Questions to Guide Your Viewing

H. G. Wells, Things To Come

1. What is the first scene in the movie?  What is happening in "Everytown"?  Compare this first scene with the last scene in the movie --“ especially in terms of the musical score.

2. What is young Dr. Harding's response to the news that there may be war?

3. Early in the movie, there is a scene around the Christmas tree.  What sort of toys are all the children playing with?

4. What is the reaction of the grandfather in this scene to all these "new toys"?  Later on the film, in the year 2036, there is a scene with another grandfather.  He expresses a similar concern about "going too far."  Compare these two scenes.  What overall impression does it give of grandfathers?

5. An interesting character who shows up early in the film and then comes back (or his great-great-grandson does) has the allegorical name "Passworthy."  At the beginning of the film, Passworthy expresses doubts about whether anything will come of all this talk about war.  Besides, he says, war can be a stimulant.  Later, when war actually breaks out, what is his reaction?

6. The movie pictures an air raid on the town.  During this air raid, what is the reaction of the people?  Does the reaction of the crowd portrayed in the film strike you as realistic?  So, for example, is that the way British crowds reacted during the actual aerial bombardments during World War II?  Given the horrors of the air raid portrayed in the film, what do you suppose would have been the reaction of audiences in 1936 --“ a tendency toward pacifism or greater military preparation?

7. There is a tender scene early in the film where Cabell and his wife are looking down upon their sleeping children.  His wife asks: "Are you sorry that we had these children?"  Cabell's response is, no, "why should we surrender to the brutes and fools?"  How did this scene strike you?  Later, in the same scene, Cabell's wife says to her husband: "I love you.  I wanted to serve you."  Did Wells miss some important developments among the "things to come," while perhaps over-emphasizing others?

8. Wells was not alone in the 1930s in his terror about the possibilities of aerial bombardment, and what it would do to cities.  Many commentators predicted these horrors that indeed would come mostly true during the Second World War.  There is one thing, however, that Wells did get wrong: the use of poison gas.  Why?  Why didn't the opposing armies in World War II use gas against each other?

9. Consider the grim conditions Wells envisions for the year 1960 after years of war have ravaged the land.  Clearly that wasn't exactly the state of things in 1960.  How did the world avoid the fate Wells predicted for it?  Was it because people heeded Wells' warnings?  Or was it something else?

10. Do you suppose Wells looks upon the coming destruction of civilization as a terrible tragedy?  Or as something of a necessary precursor --“ as a sort of "wiping the slate clean" so that we can begin again?  Or both?

11. It is during the time of the "wandering sickness" that we first meet the man who will become "the boss" (played by Sir Ralph Richardson).  The movie suggests strongly that this man gained his preeminence through his policy of shooting anyone with the wandering sickness.  As portrayed in the movie, this policy seems brutal.  It involves the destruction of an individual life: someone's sister or brother or daughter.  But how is it fundamentally different from great-great-grandson Cabell's attitude toward individual human life and space exploration later in the film?

12. In the Everytown of 1960, the much-older Dr. Harding is still trying to do his medical research, but now without the necessary modern equipment.  (Nothing worthwhile can be done, it seems, without iodine.)  In one scene, he tells his daughter Mary with disgust: "There is nothing that can make anyone comfortable any more?"  What is being presupposed here?  What is it that comforts people, on this view?  In the same scene, Harding's son-in-law Gordon remarks: "Flying is finished ... everything is finished."  Also: "Civilization is dead."  Given these presuppositions, what sort of attitude do you suppose Wells (speaking through his characters) would be forced to take concerning those in what is still called "the undeveloped world" who don't yet enjoy the blessings of science and technology?

13. Later on in the film, the caption tells the audience that "social vitality" was returning to the world.  How is "social vitality" being understood in the film?

14. By the way, does art ever show up as a major factor in the film?  Does it seem to play any role in comforting people or in social vitality? 
                                       
15. One day, during all the destitution of Wells' 1960s, an airplane shows up in town, piloted by a man in a remarkably large black helmet that seems to serve no real purpose other than to make his head look huge.  He proclaims himself to be a member of a group called, variously, "Wings Over the World," "World Communications," and later, "The United Airmen."  What sort of people, according to the big helmet guy (who turns out to be a much older Cabell), make up the membership of this group "Wings Over the World"?

16. Cabell says of his group "Wings Over the World" that they are a part of "the Brotherhood of ____________ " and "the Free Masonry of ____________________."  Do you want to sign up?

17. Cabell tells the boss that his "Wings Over the World" group is interested in "order and trade."  The boss doesn't like this talk about "world order" and announces that Cabell has ventured into "an independent, sovereign state."  What does Cabell think of "independent, sovereign states"?

18. Gordon says something very interesting to the boss at one point, while the boss is harassing him once again about getting some old bi-planes flying: "If you want technical, scientific help, you need to treat these men right."  That is an interesting comment.  What do you suppose it means?

19. At the celebration feast after the victory of his troops at the coal pits, the boss makes a speech in which he asks, "Who wants chemists, books, travel?"  What does he extol instead?

20. The boss's wife is an interesting character.  She tells Cabell during one of their interviews that she has everything that her sort of world has to offer: money, possessions, power.  But she knows there must be something more --“ something greater -- and she wants it.  Often in a scene where a character professes that he or she has "everything" -- things like money, power, possessions, and prestige -- and then says that "there must be something more," the "something more" would usually be love, or faith, or freedom, or individual self-realization.  What is the "something greater" that Cabell offers her?

