There’s an element of science fiction in all romance. We can’t always explain love, and we end up beholden to the wonder of it all, confused and delighted all at once. In much the same way, there’s an element of romance in the depths of outer space and in the worlds of science fiction, people existing in a place that is often hostile to humans, searching for meaning in a vast, unknown universe, fighting for survival as inexplicable occurrences bring people together and drive them apart. Bringing the two seemingly different genres together seems only natural, the finest elements of both combining to form one formidable genre: science fiction romance.
The sci-fi romance film “Upside Down” deals with a man (Jim Sturgess), and a woman (Kirsten Dunst), who live in a strange world, on twin planets that each have completely opposite gravitational forces. It’s a perfect premise to express the difficulties facing relationships: People on separate worlds, desperately struggling to connect even as they’re kept apart by circumstances beyond their control. While many of us face smaller hurdles in our love lives, the truth remains that romances in science fiction often come with unique challenges. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a few recent sci-fi romances to see what forces threatened to deny these couples.
Many of the greatest romances in science fiction often seem to have an element of time travel to them. Normal relationships that aren’t trapped by the confines of reality quickly seems to pale in comparison as star crossed lovers find themselves separated by time and distance that seem insurmountable. In “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” Henry, played by Eric Bana, jumps around in time without knowing when or where the time traveling might happen, anchored to reality only by his love of Rachel McAdams’ character, Clare. Time travel not only presents the biggest obstacle to their continued lives together, but is the device that reunites them, time and again. Though most couples may fight over menial matters, these two never know when they may see each other again, if they’ll both know it, and how to keep their love alive throughout all the constant changes. Time is simply another hurdle to overcome.
Based on a real ad placed in a newspaper, the indie film “Safety Not Guaranteed” follows Darius, an investigative journalist played by Aubrey Plaza, as she attempts to discover whether or not Kenneth (Mark Duplass) is capable of time travel as he claims. The initial premise of a mad man looking for a traveling companion gives way to a tender and complicated look at the reasons why these people would time travel, not for money or fame, but out of love for one another and desire for real connection.
“Back to the Future” may not strike you as a great romance but Marty McFly’s parents would never have gotten together without his intervention, and their happy marriage was directly due to his complicated matchmaking. The logic of time travel gets especially hazy with this one, but it’s a wild, and joyful ride all the way through the trilogy, including McFly’s own romance. The idea that we can somehow alter the future is an intoxicating one, and an entire generation of kids have grown up obsessed with time travel thanks to this movie, and a whole lotta fear about changing the past and affecting the future.
Directed by the great Wong Kar-Wai, “2046? is a time-spanning, genre-blending ode to love that follows the lives and loves of a writer who boards a train for a mysterious place, 2046, with the hopes of understanding his great loves. Elegant and beautiful, the film serves as a fascinating sequel to “In the Mood for Love”, and jumps from the ’60s to the future effortlessly. Tony Leung is always a pleasure, but it’s the women of 2046 who steal the show, from Zhang Ziyi to Faye Wong.
There are other sci fi romances that lack the element of time travel that still manage to explore the concept of romance, including Andrei Tarkovsky’s solemn masterpiece, “Solaris”. An aging astronaut is sent into space to uncover what’s happened to an errant mission, and ends up face to face with a mysterious woman who seems to be his long-dead wife. Haunting, strange, and confusing, Solaris explores a love that reaches from beyond the grave to pull a man from Earth towards the distant stars. Though some people prefer Soderbergh’s version with George Clooney, nothing can touch the Russian original for mood, beauty and contemplative grace.
Many of us have had relationships end so badly we wished that we could erase our memories forever. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” showed us a world where that was entirely possible. Jim Carrey has never been better and Kate Winslet showed us a quirky side of her we never knew existed, and the unlikely pair make one of the greatest couples in sci-fi history as we’re privy not only to the highest highs but also the lowest lows of their love life.
Though it’s unconventional, and it’s certainly not between two humans, “Wall-E” may have the market cornered on sci-fi romance as the infinitely lovable garbage robot Wall-E falls in love with the hyper slick, modern flying robot Eve. The pair are mismatched, old and new, with entirely different personalities, and unable to fully communicate with one another, but there’s a lesson in grace and love in there for all of us as Wall-E pursues Eve and proves himself dedicated beyond all measure. Whoever says animated movies are just for kids isn’t paying close enough attention.
Because they made two movies together in addition to their hit TV series, “The X-Files” no list would be complete without David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in their sci-fi iterations as Dana Scully and Fox Mulder. These two Special Agents of the FBI battled monsters, murderous killers, government conspiracy and alien invasion, all while keeping it professional. But that didn’t last, and fans finally got to see these two fall in love over the last few seasons of their show, and display a lot of love for one another in the movies. Plus, as a result, we got that awesome Flipmode Squad rap lyric, “We like Scully and Mulder, walkin’ shoulder to shoulder.”
“The Matrix” may seem an odd choice, but Carrie-Ann Moss in skin tight black leather, and Keanu Reeves playing an emotionless human sent to save humanity from machines? There has never been a cooler movie at the time of release, and this movie had an undeniably huge impact on every film that came after. Underneath it all was a lot of compassion and desperation as Neo adjusted to his harsh new reality, and when they weren’t busy fighting for their future, these two were smoldering at one another and exploring the desert of the real.
Defying destiny is one of the most outrageous acts that love can take, and it’s brought fully to life by Emily Blunt and Matt Damon in “The Adjustment Bureau”. When Damon’s character accidentally falls in love with Blunt during a chance meeting, he’s cornered by a strange consortium of all powerful men in suits, and told to leave her alone as it’s not in the cards for the two of them to be together. To hell with that! Damon and Blunt reunite after years and face enormous challenges from this unknown, mystical agency that causes the question of whether or not we have free will in love to be posed, endlessly.
Which are your favorites? Let us know in the comments below.
Categories: No CategoriesTags: 2046, Back to the future, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Romance, Safety Not Guaranteed, Sci Fi Romance, Science fiction, Solaris, The Adjustment Bureau, The Fountain, The Matrix, The time traveler's wife, The x-files, Upside Down, Wall-e
