Things To Come (1936) - Full HD Movie - H. G. Wells

The story of a century: a decades-long second World War leaves plague and anarchy, then a rational state rebuilds civilization and attempts space travel. #sci-fi #sciencefiction

Things To Come (1936)
Cast: Raymond Massey, Edward Chapman, Ralph Richardson
Director William Cameron Menzies
Writer H.G. Wells (novel "The Shape of Things to Come")

Things to Come was voted the ninth best British film of 1936 by Film Weekly's readers. It was the 16th most popular film at the British box office in 1935–36. In 2005, it was nominated for the AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores, a list of the top 25 film scores unveiled by the American Film Institute.Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports an approval rating of 93%, based on 28 reviews, with an average rating of 7.46/10. The site's consensus read: "Eerily prescient in its presentation of a dystopian future, Things to Come's special effects may be somewhat dated, but its potent ideas haven't aged at all."Writing for The Spectator in 1936, Graham Greene gave the film a mixed review. Although he made it clear that "a third of the film is magnificent", he felt that the second third (as the world of tomorrow reverts to barbarism and anarchy) seemed implausible, and began to lose interest with the introduction of the "Great Conspiracy" (an international force of airmen bent on restoring Earth's former glory) in the last third of the film. The optimism and idealism comes off as naive for him.Science fiction historian Gary Westfahl has stated, "Things to Come qualifies as the first true masterpiece of science fiction cinema, and those who complain about its awkward pace and uninvolving characters are not understanding Wells's message, which is that the lives and actions of individuals are unimportant when compared to the progress and destiny of the entire human race". He also considered that "the film's episodic structure and grand ambitions make it the greatest ancestor of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey". Indeed, during early development of what would become 2001, co-writer Arthur C. Clarke had Kubrick watch Things to Come as an example of a grounded science fiction film; Kubrick, however, disliked it. After seeing 2001, Frederik Pohl complained in a 1968 Galaxy editorial: The science-fiction movie we've all been waiting for still hasn't come along. We think it's a disgrace that the most recent science-fiction movie made with a big budget, good actors and an actual sf writer preparing the script, not aimed at a juvenile market and uncontaminated by camp, is Things to Come... produced in 1936.

[Setmose]

Beautiful Criterion print, with no YouTube compression artifacts. Thanks for uploading.

[PeterNebelung]

I love this movie, watching it over and over. So far we've avoided it's course but who knows. If we ever get our acts together, maybe we can skip the middle part.

[rongendron]

In 1961, both my grandparents died within a month! When we cleared out their house, we found a 1933
newspaper, showing H.G. Wells, predicting a World War by 1940! The book & eventual 1936 movie, "Things
to Come", must have been in his mind, even then! This film was a triumph for "futuristic" fans & should
have been made in color & probably was the greatest example of pre-WWII science fiction films!

[thegardenmuse]

"If We Don't End War~ War Will End Us."

[emitindustries]

This movie gets more relevant every time I see it, which is a dozen. Different time, different weapons, same sentiment, same dang stupidity. Humans don't change, do we.

[devoradamaris]

If we don't end war. War will end us. Chicago, IL. Thank you 🍿 great movie.

[larryparis]

Great upload. Many thanks for sharing. This is a fine movie.

[TheJanice]

I just love those old movie sets! So fun!

[Setmose]

"You've got your stimulus Passworthy. Something great has got you. War has come."

[BB]

1:11:51 at least they got the large flat screen televisions right.

[chrismcpherson]

This is a excellent well made classic movie 🎦 its worth watching ❤

[Mercmad]

By 1935, it was obvious to Churchill and a few others that Germany was arming, despite the restrictions imposed by the treaty of Versailles .This movie was to prepare the populace for inevitable war.

[Setmose]

The script certainly does represent H.G. Wells' rose-colored-glasses socialist view of politics and militarism, and scientists and noble techno-spiritual progress. But it seems to me that the Korda Brothers had the last laugh on Wells, and the end sequence is bitterly ironic. After the romantic far-horizon-gaze speechifying of Cabal, after the interminable war-mongering, the advanced technological product of their civilization is a giant *gun* -- with a sight on the end of the barrel no less!

[effexon]

@03:35 Something about these cities, of course movie set, but these create very special atmosphere that isnt present in modern CGI movies. I like that kind of city design.

[Cambell]

Prophetic as it was made in 1936. A few years later war was a reality.

[DEPARTMENTOFREDUNDANCYDEPT]

This movie was made when people still believed in the possibility of a human-built utopia. If the 20th century taught us anything it is that any utopia created by flawed human beings will inevitably require a long swim across an ocean of blood, and all utopias descend into authoritarian rule.

[geoffroberts]

This has been heavily edited down from the original. Entire segments are missing. I got the full version of the original at the internet archive some time ago.

[Grits]

The great Sir Ralph Richardson. Nice ! R.I.P

[Emdee]

Amazing how in this movie futuristic aircraft look like they were all designed - in the 1930s... For example at 32:32 or at 57:32 . However that last plane looks very interesting a bit earlier at 53:37 . No jet engines, just piston engines that don't seem to be able to deliver enough power and speed for aircraft of that size. The excavating machines at 1:04:06 look like they belong in a Thunderbirds episode. Is that some sort of very hot plasma torch?
The bit at 1:12:00 about buildings in the future not needing windows anymore because they are able to create sunshine of their own is just silly. Electric lighting has been around for a long time, but we still like to look outside. Living underground doesn't attract me. However the city itself, the sets and special effects like the matte paintings look impressive. A miniature radio or telephone 1:16:02 on your wrist! Very good. HUGE projection screens: fantastic!
No idea why so many people were opposed to the crewed spacecraft going to the moon ( but no landing attempt yet). Also no idea why a muzzle loading ''space gun"' is needed, the writers of this movie must have been aware of the ideas of Tsiolkovski and of more recent rocket designs and test flights. This isn't Jules Verne anymore. Warning people about the expected concussion during launch is likewise absurd, the whole area should have been off limits for miles. This particular scene reminds me of a similar scene in the 1951 film When Worlds Collide even the reason for storming the spacecraft is different.
Amazing little helicopter at 1:24:20 it would have been a fine looking design now. But again: the rotor blades should be larger.
This film version is just an hour and a half, I know there were longer versions, one lasting about 130 minutes.
One other thing : This film shows only white people. There are no women in a command role.
I guess people in the future will say the same thing about science fiction from our time...

[revvyhevvy]

It's Mars Attacks meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets the Aviator meets the Time Machine!
Thanks for granting me the opportunity, it was a 'gas'!
One thing for sure, the props dept worked overtime!
Ed O'Bannon(Alien) must have loved this film! As well as Gene Roddenberry/Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C Clark