My knowledge of the original 1973 film "Westworld" is limited to knowing that it deals with artificial intelligence and Yul Brenner in a Western-themed society. We discussed the film as we discussed Yul Brenner and his role in "The King and I" as part of a class devoted to the American musical. I knew the basics of the plot. The hosts in the park revolt and kill the guests.
Despite not having the seen the original, I was somewhat excited for the newer adaptation. With film heavyweights such as J.J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan attached, not to mention the incredibly talented cast, it would be incredibly difficult for me to not be interested.
Seeing the original adaptation of Michael Crichton's novel probably would not have made a difference to my opinion of this version. At the most, it would have served a a foil to base a comparison.
The first episode plays heavily on your expectations of film and film stereotypes. You are given no indication of want constitutes a host (park attractions) or a guest, which makes the first half of the episode very interesting and twisted.
As per an HBO drama, the acting is superb. With actors like Evan Rachel Wood and Anthony Hopkins, the acting is just as you would expect: terrific.
This show also carries with it a deep and philosophical discussion on what it means to be human.
A more grizzly and discouraging thought that I had as I watched was that behaviors exhibited by guests in the park (rape, murder, and theft) aren't just left at the gates. These are behaviors and motivations that still reside in the people who are human still exist even when they return to the real world. Unlike the hosts, these behaviors cannot be programmed out and erased at the end of the day. The real horror is that the humans still exist when the day is over.
It is no surprise, then, that the show paints the humans as the actual villains and the hosts as the victims.
Is this a parallel to anything in our world? No, but it certainly can be. Does this represent the levels of management within a corporation and the dehumanization of the lower workers? The themes presented in just the fist episode lend themselves to some serious analytical and theoretical study.
The managing of the park is inherently grotesque because of the dehumanization of the hosts. They act like people, feel like people, and by all accounts are human, but they are re-programmable in a way that humans definitely are not. They are seen merely as props to be moved and manipulated.
I imagine, though, that this is part of the show. For it not to be a deeper look at the intricacies of human life and base motivations would be a crime of its own. The show is just begging for it.
If you love drama, then this show will undoubtedly be good. If you love science fiction, you better jump on this train (no pun intended). If you just love plain 'ol good television, this will be worth it. WIth a stellar cast and crew, you really cannot go wrong.
