Spielberg in Artificial Intelligence and Minority Report - Coursework Example

How Spielberg explores the relationship between memory, mourning and machines in Artificial Intelligence and Minority Report. Facilitator Date How Spielberg explores the relationship between memory, mourning and machines in Artificial Intelligence and Minority Report. Technological advancement has quickly taken shape in almost all areas of life. There are programmed components that can perform virtually all roles and emotions of a human being, mimicking a real living person. Robots can be programmed with ability to talk, listen, cry, love, and even reason. The movie industry has quickly risen to this fact, producing some intriguing movies to show the wave of technology and changing global perspectives. Steven Spielberg brought a new twist in this adventure when he directed two of the most creative science fiction movies, “Artificial Intelligence” and “Minority Report.” The two movies show technology from two perspectives. Minority report is an ugly adventure into the dangers of technology and machines. Mourning and trouble comes from the technological creations in artificial technology albeit creating fear and distraction among the members of the society. The movie is a wild and scary adventure into machines (Caro, 2008, p.18). On the other side, Artificial Intelligence is a joyful walk through advancements in technology with feelings of affection and love evoked from the robots. One thing that Steven Spielberg creatively achieved in the two movies is clearly showing that mourning, memory, and machines are closely related. Steven Spielberg shows that machines evoke memories through copying and acting in emotional feelings. David is programmed to love and be loved by Frances O’Connor. O’Connor brought David to the house to compliment the vacuum left by her ailing son. However, the main aim was for David to remind her of the love she shared with her child. David plays along pretty well, mimicking all human reactions to love. While it is clear that the machines can truly mimic the feelings of human beings and act like them, David shows that they cannot react to situations they were not programmed for. This is a weakness in the machines. The machines can be natural simulators. However, they cannot remain exclusively natural. David cannot perform natural functions like eating, sleeping and peeing. This is not good to the actions of human beings. Machines make human beings look less human by living while avoiding what humans would call basic functions. They evoke emotions in the best ways as they are programmed to show super love, fathomable only in movies and deniable in real life. Machines mourn and make people weep, just like human beings do when facing overflowing emotions. Martin does not like David because he does not want to have a sibling in the family (Arthur, 2001, p.23). This makes Monica (O’Connor) mourn the fact that she has to take back David to the Cybertronics for destruction. She is emotionally attached to David, just like David is attached to Teddy, which makes it very hard to abandon him as people advised. Machines create emotional attachment devoid of any hate unless they are programmed to hate. Monica has definitely learnt to love David, just as much as David is programmed to love her. They are affectionate to each other. Machines do things consistently and smartly according to their programming (Pratt, 2001, p.78). This means that they will track emotions to their lowest levels. Monica mourns on releasing David and Teddy into the forest. However, as much as she mourns at their departure, many questions arise over the reasons for her mourning as she succumbs to pressure from the family. Machines create illusionary memories, which may be both interesting and sad. They create great and explicit visit into the dream world where the characters are likely to fantasize their memories as true and worthwhile of attention. Teddy, the bear programmed to be a loving friend to David, meets another machine programmed to be exceptionally loving. Joe takes Teddy to a world of fantasy where they both visualize in extreme love and a city with rich romance. These are false memories. Machines make people and fellow machines fantasize of things that never existed at all. Monica is possibly illusionary of the love that she feels for David which never existed at all. She mourns at their departure. Machines create emotions that may wander in both association and dissociation from reality. It is not clear whether Monica mourned because of parting with David or in joy of having her son back and parting with the robot. Machines want memories back, a simulation of human beings thus they go out of their way to look for affection using all possible channels. Roy mimics real human actions by taking David to a wizard in Rouge city in order for him to try and fascinate himself into becoming a real boy. The inspiration comes from the story of Pinocchio, which truly fascinates him. The memories of how he was treated by real people motivate David to try and be a real boy in order for him to receive the noble treatment he missed while living with Monica. The illusion of being human and receiving human love and treatment from David shows that the machines have programs that move them closer to human. In fact, David manifests that machines are near human (Arthur, 2001, p.24). Artificial intelligence not only creates machines but also creates them to have features that move them closer to human as possible can be. The simulation of creation of humans by Steven Spielberg shows that he is intentionally creating features that can have memories similar to those of human beings. The machines can have emotions based on what they remember. They can create scenes from life and attach emotions to the scenes. Frustrations are caused by memories of oneself and comparison with the present situation. Steven Spielberg shows that machines can be frustrated as a result of memories of their previous experiences. David faces a twist in his life as he thinks about how he could become more human. He meets many other machines that look like him. In fact, Steven Spielberg refers to them as other Davids. He is frustrated by this as it traumatizes him and confuses him, especially when he reflects o5n the love that Monica had shown towards him and the confusion they would cause him in case his dream came true. Steven Spielberg develops the