shows the obsession of man in creating something very extraordinary, that in their earnest desire to make a difference, scientists try to become God. But the truth is always there, that is the human mind is limited and making blunders and great mistakes are always present in their works. They can never be perfect because they are not ‘God’.

THE FLY (1958) REACTION PAPER

I was absent when “The Fly” was viewed in STS class.

I just learned from my classmates that it required a reaction paper, so I downloaded a copy of it. But I have no interest in watching it because of the year it was produced and its uncatchy title.

It was an amazing film; science amazes me, and so does the film.

The film aged more than half a decade, but still the views of science hadn't changed.  As to modern day researches, the same ethics should be applied; the risks should all be noted however small the possibility would be.

Science and technology during the 1950’s was I think successful. Considering the improvements, science indeed was successful. The film also showed how mistakes lead to success. But everyone should consider their limits.

So just try and try..’til it hurts.

Xavier Noel Briones

2013-41022

The Fly(1958)

by: Maricella D. Valdivia(2013-55498)

        From the moment the movie started, I became interested. I was curious about the title, and these questions arose, 'Why is it entitled "The Fly"?' and 'Is the fly relevant to the story?'. It came out that the movie was about a scientist who tries to make a some kind of a teleport. The whole thing may be a little boring because of the quality of the video, it is an old film, and the story is quite predictable(doesn't have a lot of twists).

        The film also discussed about the scientists during that time, it appears to me that all of the scientists are eager to find new discoveries, new inventions, that not one will help another since the other might copy his idea, etc. The scientist in the movie gave more of his time with his inventions, hungry for more technological innovations for mankind to use. Although this 'teleporter' doesn't exist up until now, I think it frustrates the scientists because in the first place, this portal isn't impossible.

        I consider it a morality play although for me it doesn't fit well that the scientist wanted to kill himself because he thinks he and his ideas are no longer valuable since his invention didn't work well since his atoms and those of a fly were mixed up. But it gave us the idea and abstract of death. Another is that the wife tells the scientist not to use living creatures for experiment. There were many scenes having a moral value which I cannot tell one by one.

        Basically, they were limited from high technological sources. The film showed how science and technology is a big deal for the people during the 1950's. It's as if one might risk his own life just to discover something. That was the period where every question needs to be researched by these scientists, that there shouldn't be a mistake before they introduce it to mankind. Just like the scientist from the film who aggressively makes his invention for the benefit of man, but unfortunately failed to do it. I'm thankful for the scientists back then, for they lessened our questions. But still technology is still improving itself, we cannot say what we might have in the future. Maybe Harry Potter's invisibility cloak, a time machine, or even a teleport.

The Search for the Truth

Was the film entertaining and interesting? Why?
The movie wasn't particularly interesting for me because the plot was too predictable. There's the ambitious scientist who invents something that will benefit the world, an experiment goes wrong, the scientist realizes that man isn't ready for the new invention yet and destroys his creation. The movie itself wasn't bad since the story was well developed. There were instances though that amused me greatly, like when Andre teleported the cat, the experiment failed and it turned into atoms floating in the air, its meowing still audible.



What was the film's commentary on Scientists and conduct of science? Would you consider it a morality play? Why?
Scientists seemed to have much freedom when it came to exploring the sciences. It was a respected profession but one that was risky (like when Andre mixed atoms with a fly). In some sense the movie is a morality play, since it showed that man cannot just mess with nature however they wish, that even though something may be good for the world, if the people aren't ready for it yet, it's meaningless. Helene's struggle on whether she should seek help despite her husband's opposition or fulfill his last wish of a hidden death is also a play on morality. Should she kill a man who wants to die or should she continue the fruitless search for the fly? So many things could have ended differently had Andre not made that mistake with the fly.



How does it reflect the view on Science and Technology during the 1950's ?
STS seemed to be very important back in the 1950's since scientists were often given huge budgets for them to research with to their hearts content. Even Helene talks as if scientists are so abundant that it would be easy to ask for help when Andre's experiment went wrong. As Francois says, Andre died doing the most dangerous act to humanity, but also the most beneficial: "the search for the truth".

Reaction Paper: The Fly

by: Maria Teresa Llera 2013-40924

I was really confused while I was watching the first few minutes of the film because I just couldn’t fathom why the woman in the movie was so obsessed with flies. When I went on with the film, however, I realized that it was very interesting, after all. The Fly (the title of the film) is a science-fiction horror movie that revolved around a scientist who transformed into a “half-fly” after a fly got caught with him in the disintegrator-integrator machine, an invention of his that could transport matter. The great plot, love story, and unexpected twists made the movie entertaining and heart-racing.

The film showed the scientists’ great thirst for new discovery and invention during the 1950s. The lack of the advancement of technology (compared to the kind of technology we have nowadays) wasn’t a hindrance to the scientists in the past to create great inventions, even if these inventions’ possibility of destruction was very high. This is where the movie as a morality play comes in. The question of morality began when the scientist tested the invention on his cat, a living creature, and when this cat failed to reintegrate. In this part, one could question: “Is it really morally good to test an invention that isn’t 100% safe on a living creature?” and “If it isn’t, can great inventions be possibly created?”

Science and technology was a big thing during the 1950’s, with many scientists working very hard to achieve great things that could improve people’s lives significantly, although I think that they weren’t as cautious as the scientists we have now when it comes to the concept of morality. Still, one can see that great improvement has been made since the past. Science and technology indeed continues to fluorish as more and more discoveries are made.

On The Fly (1958)

          by: Joben Ryan A. Padre 2013-42972

          The Fly was one of the most interesting science-related movies I have ever watched. The plot was so interesting that even if I have already anticipated what was going to happen next in the story, I still looked forward to every scene in the movie. I liked how the makers of the movie were able to combine the elements of science, love, family, and morality into one great film.

          Though the film most likely just came from imagination, its storyline highlighted the different traits and attitudes of scientists, especially during the 1950’s. The movie is definitely a must watch as it highlighted the scientists’ aggressiveness in research and invention, curiosity regarding different scientific concepts and principles, and bravery even up to the point of sacrificing oneself for the common good.

          Morality is the different opinions of different people regarding what is good and what is bad. The film showed at many points how the different moralities of the characters have affected their decisions in life. This is why the movie can be considered a morality play. Furthermore, the movie showed that the end does not justify the means, that one must be responsible for his/her actions, and that we must do what is good and right for many.

          During the film’s setting in the 1950’s, Science and Technology were continuing to flourish and scientists all over the world were making great leaps in order to achieve what previous generations haven’t been able to accomplish. In the 50’s, people were somehow idealistic and optimistic in making everything easier for them. However, the film showed that we must be cautious and considerate in the judgements that we make especially regarding advancements in Science.