Westworld (1973)
Directed by Michael Crichton

Sci-Fi / Western / Action / Thriller

Film Review

Abstract picture representing Westworld (1973)
A variant on the disaster movie theme that was so popular with audiences in the 1970s, Westworld probably has a greater resonance today than it did when it was first released and seems chillingly prescient in its depiction of what can happen to a society which is overly dependent on advanced technology.  The film's writer-director Michael Crichton would effectively re-tell the same story, of a theme park gone bananas, in Jurassic Park, but the version with the psychopathic androids is infinitely more unsettling than the one with flesh-eating velociraptors.

Crichton's direction is confident and effective but rarely as inspired as it needs to be for the film to be genuinely thrilling.  Indeed, with its jokey introduction and thick underbelly of dark humour, Westworld works better as a black comedy than a conventional sci-fi thriller.  Yul Brynner is superlative as the homicidal robot gunslinger, which is obviously modelled on the character he played in The Magnificent Seven (1960).  His is a performance that exudes spine-tingling menace in every shot, amply compensating for weaknesses in the script and the lacklustre contributions from Brynner's co-stars.

The film was a surprising box office hit and inspired both a sequel, Futureworld (1976), and a television series Beyond Westworld, although the latter was so ill-received that it did not survive beyond a few episodes.  Trivia fans should note that the gardens belonging to the legendary comedian Harold Lloyd were used for some of the exterior locations seen in Westworld and that this was the first film to exploit digital image processing, for the android's pixellated point-of-view shots.

A borderline classic of the sci-fi genre, Westworld is as much a tongue-in-cheek commentary on Hollywood-style escapism in the 1970s as it is a timely warning against putting too much faith in technology (users of Internet Explorer please note).  It is still great fun to watch, but don't be surprised if Yul Brynner pops up in your nightmares, eyes shining with a sadistic steely intent.  You may have to subject yourself to yet another viewing of The King and I to exorcise this grisly spectre from your subconscious.
© James Travers 2010
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.

Film Synopsis

In the throes of a messy divorce, Peter Martin agrees to accompany his friend John Blane on a visit to Delos, an adult amusement park where the guests can live out their wildest fantasies for a thousand dollars a day.  The park is divided into three zones: Western-World, Medieval-World and Roman-World.  Each zone is a near-perfect replica of a historical setting and is populated by androids that are virtually indistinguishable from human beings.  John and Peter have barely been in Western-World five minutes before a sinister gunslinger shows up and provokes Peter into shooting him dead.   The gunslinger is of course an android, since, as John confidently assures his friend, it is impossible for any human to suffer the slightest injury in Delos.  At least, that is what the company brochure says.  In reality, the technicians running the amusement park have recently observed some unexplained malfunctions in the androids' circuitry, which appear to be spreading like a virus.  What is first diagnosed as a minor technical problem suddenly assumes greater significance when one of the visitors is eviscerated whilst duelling with an android knight in Medieval-World.  An attempt to shut the androids down by cutting off the power supply backfires, and merely results in the technicians being trapped in their control centre.   Meanwhile, the androids across the three pleasure zones go berserk and start killing all of the human guests.   This is one vacation that Peter Martin will not forget in a hurry, if he survives it...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.


Film Credits

  • Director: Michael Crichton
  • Script: Michael Crichton
  • Cinematographer: Gene Polito
  • Music: Fred Karlin
  • Cast: Yul Brynner (Gunslinger), Richard Benjamin (Peter Martin), James Brolin (John Blane), Norman Bartold (Medieval Knight), Alan Oppenheimer (Chief Supervisor), Victoria Shaw (Medieval Queen), Dick Van Patten (Banker), Linda Gaye Scott (Arlette), Steve Franken (Technician), Michael T. Mikler (Black Knight), Terry Wilson (Sheriff), Majel Barrett (Miss Carrie), Anne Randall (Daphne), Julie Marcus (Girl in Dungeon), Sharyn Wynters (Apache Girl), Anne Bellamy (Middle Aged Woman), Chris Holter (Stewardess), Charles Seel (Bellhop), Wade Crosby (Bartender), Nora Marlowe (Hostess)
  • Country: USA
  • Language: English
  • Support: Color
  • Runtime: 88 min

French cinema during the Nazi Occupation
sb-img-10
Even in the dark days of the Occupation, French cinema continued to impress with its artistry and diversity.
The best of British film comedies
sb-img-15
British cinema excels in comedy, from the genius of Will Hay to the camp lunacy of the Carry Ons.
The best French Films of the 1920s
sb-img-3
In the 1920s French cinema was at its most varied and stylish - witness the achievements of Abel Gance, Marcel L'Herbier, Jean Epstein and Jacques Feyder.
The Carry On films, from the heyday of British film comedy
sb-img-17
Looking for a deeper insight into the most popular series of British film comedies? Visit our page and we'll give you one.
The very best American film comedies
sb-img-18
American film comedy had its heyday in the 1920s and '30s, but it remains an important genre and has given American cinema some of its enduring classics.
 

Other things to look at


Copyright © filmsdefrance.com 1998-2024
All rights reserved



All content on this page is protected by copyright