“The Electric State:” A dystopia lost in translation

Adapting a novel into a film is not always executed successfully. Unlike the “Hunger Games” series, sometimes, a fictitious dystopia representing the state of our world turns meaningless as it is translated from paper into the perspective of a moving camera.

“Ever since we discovered cave paintings, humans have tried to illustrate their imagination, and then once we figured out words, then it was just an added bonus to bring both the creative written word and the creative visual art together,” said OH art teacher Michael Skura.

Author and illustrator Simon Stålenhag does just this in his graphic novel “The Electric State,” crafting storylines of past wars and long journeys that build a world beyond the limits of his artwork. However, there may not be enough written word to associate with the art.

“For example, music, sometimes just hearing the rhythm is plenty, but I’ve heard plenty of songs get ruined when all of a sudden I hear the singing, but other times the music is great, but then lyrics added to it make it even fuller, more successful,” said Skura.

“We all intuitively know it. When we see it we’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, that works,’ or, ‘that doesn’t,’ or, ‘that could use more dialogue,’ or, ‘that could have less dialogue,’” he added.

Similar to songs, illustrated novels need to have a good amount of story and artistic imagination. While it appears Stålenhag has a clear emphasis on his phenomenal artwork, his written story is often left to the reader to decipher, but this ambiguity serves a key purpose.

The art features “dystopian, near future, everyday experiences…and they’re trying to put it in everyday scenes we’re familiar with, but all of a sudden, they impose it with the juxtaposing of this kind of futuristic element,” said Skura.

As the main character travels further on her road trip in search of her lost brother, the reader unearths a technology-infused society that appears all too familiar to today’s blinding advertisements and addictive social media. 

The science fiction graphic novel was published on Sept. 6, 2018. About seven years later, the filmmakers known as the Russo Brothers worked with Stålenhag to release the Netflix film adaptation on March 14.

A basic ‘electrifying’ movie

There’s nothing too special about the movie. While the visuals and cinematography are electrifying, the storyline disappoints to an alarming degree.

“It was a decent movie…The plot was basic, but it was still an enjoyable watch,” said OH senior Nathan Barry. “It’s like, [there’s] the bad guys, there’s the war, and then the good guys win.”

Unlike Michelle’s mysterious, foreboding journey that ends with quiet ambiguity in the novel, Michelle, played by Millie Bobbie Brown in the movie, teams up with a robot army to save the world in an action-packed finale. 

The two mediums display two very different stories, which is upsetting to many fans of the book. However, there are reasons for the differences between novels and their film adaptations.

“I think [a movie’s] got to be based on a very popular book to begin with, stick close enough to the novel that it’s not a disappointment to the viewer [or reader], but not too close that it becomes too long or gives the viewer no surprise,” said OH English teacher Tracey Contino.

The book is rated 4.40 out of 5 on Goodreads, demonstrating the book’s popularity. Though the adaptation strays from the novel, viewers appreciate the movie for its strengths, giving it an average rating of 76% on Rotten Tomatoes.

We need Dystopias

Dystopias as works of fiction are essential for realizing and emphasizing issues in society. This is why it is so unfortunate to see the dystopian novel transformed into a story with less emotion and reflection on the technological state of our world. Luckily, OH art students know how to reflect, crafting art pieces to depict problems in society.

“Essentially, I talk a lot about the future of women and how the women’s rights fight must continue so they don’t become–I use cows as an analogy–breeding cattle,” said OH junior Laila Green regarding her art. “Not letting them just be only used for [their] bodies and actually still be able to be full people.”

Whether it is about gender inequality, depressing work conditions, or rising costs of living, dystopian creations help highlight a part of our world that needs fixing in a mesmerizing and creative way. 

This creativity, “it’s timeless, and we need it to talk about the human story, what it means to be human… Love, tragedy, hopes, eternity, suffering. All that good stuff,” said Skura.