A.I. and Blade Runner :The inequality relationship between human and machines or human and human ?
Both A.I. and Blade Runner are science fiction movies. They are highly imaginative about the fantasy of future of human beings. It is an era of intensive modernization as well as mechanization. Machines have already integrated into all part of human daily lives. Robots are made as the most advanced form of machines. They, then, are given the appearances and artificial intelligent as if human beings. At last, human emotions are also developed in robots. It arouses the contradiction between human and machine and their relationship become more complicated than ever.
First of all, we have to find out why human need and thus invent varies machines in future. The most obvious reason is to improve the living quality. Mechanization and automation can reduce working hours, avoid working in dangerous environment and have a more comfortable live. In both films human live in a highly modernized home. Human have computer to identify the flat owners, secure and look after their homes. House-working machines are used. Transport is also employed advanced technology.
In A.I., development of machines is mainly to fulfill the human wants and desires. For example, parents want to have robots to replace their children. Human want to satisfy sexual desire instead of other human beings. However, in Blade Runner, it is a dystopian world. The opening narrative mentions that the earth is suffering from resources scarcity after the global disaster. There is a tight control of population growth. Machines and robots can save energy since they need no further resources once they are produced. Thus, many machines are produced to work for mankind. It seems a necessity.
In two films, machines are widely used. Roberts are produced large in scale in both worlds. They are smart, efficient, less or even no resource is consumed and never need to take rest. They are made to serve, to entertain and do all the disguising jobs for human. Roberts who have human appearance are called ‘androids’. In A.I., there are sex-providers androids, home-taker (Teddy) and child androids (David) etc. In Blade Runner, transportation, animals and replicants (Roberts have not much different from human) etc. are found.
However, in many cases, machines and robots are manipulated and exploited by humans. They are not supposed to stop working unless they are no longer function well or new models are invented. When machines become useless, they will only be dumped away as rubbish. The relationship between human and machines are always unfair. Human remains a superior position over machines. Human can like, love, hate, abolish, torture or even destroy machines. Machines can only accept their ‘destinies’.
In the opening scene of A.I., a female android is being tested in a front of many executives of a Robert company. She is hurt by a sharp needle, embarrassed laugh by the executives and asked to put off her clothes (most of the executives are male). She obeys all the instructions without defying them. All the executives treat her as tester only.
In Blade Runner, the opposition between human and machines is more severe. The human- like robot is called ‘replicants’. Once they are not in use or when they are out of order, they are forced to ‘retire’ i.e. exterminated by government agent. Human who work for this is known as Blade Runner. Deckard is a Blade Runner yet, he regards himself as a ‘killer’.
At the beginning, it is no problem and nothing wrong to ‘treat’ machines in ‘bad way’ as long as they are just something inorganic matter to assist human beings. However, as time goes by, more advanced technology is developed. Artificial intelligent is developed. It makes machines, mainly robots, have sensational feeling and human emotions. Robots can love, be happy, feel painful or fear etc. They are even implanted with human appearances and named androids. They are no longer merely inorganic metals. Shall human being treat them more then just machines? What should be or should there be any responsibility for human to them?
In A.I., the executives are discussing whether to invent child androids who can love their parents genuinely. Someone asks if the parents will love the androids back in that case. The main designer never answers this question and vigorous discussion is continued. The film does not tell what the conclusion is. We only know the newest model is developed several months later. This model is made to love its owners as its parents but human do not necessarily to love them back. Machines are once again subjected to human.
The model of the first child android, David, is tested. He is made to love his mother by computer programs. He behaves as a good child. He draws, makes cups of coffee and does whatever he can to appreciate his ‘mother’ Monica. He dreams to become a real boy so that Monica will love him. We do not know if it is due to David’s program or his own desire. But there is no doubt that the program triggers him able to love, to have and to pursue his dream. He has no choice in that sense. His life is no more than an experiment. That’s make him so unhappy and you may even say he is made to suffer.
In Blade Runner, replicants have their ‘expire dates’. They are made exactly like to human beings. They have their own conscious and will work hard for their lives. They hide and live secretly in order to escape from Blade runners. They want to live as usual human do. Once they are caught, a test is used to examine their identities. It is ‘inhuman’ (if we consider they are not much than human). Replicants are nervous are exhuasted when the test is conducting. Before the republicans commit any crimes, they are regarded as criminals already. They are caught only bacuase of their ‘special’ identity. But, it is human who create them to the world. It demonstrates human have the right to create and destroy something according to their interests.
