Humanity as the Other: A Posthumanist Critique of the Surrealist Dystopias of René Laloux in La Planète sauvage and Gandahar: Les Années-lumière

Abstract

The theories of posthumanism and transhumanism have gained a lot of traction in recent years. The crux of posthumanism is that scientific discoveries and evolution can change the very definition of what it is to be human. Various speculative scenarios in literature and media have acted as catalysts for the popularity of this field. Moreover, due to the development in information technology, social media, artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, et cetera, the changing social reality makes it essential to comprehend the moral, normative, ethical, and legal issues arising from such alterations. In this regard, the current article seeks to revisit the former century and explore two animated films in particular. René Laloux’s dystopias in his animations La Planète sauvage (1973) and Gandahar (1987) have become cult classics, occupying a niche for their ability to combine surrealist aesthetics with metaphysical inquiry. This paper examines the manner in which these works raise posthumanist concerns through allegory, particularly in their representation of otherness, power dynamics, ecological interdependence, and biopolitical control. The paper argues that by hypothesising worlds where identity is displaced and restructured through interactions with nonhuman life, technology and time travel, Laloux destabilises anthropocentric claims. By means of visual analysis the study indicates how Laloux’s imagination foreshadowed contemporary issues surrounding ecology, bioethics, and the challenges of coexistence. La Planète sauvage and Gandahar invite viewers to reconsider agency, responsibility, and survival in an interconnected posthuman world.