"Things to Come" (1936)

Boy!  A person could really have a hey-day practicing different literary/film criticisms with this movie--feminist, Marxist, colonist, ecology, modern/postmodern, technology, political/power, cinema/media, even a smidge of education.  You name it, and I'm sure there will be at least a little piece in there that would give you something to chew on.  MacDonald said that this was a movie whose music (Arthur Bliss) has been short shrifted.  If it has been short shrifted, then I agree with MacDonald that this music needs some attention.  The montages feel like concerts with pictures at times, but hello, it was 1935.  MacDonald says that some of the music was composed (and recorded?) before the filming was shot, and is a "milestone" picture when it comes to sound synchronization.  The opening piece is especially interested to hear and watch the juxtaposition of the march-like war music with the sounds of Christmas.  I've not read the H.G. Wells story this is based on, so I don't know how much of the ideas are Wells's and how much is additions to the movie adaptations; but, it is fascinating to see this 1935 view of the next world war.  Semi-SPOILER ALERT:  The war lasts from 1940 - 1970.  The end of the movie is set in 2036.  Also, one place that fascinated/amused me is early on a portion of the people are infected with "wandering sickness".  Sure looked to me like zombies. Maybe before the concept idea of "zombies" came around?  They treated the "problem" about the same:  "shoot 'em!"  Either way, the people infected with wandering sickness walked around half out of it with there arms sticking out in front of them.  I have been trying to figure out some of the accents that some of the characters use.  Some German?  More British?  Doesn't seem American to me, unless it's German-American--which WWII kind of squelched.  Not sure what the accent is because there wasn't a lot of it that was strong.  The more prevalent accent was more subtle.  The only annoying thing about this movie was the sound at the end seemed like it was missing the final I chord.  Maybe that was something missing from the film when they went to restore it?  At any way, I keep trying to hear/get that last I chord sound there in place in my head.  Note some of the 2036 architecture and technology.  Not far off, even if the names were quite different from what we now call them.  Okay, maybe the 2036 costumes could be chuckled at.  That I admit.  Unless, of course, you compare them to early/original Star Trek.