The roots of Disneyland revealed from the “Tomorrowland” exposition (Part 2)

The movie "Tomorrowland" is not particularly popular among the public, and is considered a box office failure. However, I love this movie. This is because it captures the "exciting sense of expectation for the future" that existed until the mid-1960s, and its straightforward visualization. And the depiction of the "history of the exposition" scattered throughout the film is incredibly fascinating. For those of us who were part of the "World's Fair generation" who queued for the pavilion at Expo '70, it gives us a thrill.

Click here for the first part

Index

• Synopsis ⑤
• Why the Eiffel Tower?
• Verne: Founders of Plus Ultra
• PLUS ULTRA FOUNDERS: TESLA
• Synopsis ⑥
• A Hopeful World
• Secrets in the end credits

Synopsis ⑤

In the getaway car, Athena (Raffey Cassidy) and Frank (George Clooney) start arguing about getting Casey (Bullitt Robertson) involved. Athena is a recruiter, AA, programmed to find people who have the potential to save the world, and Frank was one of her choices. However, he developed a device that showed that the extinction of humankind was inevitable, and was banished from that world. At this time, it is revealed that Casey has taken a 1 kiloton bomb from Frank's mansion.

Athena drives to a news station that Frank is connected to. In the basement, there is a secretly installed teleportation device. In the process of getting there, it is revealed that Frank has taken out "something" called an "Edison tube," and that Athena was also banished from that world about 25 years ago.

The three were transferred to the third observation deck of the Eiffel Tower. Inside, the room of Gustave Eiffel, the designer of the tower, was preserved, and there were wax figures of Eiffel, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and Jules Verne. Frank explains, "They are the founders of Plus Ultra. Tesla invented an antenna that can receive all kinds of signals, and discovered the existence of another dimension."

"Tomorrowland" (c)Photofest / Getty Images

Then, when they set an Edison tube in a wax gramophone, the Eiffel Tower split into two halves, and a giant rocket with a vintage toy-like design called "Spectacle" appeared from underground. Just as the three were about to board the capsule at the top of "Spectacle," AA assassins began climbing up the tower. Frank quickly launched the rocket, shaking off AA who was clinging to the capsule, and flew off to the moon. However, it changed course and plunged into another dimension of Earth.

The three then cross dimensions and arrive at a futuristic city. Frank tells her that the name of this world is "Tomorrowland," but it is a completely different landscape from what she has seen before, a deserted place (like the fairgrounds after the fairgrounds have ended). Soon, Nix (Hugh Laurie), the leader of this world, appears in a flying vehicle and formally welcomes the three. However, he had once banished Frank from "Tomorrowland" and planned to dismantle Athena. However, Frank tells Nix that "Casey has the power to save the future."

Why the Eiffel Tower?

If you take the story seriously, you might think, "Since there is a teleportation device, why not just go directly?" However, Damon Lindelof, who wrote the screenplay, made the characters stop by the Eiffel Tower. This also means that the sub-theme of this work is related to the history of the fair.

The Eiffel Tower was originally the symbol tower of the 4th Paris World's Fair, held in 1889 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. It then played a central role in the 5th Paris World's Fair in 1900( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposition_Universelle_(1900) ) ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y6xXWq1Tik ), which was the largest-scale fair in history. With the spread of electricity at this time, 7,000 lights were installed. It was later scheduled to be demolished, but a proposal was made to use it as a military radio tower, and it was saved from demolition and remains to this day.

Verne: Founders of Plus Ultra