THE LOST FUTURE
US, 2010, 95 minutes, Colour.
Sean Bean, Corey Sevier, Sam Claflin, Annabelle Wallis.
Directed by Mikael Salomon.
The Lost Future is an above average science fiction, futuristic film. However, with its contents it seems more like some of those Land That Time Forgot or 10,000 BC films. The setting is post-apocalyptic, only a few human survivors. There are many mutants who prey, like beasts, on the humans. Only a special powder can keep people immune from the infection of the mutants.
The film focuses on a small community, with Corey Sevier as the leader, going in search of the yellow powder with his friend, played by Sam Claflin, whose father created the powder and has taught his son to read, something everybody else cannot do (echoes of The Book of Eli).
The adventures are fairly conventional, the pursuit by the beasts, finding the human community whose tyrannical leader is opposed to sharing the powder. There are also a number of battles.
Sean Bean appears as a leader of older warriors – giving some gravitas to the whole film.
1. An entertaining futuristic film? Echoes of prehistoric stories? The cycle of history and prehistory?
2. The South African settings? The forests, the villages, the river, the destroyed metropolis? Special effects, action sequences? Musical score?
3. The title and its provocative look at the past and the future?
4. The picture of the community, menaced by the beasts? Small in number? The leadership? Not going beyond the boundaries, venturing out, killing the beast, taking its heart, bringing it back? The elders and their condemnation? The beasts invading the village, the people hiding in the cave? The leader and his being infected, killed?
5. Savan, the leader, the warrior type? The contrast with Kaleb, wanting to be leader? But the scholar? His ability to read? Dorel and her relationship with Savan?
6. The decision to go to find the powder, the encounter with Amal? His wise advice, leadership? His men? The raft, going to the city? The confrontation with Gagen? His daughter? His refusal to give the powder? The three being infected and in need?
7. The daughter, her change of heart, the truth about her father? Helping the three, their survival? Their return to take the powder to save their village?
8. The pursuit by Gagan, rope bridge cut, Savan and arrows for others, Kalen and Dorel saving the clan with the powder, Gagan’a arrival, shoot and Amal save Kaleb, reading, return the powder.
