Free Human-Android Relationships in Films Essay Sample
Blade Runner, a film directed by Ridley Scott is based on Philip K. Dick's novel. The whole film is all about how advanced technology has influenced scientists to manufacture artificial humanoids generally referred to as robot which are engineered biologically. They are considered illegal on earth because of a violent revolt that happens off world. They are being eliminated by one Rick Deckard who is called out of retiring from the force after his fellow Blade Runner is killed while doing a Voight-Kampff test to Leon, one of the replicants who escaped. Rick Deckard reluctantly agrees after his former boss Bryant threatens him and orders him to get rid of the four replicants who escaped from the off world colony to earth. The four replicants namely, Roy Bat, a leader who is a combat model, Zhora, an assassin for martial arts, Pris, a pleasure model and Leon Kowalski who is a nuclear fuel loader. Joined by his fellow blade runner Gaff, Deckard takes off to Tyrell Corporation to make sure that all tests are done on all the Nexus-6 models only to discover that Rachel, Tyrell's young assistant believes she is human when she is actually an experimental replicant. However, Deckern continues with the battle until his mission is accomplished.
Artificial Intelligence, a film directed, produced and written by Steven Spielberg, like in the Blade Runner also focuses on human technology advancement. The author writes on how the human races increases to the point of making robots which are realistic mainly for serving them. These creatures are normally referred to as androids or robots. In this film David, an eleven year old boy is one of the robots built by one company that produces robots. He is the first artificial kid to have real feelings. His real feelings are especially for his mother Monica who together with her husband Henry Symptom adopted David as a substitute for their real son. Their real son Martin is stricken by a disease that is not curable and remains in a cryo-statis. David's happy life with Monica and the husband comes to an end dramatically after discovery of cure for their real son and he returns home. The author expresses how the 21st century artificial intelligence has developed to a point where it is even possible for a family to accept a child who is near to life just like what Monica and her husband did. David who wishes to become a real boy in order to win back the love of his parents sets his journey into the forest with his friend Gigolo Joe who is also a mecha in search of someone who can help him identify himself.
In the two books or rather films, the relationships between the creator and the created creatures have been portrayed in different ways. For instance in both the films, discrimination is portrayed whereby the robots are being discriminated by the normal human beings. They are being treated unfairly. Dick states that when taking an example in the Blade Runner, all the robots are declared illegal on earth and even killed where Bryant orders Deckern to shoot all the robots. In the Artificial Intelligence, David is being discriminated by Monica and her husband to the extent of being sent away to survive on its own after the return of their real son. Racism is also portrayed in both films. In Blade Runner, if you are not of human race you cannot survive. Leon, Zhora, Roy and Pris are all killed because they were not real human. Rachel is also almost killed after discovering she is an experimental robot. Racism is also portrayed in the Artificial Intelligence where Monica's love for David dies because he is a robot and not a human being.
In both films robots are being deceived by real human beings. This is portrayed in the Blade Runner where Roy demands for an expansion of his lifespan and Tyrell refuses to help him and dismisses him arrogantly yet he was his creator. In Artificial Intelligence, David felt so deceived after his fake parents' love changed after their real son returned. He had trusted and believed in their love all the time only to realize their love for him was not real. Robots and mechas are also just used by their makers in both films. In the Blade Runner, Roy is a combat model, Zhora is an assassin for martial arts, Leon is a nuclear fuel loader while Pris is a model for pleasure and they are all being used by their maker Tyrell to serve him. Whereas in the Artificial Intelligence, David is just used by Monica and her husband as a substitute for their sick son who at first they think is not going to be cured.
The films also try to explain to us that robots or robots can also interact and socialize just like humans. There is socialization and interaction portrayed among the creators and their created creatures. In Blade Runner, you find that Sebastian invites Pris in his apartment Bradbury Building where he stays with his manufactured robots despite the fact that he is human. On the other hand in Artificial Intelligence, Monica and her husband stays with their robots adopted son, David happily though at last he is sent away.
Love affection is also portrayed among the creators and the created in both films. Robots can also have affection towards each other just like normal humans. Philip Dick expresses this in the novel Blade Runner where Deckerd falls in love with Rachel despite the fact that Rachel is not human. It is also expressed in Steven Spielberg's Artificial Intelligence where the David's motherly love for Monica is very real even though David himself is not real. The author says that he was the first mecha kid programmed to experience real feelings.
