From: hal@finney.org
Date: Sat Jun 30 2001 - 19:25:22 MDT
Anders writes:
> In the end, this will not be one of the great films of all time, but it
> has the emotional impact to become the big AI movie. Unlike the cold
> agents of the Matrix, this provides excellent imagery for people to use
> in their future shows about AI and transhumanism to depict emotional
> machines, AI and perhaps even posthumanity.
I think this movie may have long-term impact similar to 2001. It seemed
that the audience left rather puzzled and confused, which I'm sure must
have been the case even more with 2001. Spielberg did a good job of
giving the film a Kubrickian feel.
Another movie I'd compare it with is Blade Runner, also with the same
basic theme of man's relation to his sentient creations. BR was even
more dystopian but had a similar mix of stylish visuals and dark imagery.
Spoiler comments:
> I disagree that it is a deathist movie. The big tragedy is that the
> android gets his meaning of life from loving somebody. He lives only for
> his love, making him fundamentally unable to be an independent being. He
> can't grow up, he can't live without his dreams of Rachel. The future
> belongs to the cynical gigolo androids :-)
I got the impression from someone's comment here that they thought David
had died at the end. Actually I understood him to have merely slept
and dreamed for the first time. My interpretation was a positive one,
as it suggested that David was actually beginning to grow. Perhaps his
one perfect day with his mother has satisfied his need for her love,
and he will be able to go on to greater things now.
Hal
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