CS8300 - Science Fiction Film Semester 2 -2012-13 “ Nanyang Technological University Writing Assignment #2: Post 1950s Film: Robocop By: Muhammad Rifyal Giffari bin Mohamed Yacob 1. Discuss what you find most striking/interesting/relevant/significant/innovative about the film and why. There are many striking facets that the film Robocop present from the pervasive and sharp social satire of capitalism, the media and American society, but the most striking aspect for me personally is the heavy use of Christian symbolism, in the most vivid style. This stems greatly from the use of the main character Alex Murphy or later known as Robocop as a Christ figure. As a film, in terms of visual representation alone this connection to Christ can be seen in several scenes. First of all in Murphy's death scene, it is the most dramatic, drawn out and methodically visceral. The process seems completely to follow step by step with the crucifixion story, with Murphy being forced onto the floor as though being put on the cross and the subsequent shooting off of the hand recounts Jesus' hands being nailed to the cross. He furthermore is shot in the chest several times and finally suffers a head wound like that of the crown of thorns. One may argue it is simply the style of the film with over the top violence, but it also highlights one of the key aspects of the Christ allegory “ the systematic pain and torture endured during the crucifixion. More visual Christian symbolism is used late in the film, in the concluding battle against Clarence Boddicker, the character Robocop, trapped and unable to move, is seen being pierced with a broken rod as for when Jesus was pierced with a lance during his crucifixion. This is just minutes after Robocop is seen striding across the water almost as though he was miraculously walking on it as Jesus is said to have done. In the same story he is said to have saved a sinking apostle, whereas in the film, Robocop was saving his partner who too had fallen into the water. In terms of non-visual symbolism, Murphy's death and return to life as Robocop speaks of the resurrection of Christ. Furthermore he embodies the idea of Christ being from two different worlds as that of the human and machine, but also perhaps as the lowly working class man, fighting in the dark Old Detroit and