The cityscapes of retrofuture cinema present fascinating visions of urban life shaped by both optimism and fear. This subgenre of science-fiction, created in the early-to-mid 20th century, often depicted cities dominated by technological advancements, extreme heights, and rigid social structures. These movies reflected the anxieties and aspirations of its time. From towering skyscrapers and sprawling highways to vast factories and fragmented societies; these cinematic metropolises serve as both utopian ideals and dystopian warnings. This article examines the characteristics of retrofuture cities, their historical influences, and their ongoing relevance to modern urban planning.
An Overview of Retrofuturistic Cinema
Retrofuturism is a response to the rapid urbanization and technological progress of the early 20th century. Inspired by cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Berlin, this movement imagines a future driven by innovation, often featuring flying cars, elevated roadways, and towering skyscrapers. These themes were not limited to cinema. Magazines such as The Electrical Experimenter (1913-1920) and novels like Orwell’s 1984 (1949) also presented futuristic cityscapes influenced by contemporary architecture and societal trends. The style continues to inspire modern visionaries, including architecture theorist Niklas Maak and writer-illustrator Bruce McCall.
Films such as Metropolis (1927), Things to Come (1936), Just Imagine (1930), and later works like Forbidden Planet (1956), Logan’s Run (1976), and Blade Runner (1982) provide rich visual and thematic explorations of the future city. Retrofuturistic cinema can be categorized into four distinct eras:
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Silent Era(1920s-1930s): Focused on class struggles and mechanization. Metropolis exemplifies this with its stark contrast between the elite’s towering skyscrapers and the underground factories of the working class.
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Post-War Optimism (1940s-1950s): Envisioned sleek, utopian futures inspired by space exploration and nuclear power, as seen in Things to Come and Forbidden Planet.
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Jet Age (1960s-1970s): Balanced space-age optimism with fears of control, exemplified by Logan’s Run and A Clockwork Orange (1971), where technology governs lives in both utopian and oppressive ways.
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Cyberpunk (1980s-Present): Introduced corporate-controlled, neon-lit metropolises like those in Blade Runner (1982), Akira (1988), The Fifth Element (1997), and Her (2013), reflecting concerns about surveillance, corporate power, and environmental decline.
Fig. 1: Replica of the Oberstadt Metropolis film set in the Deutsche Kinemathek. From Museum for Film and Television Berlin (2018), Design: Matthias Karch & Carolin Höfler, OZA Studio for Architecture and Scenography Berlin. Realization: Antonia Hoffmeier, Lara Roth, Leon Vöckler, Lara Wischnewski.
The Architecture of Retrofuturism
The unique architecture of retrofuturism is deeply intertwined with the visions of urban planners and architects of its time. Metropolis presents a vertical city divided between the elite, who live in monumental skyscrapers, and the oppressed working class, confined to underground factories. Similarly, Things to Come envisions an advanced, rationalist city built after the destruction of civilization, showcasing a sleek, streamlined design reminiscent of modernist architecture.
Many of these cinematic visions align with early 20th-century urban planning theories. Architects such as Le Corbusier and Hugh Ferriss imagined cities of the future embracing order, vertical expansion, and mechanization. Le Corbusier’s proposed high-rise residential blocks surrounded by green spaces, emphasizing efficiency and modernity. Ferriss’s Daily News Building shows dramatic architectural drawings of futuristic metropolises, with immense sculpted skyscrapers and layered infrastructure, inspired many sci-fi cityscapes.
Fig. 2: Rendering of the New York Daily News building by Hugh Ferris. From Annual of American Design (1931), American Union of Decorative Artists and Craftsmen
In addition to these architectural movements, retrofuture aesthetics were shaped by Art Deco and Streamline Design, styles that celebrated technological progress with sleek, geometric forms. The influence of World’s Fairs, particularly the 1939 New York World’s Fair, introduced futuristic urban concepts that filmmakers later adapted. Similarly, the Golden Age of Science Fiction illustration, with works by Chesley Bonestell and later Syd Mead, heavily informed the visual direction of retrofuture cities.
While some films adopt a utopian approach to these architectural ideas, others critique them by portraying cities as cold, impersonal, and dominated by authoritarian control. The regimented world of Things to Come or the domed civilization of Logan’s Run illustrate the tension between technological progress and individual freedom, raising questions about how urban planning affects social structures.
The Evolution and Modern Relevance
As science fiction evolved, the portrayal of future cities became more nuanced, incorporating both utopian and dystopian elements. Forbidden Planet introduced vast, deserted alien cities with highly advanced yet abandoned technology, suggesting the dangers of unchecked progress. Logan’s Run depicted a hedonistic yet tightly controlled domed city where population control policies eliminate the elderly. These movies do not show an exact right or wrong, but explore a more complex side of retrofuturism.
By the 1980s and beyond, retrofuture cityscapes became more reflective of modern urban concerns. The original Blade Runner (1982) redefined futuristic city aesthetics, introducing a neon-lit, rain-soaked metropolis dominated by corporate power and constant surveillance. Akira (1988) built upon this with a chaotic, hyper-industrialized vision of Neo-Tokyo. As we enter the 21st century, films like Her (2013) present a minimalist, soft-retrofuturistic city, blending technological advancement with a more humanized and emotionally responsive urban space. More recent movies such as Dune (2021) and The Creator (2023) still continue these retrofuture themes. In these films, the cyberpunk side became more prominent, reflecting the technological advancements of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
These evolving portrayals demonstrate a shift from early 20th-century optimism about technological progress to a more nuanced skepticism about centralized control, corporate influence, and environmental sustainability. Today, the retrofuture city continues to be a powerful storytelling device, reflecting contemporary debates about urban development, smart technology, and the ethics of surveillance.
While retrofuture cities were once imaginative speculation, many of their themes are now more relevant than ever. Cities today are experiencing rapid technological integration, including smart infrastructure, AI-driven urban planning, and mass surveillance. The neon-lit corporate dystopias of cyberpunk films echo concerns about surveillance capitalism, while past visions of automated cities parallel the development of AI and robotics in urban life.
Conclusion
Retrofuture cities in cinema serve as both speculative visions and cautionary tales about the trajectory of urban planning. Drawing from real-world architectural innovations, cultural anxieties, and evolving societal concerns, these films provide a unique lens through which to explore the relationship between technology, social order, and the built environment. Whether showcasing utopian efficiency or dystopian oppression, the cinematic city of the future continues to give an idea of what urban life might become. As city planners and architects grapple with modernization, AI, and social equity, the lessons of retrofuture cinema remain as relevant as ever, perhaps even more so in an era where fiction and reality are increasingly converging.