Rachael is a special replicants. A man-made memory is inserted into her ‘brain’ and she never knows her real identity. Tyrell, the designer, uses her as an experiment. He makes himself as Rachael’s uncle. When Rachael is told the truth by Deckard, she hardly accepts it. She is hurt. Later on, she falls in love with Deckard. She is afraid and not dare to love him. The film does not tell the reason clearly. We just know it is Deckard who takes the active role and asks her to ‘kiss’ and ‘love’ him. In two relationships, Rachael’s wills are strongly determined and influenced by human.
The relationship between human and machines in two films are complicated. In A.I., the children-parents relationship is depicted. David is set the program to love his mother Monica. He also tries to build friendship with Monica’s real son and her husband. Nevertheless, competition is aroused between human and machines, Monica’s real son and David. Human not only enjoy the advantages brought by machines, but also hatred their substitution by machines. Many audiences enjoy the torture of machines by a Machine Destroy Company and they blame machines for the high unemployment rate. The sex-provider android is blamed when he has sex with a man’s lover. David is also tricked by Monica’s son since he does not want to share his mother’s love with a machine.
Roy, a replicants in the film Blade Runner, does not trust human anymore. He is in dilema. He goes to find his creator, Tyrell, and calls him ‘father’. He find out he is created by him. He asks Tyrell to extend his life expectancy. Roy ,as a replicants, he wants to get help from Tyrell. But it is also Tyrell who announces the ‘retirement’ of replicants. Meanwhile, Deckard executes replicants because it is his job and duty. At last, he does not complete his duty and does not kill Rachael.
Machines face slightly different situation with human in two films. In Blade Runner, replicants do not arouse dislike from human. They live with human relatively harmony. Common people even do not or eager to know how to distinguish a replicant. No conflict is found ,at least, on the surface. Replicants are only arrested and executed by a well- organized government department. However, machines in A.I. are caught violently and destroyed cruely by privte entreprises. Their execution are treated as a show, a performance. Public hate and have confilicts toward machines intensivly.
Machines are produced physically strengthen than human. They are immortal until the end of their ‘expire date’. Machines are badly treated in two films in most cases. Then, what are their responses in the condition of being arrested and killed? In A.I., all machines tolerate whatever human treat them. They have no complaint and no any resist. However, in Blade Runner, replicants try to against the unjust action. They refuse to tolerate being killed. They defend themselves, thus, attack or kill human when their lives are threatened. They take revenge after their friends are killed.
It seems that machines in Blade Runner have more self- autonomy. They against human when they are mistreated. But Roy does give up taking revenge and saves Deckard’s life in very last minute. Rachael stays alive because of the ‘mercy’ of some human. Human still remains superior status over machines. It is not much different than in A.I. It, once again, symbolizes the human desires to control over others.
In two films, machines are subordinated to human. On one hand, human need machines and produce a lot of them. On the other hand, human is afraid being substituted by machines. They try to consolidate their uncontestable position by all means regardless the means are inhuman and immoral. What are the authentic personalities of human beings? Are they kind and sympathy or cruel and brutality? Do they always want to be superior to ‘others’ and ‘difference’?
Both A.I. and Blade Runner depict the unjust and inequality relationship between human and machines. What if they do not only talk about machines, but also represent our real world? If machines do represent the minority in human world, then, does the unfair relationship between human and machines symbolic the unequal relationship between human (majority) and human (minority) as well?
It is true that unfair and unjust can be found all over the world, happen in our daily lives. So, are we going to behave as if the human in two films: just wait and see what is going to happen and feel sorry to those who are suffering? Shall we stop acting as if seeing nothing? At least, in Blade Runner, there is some way out. Deckard accepts Rachael’s identity and her difference. He does not kill her at the end. Deckard can represent anyone of us. If we have more compassion and empathy toward others, why can’t our world become better?
References:
Wes D. Gehring, ed., Handbook of American Film Genres. New York: Greewood, 1988
Nigel Wheale, “Recognizing a ‘human-thing’: Cyborgs, Robots and Replicants in Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? And Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner”, Postmodern Arts, ed. London: Routledge, 1995
Remark: CUS309 essay
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