This is one of my favourite films because I find the mixture of dystopia and fairy tale intriguing. The project was begun by Stanley Kubrick, director of another of my favourite sci-fi films, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film, based on Brian Aldiss’ short story ‘Supertoys Last All Summer Long’, was finally passed to Steven Spielberg, whose work I have included in ‘film of the book’ posts for Minority Report, War of the Worlds and The BFG.
Aldiss’ story, first published in 1969, is set in the future when parents must get permission to conceive children. Henry and Monica Swinton acquire an artificial child, David. He is able to love, but Monica struggles to love him back. Teddy, a ‘supertoy’ robot, tries to help them understand each other. It’s a sad story which ends with David being returned to the factory when the Swintons are given the go-ahead for a real child.
In the film, the Swintons already have a human son, who is in a coma. However, when he miraculously wakes up, he and David become rivals for Monica’s attention. After a series of events suggest that David might endanger their lives, he has to be returned to the factory for destruction. In comparison to her book counterpart’s heartless attitude, a very upset Monica drives with David on the way to the factory but leaves him in the forest with some survival tips.
That’s where we leave the short story behind. What follows is David’s quest to find the Blue Fairy (which he knows from the tale of Pinocchio) who will turn him into a real boy so Monica will love him. He does this with the help of Teddy and Gigolo Joe, a pleasure android who is on the run after being framed for murder. They end up in an arena where robots are destroyed in inventive ways for the anti-android crowd, but are saved when David’s similarity to a real boy turns the public against the promoters.
After this the story gets more far-out and wondrous. The ending is bittersweet because David finally gets what he was seeking after thousands of years, only when humanity is extinct in the next ice age.
The acting, special effects, design and music in the film are all excellent. I like that there are some sentimental Spielberg hallmarks mixed with darker, Kubrick themes, but for some viewers it may be confusing that the film varies in tone.
I haven’t read the book or seen the movie, but your review makes me want to experience both! Sad and fascinating!
The film is really worth seeing, even if you’re not a sci-fi fan, because it’s quite thought-provoking.
I’ll look out for it in the coming weeks, thanks for the recommendation!
I adored this film, so emotional. The first time I watched it I was in tears so many times!
Agreed, it was sad and yet the ending was kind of heartwarming.