Things to Come

Although not well-received upon its initial release in 1936, Things to Come has since earned its place as one of the most enduring classics of big-screen science fiction—the joint creation of renowned author H.G. Wells (who adapted the screenplay from his own 1933 novel, The Shape of Things to Come), legendary director William Cameron Menzies, and assorted other luminaries, including the great cinematographer Georges Périnal. Together they devised a boldly optimistic view of humanity's future, requiring then-state-of-the-art filmmaking technology, with lavish designs and special effects that remain impressive and fantastically realistic today. A political screed that begins in 1940 before going on to chronicle a tumultuous century of warfare, reconstruction, and accelerated progress, the film was considered too preachy—a criticism that remains valid, especially with Raymond Massey (in a dual role as John Cabal and, later, John's grandson Oswald) as the overzealous, almost godlike embodiment of technological achievement, pitted against The Boss (Ralph Richardson), a power-hungry, bloodthirsty, feudal ruler. But it's still quite fascinating to see how Wells' ideas stack up against present-day reality. Officially bowing on DVD and debuting on Blu-ray, extras include audio commentary by film historian David Kalat; an interview with cultural historian Christopher Frayling on the film's design, a visual essay by film historian Bruce Eder about the celebrated score by Arthur Bliss, a 1936 audio recording of a reading of H.G. Wells' writing about “Wandering Sickness” (the plague dramatized in Things to Come), unused special effects footage, and an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic Geoffrey O'Brien. Highly recommended. (J. Shannon)