“In Time” Movie Premise Flawed

Posted by Jacob Santos on October 25, 2011

Disclaimer: Obviously, I haven’t seen the movie and basing this post off of the trailer, which is ironic given the accusation. I will revise this post once I watch the movie Friday. I just want to get my initial thoughts out to the one or two people who might accidentally come across this. As always, this post is for myself and anyone is welcome to comment or join in.

What I Believe The Theme Is

I believe the creators of the movie believe the movie is about Capitalism and the inherit evils within Capitalism. Given the recent unrelated events on Wall Street and around the World and USA, this movie might hit the right nerve with people. The problem, I think is that the allegory use of time instead of money is so exaggerated that the economic system they truly appear to represent in the movie is actually communism. The irony is that they created something similar to Animal Farm (according to what is in the Trailer), that I don’t think the message they are attempting to get across works.

It is without a doubt that people are going to read into the movie what they will and the point that people might believe it is hitting against Capitalism or Communism, depending on what they perceive. Or people might just enjoy it for what it is, a Sci-Fi movie with a really awesome concept where the plot device mostly takes a backseat, hopefully.

What I Believe the Premise Is

The premise is that Capitalism is evil with its creating of the two tier working class verses upper class society. Capitalism keeps the working class poor, while filling the pockets of the rich. From the trailer, it appears that the bosses keep the working class down by institutionalizing increasingly higher and higher quotas for which the workers are basically slaves. The working class is shown, what little is shown, working their asses off, while contrasting to the upper class who appear to barely work at all.

Why The Premise Is Flawed

The premise is flawed based on the economic fantasy that is created in the movie. If the writers are in fact stating that the system is Capitalism, instead of what it actually appears to be, Communism, then they are using the wrong system or at least creating a satire of Capitalism so extreme that it might as well be Communism. If I am correct, then I predict that the movie won’t even touch upon the alternatives to how a person join the “High Society” and given that most workers die before they are 30, aren’t even given a chance even embrace the alternatives.

It wouldn’t be an interesting movie anyway. Who wants to watch a movie where a person is repressed, develops an awesome idea, markets that idea and then makes a ton of capital from that idea? Not me, it would be boring as shit. Actually, watching a movie about a guy taking a shit would probably be more interesting than that movie. Regardless, still they would allude to the idea by taking briefly about some guy who actually achieved it. That would be Capitalism.

Why The Movie Is Actually Communism

I’m not talking about the unrealistic impossible communism where everyone shares everything and everything is peace love and free sex. I’m talking about the real world communism where you have two classes, sounds similar to the movie right? I’m talking about the Soviet Russia, China, Cuba, North Korea, etc. I’m going to ignore China for the most part since they’ve since adopted many Free Market ideas since the past decade or two and are doing quite well because of it.

The problem with Communism is for the most part it is run by people. The people who run the government do not want to be subject to the same “equality” of their citizens, which means you end up with a two tier system. See Soviet Russia, Cuba, North Korea, etc, with exception of China in the recent years. The problem also is that there is no graduation system from the class. If everyone is equally poor, because the finite wealth that exists after the higher class takes their share is spread equally. Is it really better since no one can move up?

It is fair system. Everyone exists at the same level of poverty or if the rulers were actually competent and the levels were great for everyone, it might put everyone at some level of middle class. Which ironically is where most people in the US are at anyway. What it takes away is the incentive to work hard to move up. If all you had to do was work at the same pace as everyone else with no reward to work hard, then why should you? A few will work hard, simply because that is their nature, but I doubt 1) it will last long and 2) other people would enjoy being shown up.

From the trailer, it does not appear that workers are able to move up from their class. From the “cop”, it is assumed that if you didn’t have a lot of time and then get a lot of time, that you obviously stole it from someone who did. The fact that time (money) is regulated in such a way to prevent one class from raising above their class appears support the claim of Communism.

Why Movies Get Capitalism Wrong

This is not the first movie to bash Capitalism in a incorrect way. I remember a number of years ago a movie where the main character is frozen and wakes up 500 years in the future to where he is the smartest people alive. That movie blames Capitalism and its inherit greed with creating more and more solutions which dumb down consumers and create products people don’t need to gain more and more money. Also has the side effect of inflating the monetary system to where a dollar is virtually worthless. Well, I could be wrong. It was either that or Governments general stupidity with lobbies and inherit corruption.

The beauty of Capitalism, is that if you have a good idea, put in the time and effort to prototype it. You either save up the money to start a company or use the prototype to gain capital from investors, whom in turn fund your company to one day get a return on their investment. Anyone can do this or at least anyone who has a good enough idea, can either save up the money or convince enough people to invest and run the company in such a way to be in the black after a few years and start growing year after year.

How “In Time” Might End

The reason why I like the movie is that the main character is a reluctant hero, which by events out of his control turns him into a modern Robin Hood. You are supposed to believe that the main character not only should give away time for free, but that time should be available to everyone regardless of how hard they work. You are supposed to feel revulsion against the “High Society” for being lazy bums who milk the working class like slaves. You are supposed to think that the cop is the bad guy and the guy who dies in the beginning is a martyr worthy of a freakin’ statue or at least a religion.

My thoughts, the cop is going to die, horribly. The main male character is going to have crazy amounts of sex with the female lead, which will be totally hot and not at all rape because she is totally willing even if technically the male lead kidnapped her and is keeping her against her will. The main male character will either go on to distribute all of the time to all of the people and not at all find that the equal distribute means that everyone dies at 35, but probably around 70 or 80 or institute a change in the system where people are more free and capable of living longer, which is practically the same thing.

By having the “evil” cop quote the supporters of Capitalism, it will prime the minds of the audience that actual logic supporting Capitalism is “evil” because that “evil” cop said the same thing.

Cracked.com will add the “evil” cop to their list of “Villians Who Were Actually Right”.

How I Want “In Time” To End

I want Justin’s character to be horribly raped while the female lead watches horrified and then watches as the female lead is shot in the face and he is shot in the gut to die a slow horrible death while thinking about how bad he failed.

Or at least shot in the face while almost succeeding at the end. Then the woman feigns ignorance and goes back to her life pondering what might have been. Then like several years later, shit hits the fan and the working class raises up and is slaughtered. They finally realize that he who has the big guns usually wins hands down and if you think your life was bad before, just wait until you attempt to raise up and find out how bad it really can be.

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