For my essay, I will be analyzing and comparing the cultural representation of hyperreality from two films: Bladerunner (1982) directed by Ridley Scott and The Matrix (1999) directed by the Wachowskis. Both films are of the science fiction genre. The main reason I have chosen to compare these two particular films is because they share the common theme of figuring out what’s real and what’s not.
Hyperreality is an over exaggeration of the real, which ultimately deems the replica as a fake “real”. A hyperreality is a simulation and has no real origin. Wax museums, especially in Los Angeles, combine historical reconstruction with religious celebration, idolizing of celebrities, and fairytale themes. The hyperreality of wax museums is evident as each wax figure is reconstructed with the same details, no matter if it’s prominent figures such as Nero or comical characters like Alice in Wonderland. The wax museum unfortunately does not separate the movie world from religion and history. The intention of hyper reality is to convince you that the original is invisible as the tangible replica gives you emotion. They are essentially saying “We are giving you the reproduction, so you will no longer feel any need for the
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And so at Disneyland, which includes Mickey Mouse and all those other characters, there is the metaphysical evil (haunted mansion) and historical evil (pirates). Disneyland is showcased as imaginary in order to make us believe that the rest of Los Angeles is real. Los Angeles has no dimensions and is just a motion picture with a script (related to the Truman Show and Orwell’s ‘1984’). Disneyland portrays the imaginary as a virtual reality. It’s an interactive performance; we’re no longer spectators. Their virtual images have no depth as Disneyland erases the time period by juxtaposing them in a single setting (past, present, future all seen on the same screen). This creates an entirely new fake