Conclusions: The Inventor, the Detective, and the Warrior

Abstract

The Inventor, the Detective, and the Warrior are three motifs that serve as perspectives for the types of characters in films—ways in which the film is molded around a particular personality have developed over time in the film industry. Each has yielded imaginative characterizations of recurrent social dreams found in films. Typified in film as an innovator, genius, or mad scientist, the inventor is also an embodiment of the American Dream, driven to explore, to conquer, and to transform, especially through technology. The fear that we might unwittingly surrender control over our lives to technology is not new, although “techno paranoia” is a recurring theme in contemporary thrillers and science fiction films. As social dreams, as an expression of unconscious fears and hopes, films can anticipate and predict social change. But as public desires largely determine the nature of Hollywood, we must ask: is it possible that the very media which taps into the public zeitgeist may also be manipulated in such a subtle manner that the public’s desires are nurtured by the industries that cater to public demands?