Man-Machine Interface

Cyberpunk often uses a man-machine interface theme to blur of what it means to be human. Traits we take for granted as representing humanity disappear via introspective looks brought on by the fusion of man and machine. In some cases, such as in the Japanese cyberpunk films, the fusion is explicitly invasive. In other cases, sentient programs take over roles traditionally occupied by humanity, thus, marginalizing humans on the fringes of society. In this category, I am mostly including what we traditionally think of as cyborgs - cyborgs contain at least some human sentience, even if the vast majority of the rest of their body has been augmented with cyborg parts. I do not include the Terminator T-800 in this category, even though the movie calls it a cyborg - the only “human” part is the surrounding tissue, so truly, the T-800 is an android in disguise, not a cyborg.


Like all of my themes categories, I don’t distinguish here between movies and animes (which are very influential in cyberpunk) - you will see both listed. And yes, I realize I don’t have all man-machine interface movies listed…yet. I’m still in the process of uploading my reviews. If you have one in mind that you don’t see here, let me know, and I’ll bump it up in priority.

 

Cyberpunk Movies with Man-machine Interface Themes

 

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Comments

August 19, 2008

Carlos Oliveira said:

SFAM. you gotta add Mutant Chronicles to the list.

November 26, 2011

capnsid said:

Also add Dreamscape, since the lead characters, and some minor ones, spend the majority of the movie hooked into machines which interface directly with other people’s minds.

December 9, 2011

capnsid said:

You also gotta add (if you haven’t already ) Mamoru Oshii’s Avalon F: Assault Girls, taking place entirely in a c-space desert outback wasteland.
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