relationship between memory, machines and mourning through showing feelings of envy, hurt and jealousy in David. He is not happy when he sees the other Davids. He feels jealous that he would not be the only David even after attaining his dream to become a real boy. However, the other side of envy comes from perceptions of the other real boys. They are, thought randomly, and performed natural functions like excretion naturally. As much as David observed bed time, he did not sleep because he was jealous Steven Spielberg shows the importance of memory and their relation to emotions and mourning when David is stuck on Coney Island for over 2000 years. Above David, there is a huge piece of ice. Human beings become extinct and David is rescued by extremely thin alien-like people. However, they are not aliens, but advanced machines. Machines love memories from the recount that David gives (Kimmel, 2001, p.6). More so, the meeting shows that machines keep memories for a very long time when David recounts all the things he saw in the human world. Being lovers of memory, the machines download all the memories as they consider David the last person who had an experience with the human beings. Memories are treasured by the machines just like they are treasured by the humans. The control of reason and remembrance among the machines is amazing as they can recount amazingly many human events from the memories that they download from David. The machines live in a world attempting to make themselves mourn in joy be remembering things that positively influenced them, but may have passed. The machines are advanced technologies that can create reality from memories and make people mourn over them. Steven Spielberg shows that Artificial intelligence is simply a mockery of reality and human existence when the machines bring Monica back to life for 24 hours. They were definitely bringing her back for the sake of David. They wanted him to remember the affection he received from Monica. The love he got from her human loving heart. David mourns that Monica had departed from him when he was really struggling to fit in her society, one that purely wanted people and no machines. However, David is a computer program. He is programmed to mourn. but that reflects nothing on his feelings. In fact, he has no feelings at all. The flash play into David’s memories reveals that he was not only programmed to be loved, but also compelled to love. Nonetheless, by the same token, when Watson played Jeopardy in the movie, and determines that Lincoln is dead at this present time, how does Watson "know" that? How does anyone reading this know that the death has actually occurred and perhaps the characters are living in the future? Lincoln has never appeared alive nor has anyone ever seen him alive. It is illusionary. His life is a mere creation of another life simulated into a real life. We know because we have read it, as well as applying rules of logic as to how long a human could possibly live. Indeed, Watson probably has vastly more documentation as to Lincoln being dead than anyone could amass in a lifetime, and could evaluate. If David is silicon, hydraulics, and electrical impulses (as is the case with all the other androids in the advanced stage who saved him) ten all humans are carbon and electrochemical impulses. What separates our awareness, love, and happiness from a Mechas? Ebert merely asserts that David cant be separated from the humans as he behaves exactly like them except that his actions and reactions are not biological (Weinbach, 2006, p.2). He never stops to ponder how humans do when composed only of carbon, and a few other elements. Minority Report presents a cold aspect of technology and development of science. Science fiction still forms the basis of the movie, but the main focus is on an ugly side of the advanced science and fictitious creations. Steven Spielberg shows that machines mourn when they are in trouble with memories of how other people or machines are treated when they fall in the same trouble. John Anderton is a police in a pre-crime unit serving in a way that he can read the minds of criminals’ way before they can commit their crimes and apprehend. This is a very good and advanced system for him. However, he is caught in the fiasco when his prediction reveals that he would be the criminal as he would kill a person he does not even know in three days. Anderton had to flee and run to avoid being captured. When one is overpowered by the would-be effects of their memories and the mourning that would accompany it, they try to run. However, this element of the machines in the Minority report can easily be critiqued and questioned. Why would Anderton run instead of the predictor showing him the woman before the end of the three days so that he would save him and avoid the crime? This is one of the questions that raise critique to the concept of pre-crime prediction and arrest in the movie (Kimmel, 2002, p.86). Anderton is used by Steven Spielberg as a true manifestation of the mourning and emotions that memory may create in machines. He works with the pre-cogs, machines that help in tracking criminals before they commit crime and blocking them from the crimes before arrest. Shortly after the movie starts, at the end of the first day, Anderton goes home and evokes memories of his lost child. His son died shortly before Anderton divorced his wife. Both memories are unpleasant and drive Anderton to mourning. He takes some drugs he bought on his was home and tries to forget the memories. The movie shows that memories are real. However, this can be critiqued (Homer-Dixon, 2001, p.22). The author has shown the negative emotions evoked by the memories of Anderton. Questions linger over whether he also had some positive dreams or memories from his past. There are none forthcoming in the thoughts that he has prior to him taking the drugs. Questions would also be asked on why the memories have to come early in the movie. Will he be planning to kill his wife? Memories should create mourning and joy in equal measure. The case is different in this movie. When mourning is a natural reaction that helps us to share our feelings with other people, machines seek comfort in times of mourning just like humans do in the same situations. Anderton shares the video with his boss before the pre-cogs reveal that he would kill a person leading him to start running away in order to keep away from the act. Machines