The Place of Machines in Society
The place of machines in society is still a hot topic of discussion and has been for many years. This essay analyzes the text R.U.R. and examines a number of movies. Additionally, it describes how various ideas are depicted in the film and how these movies have influenced the discussions.
The Movie "Them!"
In the movie Them!, a massive population of radioactively contaminated ants terrorizes people. According to Medford, the introduction of these ants is a result of the atomic era, a time when nuclear elements were widely utilized. Numerous murders, particularly those caused by formic acid, are reported to the authorities. Johnson and company manage to identify the existence of the large colonies and start chasing them. The ants, however, have multiplied into high numbers thus becoming hard to be annihilated at once. The fight prevails, but more people die and lost during the battle. Finally, victory comes when Johnson dies together with the ants. The film thus shows that monsters are deadly and a threat to the human race. It is evident from the actions of the ants since they killed many people. The ants were responsible for the lack of peace and cohesion in the society. On the contrary, the ants are not creations of human beings, but they are facilitated by mans' mistakes. The use of nuclear elements irradiated them and thus became harmful to people. In this case, the monsters cannot thrive in the same society as men. They often wage wars to demand superiority. The monsters will always enforce their dominance over men, and thus war is inevitable (John 99). Therefore, the film exposes the notion that monsters are always a threat to the human race.
The Movie "Short Circuit"
The movie Short Circuit is about a military robot who is created solely for the purpose of combating crime. The robot, however, gets stricken by lightning and thus transforms to human-like nature. It understands mortality and the threats posed by men. It deviates from its purpose and starts fighting against people whom it perceives dangerous. The robot gains free will, and it can discern various issues and more so make its decisions. It automatically became a threat to those who created it since it understood that its creators had the power to dismantle it. In the long run, the robot escapes from the military units, damaged properties, steals cars and becomes a threat. It's human like body enables it to disguise itself amongst people. Finally, the robot is bombed by the military jet fighter amidst protests from its creators who lamented of the investments in terms of time, research and money. It then happened that the robot escaped death since it had created its other version which had been bombed. The robot in this film defines the subject of human greediness and corruption. Human beings are jealous and insecure where robots have the same rights and capabilities as them (John 67). In this case, therefore, robots are harmless and understand the importance of free will. However, they are not allowed to live as men despite the fact that they don't harm them.
The Movie "Robocop"
The film Robocop is about corruption, greed, and authoritarianism. The Robocop-murphy is a human cum machine robot. It was created by Morton, an employee at the Detroit Police Department. The robot is introduced at such a time when the rate of corruption and murder is so high. Before its creation, the ED-209 droid was created under the directive of Jones the President. However, ED-209 portrayed malfunctions such as killing people (a board member). Morton, therefore, patched Murphy's dead body with machines to create the Robocop which took over from the ED-209. The Robocop was a success since it single-handedly reduced crime rate. Jones fights the Robocop by hiring gangs to destroy its creator and family. However, the Robocop prevails and wins against Jones' malicious plots. Later on, Jones is killed for the mistakes he had committed. The film ends when the Robocop is appreciated by the board of directors. The Robocop, in this case, is a savior, and he is therefore destined to fit in the society and hence eliminate human weaknesses and corruptions. He is perfect, and unlike other machines, he understands his tasks and doesn't deviate from them. He is simply the perfect human being.
Theories Portrayed in the Films
The theory of Feud mainly deals with personality, consciousness, morality, and ego of beings. In the case of the film Short Circuit, the idea of unconsciousness and character is depicted through the robot. The robot identifies itself and reflects on memories it has about human beings. Through the unconscious mind, it can deduce that humans are dangerous. However, its morality and personality enable it to reunite with its creators. In the case of Robocop, the idea of unconsciousness is evident; Murphy dies, and when he is revived he remembers some occasions and thus identifies that he was once human. Its personality is the center of this movie since it differentiates it from the robot (ED-209). Finally, the film Them depicts aspects of immorality and ego of beings. The monsters are egoists and want to dominate the world. Moreover, they lack the decency of life thus kill any non-monster creatures along their ways. Secondly, Hoffman's theory is majorly evident in Robocop. The Robocop is obligated to uphold moral principles and understands the rewards and punishments. For instance, it punishes Jones when he doesn't adhere to the tenets of the moral structures. The notion of emphatic distress is evident in Short Circuit whereby the robot is running from human beings because it feels oppressed, exploited, and not treated fairly. Finally, emphatic over arousal is exhibited through humans in Them. Human beings are excited to kill the monsters. Thirdly, Ford theory is evident in Short Circuit and Robocop whereby the original instructions and reactions prevail through the whole film. The robots, in this case, respond to environmental stimuli slowly compared to initial reactions. However, in Them, robots are more receptive to environmental stimuli such as nuclear elements compared to initial reactions to natural stimuli.
Relation to the Text R.U.R.
The text R.U.R can be related to Them and partly in the film Robocop. The films portray robots as monsters that are selfish and always fighting the human race. Furthermore, the film reflects the text, especially when the robots are created to resemble people (Robocop). Moreover, the film Short Circuit explains the fact that robots often disguise themselves as human beings and later on harm people. However, the text differs in some cases, for instance, the Robocop actions justify Frankenstein more than the R.U.R. It only causes harm where even the normal human being could otherwise it is compassionate about life.
The Purpose of the Movies
The films are essential in enlightening the topic. They enhance various issues such as the role of robots and human beings. Without the movies, people would envision such characters and life differently. Therefore, the purpose of the movie is to enhance a comprehensive understanding of these issues. In the case of the Short Circuit, the film shows that not all robots are dangerous. In some cases, human beings provoke robots to behave menacingly. Therefore, such understanding highlights the positivity of droids and robots in the world and thus showing the gains of having such. The Robocop further shows how robots can be perfect and more conscious than human beings. It enlightens the role of such machines in fields where integrity and discipline matters. The Robocop's success is drawn from the limitation of human beings. Finally, despite the goodness of robots, they are as well harmful to people. This particular notion is built by the giant ants in Them. The ants exist as a result of mans' contribution but eventually, destroy man.
Conclusion
Indeed the roles of robots are relative in that some might be so encouraging while others could be devastating. However, human beings should find ways to match the technology advancement, so that management of such innovation becomes easy.
Work cited
Costello, John. Science Fiction Films. New York: Pocket Essentials, 2004. Print.
Frankenstein. USA Network: Marcus Nispel, 2004. DVD.
R.U.R. Czech Republic: James Kerwin, 1921. DVD.
