WESTWORLD

US, 1973, 88 minutes, Colour.
Richard Benjamin, Yul Brynner, James Brolin, Victoria Shaw.
Directed by Michael Crichton.

Westworld has been a commercial success. Written by Michael Crichton (who wrote The Andromeda Strain) it also marked Crichton's debut as a director. After this he went on to write The Terminal Man filmed with George Segal.

Westworld is based on an excellent idea for science-fiction: a holiday centre with three worlds, Roman, Medieval and West - where rich Americans can go, not just to look, but to participate, to live in these worlds without fear, to indulge any whim without fear of breaking the law. It is also without fear of retribution since the worlds are automated and controlled at a centre by programmers. The excursion into the west is itself good satirical material on America, and the film uses this well, but the message via science-fiction, the breaking down of the machines and the destructive effect on men is the important part.

The evil machine pursuing man is in the form of the gun-slinger (via The Magnificent Seven) Yul Brynner. The film is not particularly subtle and should communicate readily with most audiences, including those who find some science-fiction too sophisticated. Its plain narrative then becomes an advantage. However, there is plenty of detail and symbolism for those who want to reflect on the film.

1. Was this a good science-fiction film? What principal features of science-fiction films did it have?

2. How interesting was the basic idea of the film? The use of the past and the present? As a warning about the future? The relationship between man and machine? Man's own nature and laws etc?

3. How did the film create its atmosphere by means of interviews prior to the credits? Was the interviewer a robot?

4. What was the point of travelling to Delos? What did Delos stand for - values, escape? How significant was the fact that Delos was in America? How American was this whole science-fiction idea? Is the idea of a Delos holiday an attractive one? Why? ,

5. What did Westworld itself stand for? Why did Americans like it? What did it reveal about themselves? About their past, traditions, contrast with the present and similarity of attitudes? How did this apply to the Roman and medieval worlds? Why did people go to the Westworld?

6. What comment did the film make on a computerised world? Your attitudes towards computers and machines after seeing this film?

7. Peter and John - how did they represent Everyman?

8. How well done was life in the west? Did modern people seem incongruous there?

9. Give your impressions of the robots - especially the gunslinger, the robots in medieval world, incongruity of trucks collecting robots for repair and the impact of the scenes of the robots being repaired?
10. What impact did the breakdown have? why did the management continue to keep the worlds going? Greed; representative of modern man's thinking?

11. Were the impact of the deaths in medieval world shocking within the framework of the film? Repercussions of real death?

12. How did the collapse in medieval world prepare for the breakdown in Westworld?

13. Significance and suspense of the chase in the west, the gunslinger? The perfect robot taking over, transcending the machines? Was this vindictive?

14. Impact and suspense of the chase in the computer area? Comment on Peter rescuing the girl robot, human behaviour in a crisis.

15. Was the film pessimistic, a picture of behaviour and attitudes in the future? Everyman's final escape - or did he escape?