frustrate people with their memories, create mourning, and develop a reactive way as shown through the running and attempts to escape from killing executed by Anderton. Anderton has memories of the pre-cog that he would kill a man. With the help of Agatha, he notices that the man is Crow (Homer-Dixon, 2001, p.22). Steven Spielberg uses Anderton to show the relationship between memories and machines when he undertakes an operation on his machine eyes in order to read clearly into the minds of the pre-cogs and avoid killing. However, memories that he should kill lead him to look for Crow when they spot a billboard directing him that he is close to the house where he should kill Crow. Agatha insists that Anderton had a choice. However, Anderton is mourning the fact that someone has arranged for him to kill Crow. Crow apparently knows the person behind the whole plan as he insists that Anderton should kill him in order for his family to get paid. Memories and emotions control Anderton. He does not want to kill Crow but Crow leads him to killing by pushing his finger far enough to blow the gun. Steven Spielberg shows that memories are mainly controlled by the emotion of the person at the time when they are evoked. They can generate good results or bad results when dealing with the androids. Machines keep data and make it available through the most demanding times. Agatha and Anderton take shelter in Anderson’sex-wife’s house (Andrews, 2002, p.39). Agatha reminds Anderton that that used to be a house full of love. Anderton is driven into memories of his love life and the situations under which he became a parent. He had to focus. Machines have a very high tendency to focus due to the nature of work that they do. He then thinks of a solution that would involve bot his ex-wife and himself. Lara, Anderton’s ex-wife, goes to Burgess and tells him about a missing component in their investigation of the death of Anne Lively. Something about her current location was missing. This is the power of memory that Steven Spielberg demonstrated through Lara. Soon after Lara talks to Burgess, Anderton crafts a new plan through memory of his past events and notices another soft spot that could help him. Anderton calls Burgess and tells him that he knows how he killed Ann Lively (Caro, 2008, p.31). He knows that Burgess hired someone to kill Ann then killed her in the same manner. Memories create torture moments that can help in manipulation of other people in order to help a person achieve a particular mission and avoid mourning. Anderton is mourning for majority of the time in Lara’s house. However, his memory of moments when Ann Lively was killed by Burgess save him andtorture Burgess to Anderton’s advantage. Steven Spielberg uses counter memories to show the relationship between memory, machines and mourning. After Anderton has tricked Burgess well to allowing him out of his hideout, Burgess sinks in a moment of though, illusion and memories of how he killed Anne. Memories create one into a situation that they have to make a decision. When one is engrossed in memories, they imagine the help they would get from machines like the pre-crimecops did. Burgess knows that he cannot win the case against Anderton because Anderton has too much evidence to lose (Andrews, 2002, p.39). He recalls moments when Anderton could have picked up the evidence and finds it hard to refute. Besides, he has hard choices to make characteristic of machines. Machines are expected to make decisions and choices like humans. They should make judgments even in areas where they were not programmed in such situations. Machines have to love some people and hate others, yet people expect them to make such decisions with swiftness. Burgess lies in a similar position where he knows that the only way out of his trouble if shooting and killing Anderton. However, he does not want to kill him thus makes the decision to shoot and kill himself instead. However, this element can be critiques because there are no major reasons why he did not shoot Anderton. It is arguable that he loved Anderton and never wanted him dead. It is also arguable that machines are irrational in their emotions. Summarily, Robots can be programmed with ability to talk, listen, cry, love, and even reason. The movie industry has quickly risen to this fact, producing some intriguing movies to show the wave of technology and changing global perspectives. Machines mourn and make people mourn and weep, just like human beings do in overflowing emotions. Martin does not like David because he does not want to have a sibling in the family.Artificial intelligence not only creates machines but also creates them to have features that move them closer to human as possible can be. The simulation of creation of humans by Steven Spielberg shows that he is intentionally creating features that can have memories with the same strength as human beings. Memories that he should kill lead him to look for Crow when they spot a billboard directing him that he is close to the house where he should kill Crow. Agatha insists that Anderton had a choice.Steven Spielberg uses counter memories to show the relationship between memory, machines and mourning. After Anderton has tricked Burgess well to allowing him out of his hideout, Burgess sinks in a moment of though, illusion and memories of how he killed Anne. Reference ListTop of Form Andrews, N. 2002, The master of disquiet: Man In The News Steven Spielberg: The veteran directors science fiction film Minority Report carries an uncomfortable message about the risks of pre-emptive action and the erosion of civil liberties, says Nigel Andrews:, London (UK). Arthur, P. 2001. Movie of the moment: A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Film Comment, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 22-25. Caro, M. 2008. Steven Spielberg, family man, Washington. Homer-Dixon, T. 2001. We ignore scientific literacy at our own peril Spielbergs movie, Boston, Mass. Kimmel, D.M. 2002. Spielberg does justice to chilling futuristic tale, Worcester, Mass. Kimmel, D.M. 2001. Spielberg cant fix major design flaws with `Artificial Intelligence script, Worcester, Mass. Pratt, S. 2001. Cinema Reviews - I have seen the future, and it works.., Darlington (UK). Weinbach, J. 2006. Weekend Journal; Hollywood Report: The Other Munich Movie; Decades Before Spielberg, Similar TV Film Aired; Not on Anyones Radar, Eastern edition edn, New York, N.Y. Read More