Westworld (1973)

Okay, so this is not a movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood, but it is from a time before I was born, and I watched it on TCM, so it counts for this blog.

At this point in time, in 2020, most people are familiar with the HBO series, Westworld, which is also based on the Michael Crichton novel. I honestly had lowered my expectations for the movie, mostly because it was made in the '70s, but also because I wasn't sure how it would stand up to the technology of today and the story telling HBO is famous for. But the thing I love about a movie over a series, is there is a proper beginning and ending, just as the novel intended. And since Crichton wrote and directed this movie adaptation of this book, I'm guessing that it is more true to the book.

Unlike a lot of movies I've attempted to watch from the '70s, this movie packed a punch - it was action filled, and the action and dialogue had very little hint of cheese. Like the show, the movie starts with two colleagues heading to Western World, or Westworld; a fantastic amusement park in the future, only accessible to the super rich. Unlike the show, we get glimpses into the other nearby parks, Medieval World, and Roman World. The resorts three worlds are an immersive experience with robots that look, act, sound, and feel just like humans.

And if you've read as much historical sci-fi as I have, you'll know this is never good. There will never be an ending where robots and humans live happily ever after. This is a story I will never tire of!

The two colleagues explore Westworld, and do the things one would expect: drink a lot of whiskey, play cards, play with brothel women, get in fights, ride horses, get in fights while riding horses, etc. But they are unaware that there is a wrench in the gears of these theme parks. The robots are programmed to not be able to harm a human - and their guns can likewise not activate and kill a human. The colleagues however, are chased out of the western town and into the desert by a gunslinger dressed in black that seems to take issue every day by the fact that they killed him. And when a robot snake lunges and bites one of them, you can bet this is foreshadowing for what is to come.

Using infrared scanners, the gunslinger chases one of them (after killing the other) throughout all of the parks. A splash of acid slows the gunslinger down, but doesn't stop him. His battery is fully charged, after all. The only thing that can stop a robot with infrared sight is fire, and the theme part guest figures this out, and definitely fights fire with fire. This movie is absolutely worth a watch, whether you are a fan of the TV show or not.