Monday, April 29, 2013
Moon themes
The film that I link most closely to Moon is 2001: A Space Odyssey. To me the link is more than the fact that both are set in space. Moon very much builds off many of the themes introduced in 2001. Firstly, the idea of technology progressing so far that it becomes an isolating agent. In each film, very little communication happens between characters (until in Moon Sam meets his clone). In both films, most of the dialogue happens between humans and supercomputers (HAL in 2001 and GERTY in Moon). In both films, the supercomputers are highly developed characters. One major difference between the two films is that one supercomputer, HAL, attempts to thwart the human astronauts, Dave and Frank's mission while the other supercomputer, GERTY, actually helps Sam escape back to Earth. Though the supercomputers take drastically different actions, both do so on order to stay true to the orders that they have been given. In doing so, the supercomputers actually exhibit human qualities. Both films raise the questions, is that the way that our society is headed and if so, is that a good thing? One difference I saw between 2001 and Moon that actually puts Moon much more in the realm of Blade Runner is that Moon has a very prevalent ethical question that the film asks of its viewers. In Blade Runner, this question is, what does it mean to be a human being? In Moon, this question is what does it mean to be a clone and do you have the same rights as the human you are a clone of?
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It's funny that you describe GERTY as a supercomputer. The thing has a FLOWBEE haircut attachment. Super? I think not.
ReplyDeleteSo what's the major moral lapse of the company in the film? Not telling the clone he's a clone or putting the clone to work?
I think the supercomputers' unwavering commitment to carrying out the orders that they have been given is more of a robot quality than human quality. Sure, there are some humans who selflessly exhibit such dedication and determination- soldiers obviously come to mind- but MOST are and do question the orders, demands, and norms they've been presented with. Robots don't.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you (and disagree with Tali) that the computers carrying out their orders makes them robot rather than human. In the case of Moon, GERTY takes it upon himself to expand upon the direction he has been given to "protect Sam" rather than just follow direct orders and allow the company to know what has happen to Sam once he leaves the base. GERTY's interpretation of these directions and voluntary choice to act in a way that helps his human companion indicates a deeper level of humanity than any robot that explicitly follows simple directions.
ReplyDeleteGERTY absolutely has more humanistic qualities than HAL or my desktop at home, but he is certainly not a human. Free will and consciousness are human characteristics but they do not define a human. The definition of human is a complex one though, as someone in a vegetable state who do not have free will or consciousness are humans. GERTYs ability to make decisions was given to him by a human. His exercise of it does not make him one. In the case of the clones created by the company, they are humans. They're an exact copy of a human. They're fully conscious, and they are physically human, thus the company is committing an ethical lapse by not letting them fully know their origins.
ReplyDeleteWhat I found interesting about Moon was it's ability to give "non human" characters human like traits in attempts to make a statement about the definition of humanity and the inherent rights that come with that. I thought it was interesting that it is not revealed that Sam is a clone until halfway through the movie. I felt that the director purposefully did this in order to maintain that clones are in fact humans so we sympathize with Sam as if he were one of us. Once this is established we notice that what the corporation is expecting Sam to do is inherently unethical, hence why they make a robot and a clone carry out the job. The idea that Sam is working himself to his eventual death is unethical to most, thus raising the question about whether or not clones can be considered true humans. It is also interesting that Sam is not given any form of social interaction other than GERTY a computer that has programmed emotions and emoticons to simulate a human. Does this mean that Sam is merely a simulation human as well?
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