US Comparative Study

1. US Comparative Study Case Study 2: ‘Westworld’ (1973) Dir: Michael Crichton.

2. Narrative • What is the film’s exposition? • The opening introduction to Delos by the news reporter? • What can you say about the narrative structure? • The film is told in a linear structure but as with most dystopian films the narrative begins as a utopia, in this case a perfect holiday experience. • When does the plot start? • When the scientists discover there is a ‘disease’ causing computer malfunctions.... or when the robot snake attacks? • Flaw 1: There are many plot holes in the film and things happen far too easily or without enough explanation.

3. Outline of the plot • The story is set sometime in the near future, in Delos, a high-tech, highly realistic fictional adult amusement park featuring androids that are almost indistinguishable from human beings. • For a price of $1,000 per day, guests may indulge in any fantasy, including killing or having sex with the androids. The androids are programmed to act in character for each of the park's three themed zones: Western World, Medieval World and Roman World. • After an introductory advertisement for the park, the film begins as Peter Martin (Benjamin), a first-timer, and his friend John Blane (Brolin), who has visited previously, visit Western World. Gradually, the technicians running Delos begin to notice problems spreading like an infection among the androids The failures increase until the robotic black knight kills a guest in a sword-fight in Medieval World. • The resort's supervisors, in increasing desperation, try to regain control by shutting down power to the entire park, but this traps them in the control rooms, unable to turn the power back on while the robots run amok on stored power. • The gunslinger kills John and chases Peter. Peter distracts him in medieval world and sets him alight with a flame torch.

4. Iconography/Mise-en-scene • The iconography in ‘Westworld’ is playful and subversive? • Although the film is dystopian sci-fi, the concept of ‘Westworld’ as an authentic 19th century old west holiday experience means that the film’s genre conventions crossover two genres- western and sci-fi. • The idea of grown men dressing up as cowboys is an American male fantasy (Stetson, horses, whisky, colt pistol etc). • Westworld plays on the concept of reality, dipping in and out of the other worlds (medieval and roman) but also with sci-fi twists on the western genre such as the pistol with a warm body sensor and of course the robot characters!

5. Other micro aspects • ‘Westworld’ was the first feature film to use digital image processing to pixellate photography to simulate an android point of view. Therefore it can claim to be the first CGI film! • The use of point of view was a significant cinematography technique- to put the viewer in the eyes of the android man in black. • Music was used cleverly to signpost to the audience what world they were in. A mixture of clichéd western music and futuristic sci-fi sounds were used. Dialogue is minimal. • Financially the film was made on a tight budget with TV actors cast in the lead roles.

6. Characterisation and representation • How are the two main protagonists represented? • Although one of them, John has been before they are acting out certain male fantasies. • Shooting guns, sleeping with prostitutes, bar room brawls etc. • Flaw 2: They both appear to be naïve, rich city boys although not much information about their backgrounds is given, which is another major flaw of the film. • Peter, the more self conscious of the two at the beginning of the film turns out to be the hero. • What can we say about the man in black character? • The ‘man/robot in black’ character shares obvious similarities with the terminator. He is a relentless killing machine. • The difference is that the terminator has a mission from the future, whereas the man in black has just malfunctioned. • He is also a western stock type, the villainess gunslinger in black. • Yul Bryner who plays the man in black was an Iranian actor who emigrated to Hollywood in the same way that Schwarzenegger is an Austrian who found fame in the US.

7. Ideological Themes • What are the what if questions? The central ideas… • No matter how technology advances machines cannot replicate human beings- artificial intelligence is artificial! • That the narrative of life cannot be controlled. Fate will always play its part. • Can you find specific textual examples of these from the film? • Flaw 3: the biggest flaw many have with the film is that it doesn’t really ask enough big questions about life in the future.

8. Historical/Social Context. • The film was made in the early 70s. • It was written and directed by the then unknown science fiction writer Michael Crichton who later went on to write Jurassic Park (a film that shares a similar plot and ideas). • The idea for an adult amusement park came after Crichton had visited the newly opened Disneyland. He was particularly intrigued by the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. • Capturing the zietgeist: • Some see Westworld as a critique of (then) modern American man. In the film it could be said that Peter particularly is an emasculated man. Perhaps the feminist movement made the ‘macho cowboy’ an old fashioned stereotype. • Westworld was written at a time of civil unrest in the US. The Vietnam war was still going on and the then President, Nixon was involved in a scandal that would see him resign.Many young Americans distrusted the establishment, particularly government and the law. Westworld is governed by old scientists who play God with the future. • It is a film like The Terminator, that appears fear the potential power computer technology.

9. Similarities with ‘The Terminator’ • Both film share the central idea that in the future AI (Artificial Intelligence) is used to create ‘life like’ human androids. • Both films prophesise that machines will turn against man. In the Terminator it is on a much larger scale with mankind being destroyed, whilst in Westworld it is confined to the holiday resort. • Both films deal with time travel? Certainly The Terminator does in a literal way, but Westworld takes it’s characters back in time. • Both films feature a similar emotionless, relentless antagonist, a killing machine. Both of whom are played by non-American actors. • Both films use the point of view camera technique to put the audience into the first person perspective of the machine/android. The both also show you the inner mechanisms, the android skeleton. • In both films the android is thought to be killed at the end by fire, only to reappear. • Both films have an atmosphere of societal ‘anarchy’ in much the same way as The Terminator.