There is betrayal among the makers and the replicants especially in the Blade Runner. They also have an ability to betray each other just like humans. After a tough interrogation, Abdul Ben Hassan the snake dealer directs Deckern to the strip club where Zhora works thereby leading to Zhora to be killed by Deckern. Rachel also betrays Leon by shooting him when he tries to beat up Deckern in the case when Leon tries to save her from Deckern who is after shooting her.
The robots also can have a sense of revenge. There is revenge among the human and the robots. This is portrayed in Ripley Scott's film the Blade Runner where both the real human beings and robots are hitting back at each other. It all begins with Deckern's old boss who after knowing that his former worker Blade Runner was killed by Leon, one of the escaped androids, orders Deckern to finish all the humanoids. Rick Deckerns on the other hand is also revenging by ensuring all the escaped androids are killed. Roy also expresses his revenge by killing Tyrell and Sebastian after he demands for expansion of his lifespan and Tyrell refuses to help him instead dismisses him arrogantly and ironically also considering the fact that they are real human. Roy traps Deckern on learning that he has just killed Pris and so he does it not just because he is human but also because he is horrified at Pris' death and out of revenge.
Another major relationship between human and androids is the fact about sight and memories. As much as eyes are crucial and important to humans it is also important to androids because they are created by humans. This is especially repeatedly portrayed in Blade Runner where Roy plans to see his maker and face him face to face. It is also portrayed in Rachel's case of visual collections of her memories. Roy's last words and claims before he dies that he has many things than other human have never seen. Therefore they also have sight and memories like human beings.
Another relationship between human and androids is technology advancement. As much as humans are trying to explore the interior world, androids are also exploring their way to the earth. This is mostly portrayed in the Blade Runner. When Roy's arm starts to fall off he tries to fix it back using a nail. It is also expressed in Artificial Intelligence where David tries to set off to a journey in his struggle to become real just to win back his mother's love. This implies that eventually, all the needs, all the reality and problems will be controlled by devices, means and methods which are technical. This means they are somehow intelligent.
Death and immortality is another relationship. Both humans and androids die as much as androids lifespan is very short. They also try to fight back when their death approaches just like human beings. In Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, androids try to fight back just like human beings each time Deckerns tries to retire them. It is expressed in cases like when he tries to shoot Rachel, he is beaten by Leon, he is ambushed by Pris and later struggles with Roy. Batty also saves Rick's life so he will live on Rick's memories. Sebastian also ages fast like androids. An immortal game is whereby Batty is famous and the chess game that Tyrell and Sebastian plays. It is also expressed by Roy's last words before he dies.
Blue Wind Press & Burroughs (2010) assert that just like the humans robots can also be considered as heroes. Their thinking capacity and physical appearance is relatively same to that of a human. The main difference is when it comes to the Voight-Kampff tests. For instance in Steven's Artificial Intelligence David acts like a hero after being send away by Monica and her husband. He decides not to give up instead decides to go for a journey to search ways in which he can become real human so that he can win his mother's love. He does not accept defeat easily. They also portray they are heroes in Blade Runner by how they defend themselves from human when their death approaches. Deckern is beaten by Leon when he tries to follow and kill Rachel. Rachel is also a hero because she escapes death and saves Deckern from being killed by Leon. Roy manages to kill Tyrell and Sebastian. He also manages to trap Rick Deckerns on discovering he has killed Pris.
To add on, there is a relationship between humans and the androids that they create when it comes to language and communication skills. The artificially created androids are able to communicate among themselves and to human beings in normal style and languages. They are able to communicate and understand what each other says just like humans. In the Blade Runner, Roy and other Treylls models are able to communicate throughout. Sebastian also manages to live with all of his manufactured companions in his apartment because they are able to communicate and understand each other. Deckern is able to communicate with his targeted robots during his investigation and interrogation until his whole process of retirement is through. He is also able to communicate with Rachel. In Steven's Artificial Intelligence, David communicates with his parents, Monica and her husband Henry and that is how he realizes his real feelings for his mother. He is also able to communicate with Joe in their deal to set off for the journey to go and explore their real identity. This means that robots can also communicate and express themselves just the same way humans can communicate in specific languages.
Generally in these two films and novels, the authors Philip Dick and Steven Spielberg tries to express that so far there is no big difference in relationship of humans and their artificially made androids as they can think, learn and create things using their programmed intelligence. May be in the near future things in technology world will be totally different and robots could be programmed with more intelligence than humans themselves as technology is increasingly developing every single days .The authors bring us answers to questions like just how important and precious is human and robot life how long it is supposed to last and how or what it feels to be real human and living your life as a fake human or a androids.