21. Cabell likes to talk about himself and his group as "we."  So, for example, he tells the boss: "We are cleaning things up."  When the boss tells him that he could execute him, Cabell calmly replies: "No man is indispensible."  Interesting.  What sort of political arrangement do you think Wells has in mind for his future world?  (Note as well, in this regard, a later scene, where the boss is pictured --“ as he often is --“ drunk, while Cabell is always stone-cold sober.)
                                               
22. Cabell isn't really frightened that the boss will win out in the end because, as he says to the boss, "you're as outdated as a tyrannosaurus rex or a saber tooth tiger."  What sort of view of history does this comment suggest Cabell subscribes to?

23. When Gordon uses the plane Cabell helps him to fix to reach Basra, and the United Airmen find out that Cabell is in trouble in Everytown, one of the young airman is excited and gasps: "This will give us a chance to use the gas of peace." (In Wells' book, the actual name for it is "Pacificin.") What is the "gas of peace"?  In what other scene does a character propose using the "gas of peace"?  What are the circumstances?

24. The boss, during one of his drunken tirades, cries out: "Why was this science ever allowed?  Science is the enemy of everything human in life."  What would be your view of the matter?

25. If you were to describe the scenes with the United Airmen scurrying about, how would you describe them?  Would it be your sort of group?  Why or why not?

26. After the people in Everytown wake up from the "gas of peace," (everyone but the boss, that is), the narrator Cabell describes his vision for "putting the world in order" based on a "common knowledge" and a "common order."  In this "new world order" (they use that term a lot), they will pursue, he says, "an active and aggressive peace."  What is an "active and aggressive peace"?

27. As the narration continues and scenes of great factories are displayed, Cabell's voice can be heard declaring that "we will exploit the tremendous possibilities of science," while there will be an end to "senseless competition."  While they're exploiting science, will they be exploiting anything else as well?

28. There is a very long special-effects sequence in Things to Come showing factories at work in the world-to-come.  Why are these scenes so long?  In order to frighten the viewer?  If no, what? 

29. Compare Wells' vision of modern factories with that of Charlie Chaplin in Modern Times.  What would Wells have to do with a scoundrel like Chaplin if he found him in his factory?

30.  In a related vein, did you notice the worker in the factory?  Instead of his name on his uniform, he had a number: LIX 99.  Does Wells consider this a sad tragedy?  Does it seem de-humanizing?  Or is it somehow a good thing?

31. In his voice-over speech, Cabell declares that there will be no more "senseless competition."  Instead, he says, we will "live through our children."  What do you think of your parents "living through their children"?  Is that the way to a healthy civilization?  Are you going home and announce to your parents that you can now be depended upon faithfully to serve as their instrument to "live on" past death, so that there will no longer be any need for them to engage in "senseless competition"?

32. In the year 2036, where is Everytown located?  What does it look like?  Comfy?  Would you like to live there?

33. Is there something of an irony in the scene of the "master craftsman" proclaiming  his message to "stop the progress before it is too late" on a huge television screen in the middle of the city?  Is this irony purposeful, do you suppose?)

34. During the touching scene between a futuristic grandfather and his granddaughter (in the obligatory futuristic togas and capes), who are watching historical films of nasty, old cities (like 1936 New York City, which is what shows up on their screen), the little girl asks her wise, old grandfather why they used to build buildings up into the sky like that.  What is his reply?  Why did we do that?
   
35. During that time, says the wise, old grandfather, "everyone was tired all the time."  Why?  Are you tired?  If so, why?

36. Although the grandfather is a bit dubious about "progress" --“ suggesting that perhaps we were "going too far" --“ his granddaughter hasn't the slightest doubt that progress will keep making life what?

37. Now to the space gun.  In his discussions with young Passworthy (apart from his father), Cabell (the great-great-grandson of the great John Cabell) tells the fair-haired youth that "there are risks, but reasonable risks."  He later admits: "There's an even chance of your never coming back alive or as a cripple."  Are those reasonable risks?  How does Cabell seem to figuring the odds on what is reasonable or not?

38. During one of his tirades, the master craftsman (in one of those marvelous bits of British overacting), declares: "What is this progress?"  "Progress," he says, "isn't progress for happy living?"  What does Wells seem to think about this idea?

39. When the older Passworthy asks Cabell: "Why did you put this dream [of going to the moon] into her head?" Cabell replies: "So that she would live to the best effect."  What is the "best effect," according to Cabell? 

40. Later, Cabell tells Passworthy that there is "nothing wrong with suffering, danger, and death," as long as it is "worthwhile."  What makes suffering, danger, and death "worthwhile"?

41. There is danger, if they go, says Cabell, but it would be worse (for their sort of person) if they don't go.  Why?

42. When the master craftsman comes with the crowd to the space gun, Cabell scolds: "We have the right to do what we want with our lives -- with our sort of lives.  No one prevents you."  Discuss the force of this argument.  What is the master craftsman's reply to Cabell's appeal?
   
43. Toward the end of the film, Passworthy asks Cabell: "And what if they don't come back, Cabell -- my son and your daughter -- what then?"  What is Cabell's reply?

44. Cabell's last speech at the end of the movie pretty much sums up his view of human life and human history.  Please discuss the main elements of that view.

45. Religion is never mentioned expressly in the film, but what problems do you suppose someone with views such as those expressed by Cabell in that last scene (someone like Wells) would have with religion?