I chose the movie The Purge as my student choice movie. In this movie, one dystopian element I noticed was survival. The wealthy people had money to buy barriers, guns, and cameras to either ride out the Purge in their homes or go out and purge. Lower-class citizens do not have the same access to these resources, so they become a primary target in the Purge. Most people who participate in the Purge voluntarily support killing people, while others disagree.
People in the movie tend to group up together for survival, and some even take in others when in need. People team up unexpectantly to help out each other. The Purge puts lots of people at a disadvantage. When the Purge is in place, there’s no one to help you. If you have hurt, there’s no hospital with doctors or nurses that can help you, there are no firefighters to call when your house is burning down, and there are no policemen to call when being attacked. This situation becomes survival of the fittest, who has the most resources to aid in survival.
This movie ultimately would make me feel helpless if I was in it. As long as people participate in the Purge, it will continue because they think they are doing good in the world. The New Founding Fathers created the Purge in response to crime, unemployment, and social unrest, and the Purge aimed to free citizens from their pent-up aggression to become better people. This is why the Purge is a dystopian society because if you have to fight for your life and prove yourself worthy once a year, then that’s no way to live.
