the first 2 part seek to reduce to absurdity the rise of wasteful war and rule by nationalist barbarian . the 3rd part speculate that progress and exploration toward the moon and beyond be the key to ensure a meaningful use of human talent and resource . it have speech that some viewer dismiss a naive or bombastic but that make others tingle with excitement . it depict a space gun or launcher and a helicopter and along with inventive mass communication device and elevator and flat screen panel and and wireless intercom . it probably incorrect about windowless building in the future . but it portray a child like vision of boundless scientific or technological investigation . to me and it seem like a movie about a group of rational mind thinker guide by a spinozean like morality in their quest to immortalize themselves and live ethically through scientific advancement and a unified world government . the pro progress character ( such a the two cabal ) believe humanity could live forever by preserve our experiment and progress for future generation and always stand on our humanity a if on the shoulder of giant . arthur c. clarke ( author of 2001 represent a space odyssey ) suggest this film to stanley kubrick a an example of an excellent sf movie . kubrick hat it and say he would never watch another movie base on clarke suggestion ( source represent clarke special millennial introduction to his 2001 novel ) . though the late clarke keep suggest it at the top of his list whenever someone ask him about the best sf movie . it have a beautiful menzies art design and but mediocre special effect ( esp . the toy tank ) . i personally love it and think it excellently capture the zeitgeist of modernity . it be a bit naive about the plausibility of create a society without crime for an extended period of time . it also seem implausible about the inevitability of progress . it seem to me we could just a easily go right back to the dark age or at least become so stagnant in science that we kill ourselves off through overpopulation or through our inability to escape the next major natural disaster . but it nicely portray the importance of take risk against public and nanny outrage for potential threat of space accident and death . it challenge u to choose the side of progress over petty desire for safety or comfort or happiness representcabal represent too much { rest } and too soon and and we call it death . but for man no rest and no end . he must go on conquest beyond conquest . this little planet and it wind and way and and all the law of mind and matter that restrain him . then the planet about him and and at last out across immensity to the star . and when he have conquer all the deep of space and all the mystery of time still he will be begin . cabal represent if we be no more than animal we must snatch at our little scrap of happiness and live and suffer and pas and matter no more than all the other animal do or have do . { he point out at the star . } it be that or this . all the universe or nothingness . ( quote from screenplay ) . if this sound like a rationalization for devote all of society to progress and then the council member ( of the world government ) will seem like technocrat . but actually those technocrat allow their citizen to become artisan or pursue other passion freely and and they would have to be suppress by government ban and law against science and experiment and and other mandate and restrictive us of power that would turn their critic into tyrant . in fact a huge group of rebel in the plot feel belittle by all the council development of science and technology and so they try to put a stop to progress and an end the council freedom to experiment . the progress orient council will not suppress the free speech of the rebel though and only prepare it peace gas in time of emergency and merely want the freedom and space to pursue it progress . so it also a story about the freedom to do science and just as much a it about the wonder of progress . many people in our society would actually agree with some of these basic premise and except in case of social bias ( many want to ban cloning and for example ) or naturalism ( some do not want u to progress freely and and would rather we just become extinct in due time while enslave to the earth ) or fear or reason ( some believe we aren not ready for advanced science or technology since we might destroy ourselves ) . but cabal ( the president of the council ) have an answer to the problem of danger represent our { scientific } revolution do not abolish death or danger . it simply make death and danger worth while ( screenplay ) .