Classic 70s Movie: “Colossus: The Forbin Project”
September is Classic 70s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Will King.
Movie Title: Colossus: The Forbin Project
Year: 1970
Writer: Screenplay by James Bridges, based on the novel by D.F. Jones
Lead Actors: Eric Braeden, Susan Clark, Gordon Pinsent, William Schallert
Director: Joseph Sargent
IMDB Plot Summary: An artificially intelligent supercomputer is developed and activated, only to reveal that it has a sinister agenda of its own.
Why I Think This Is A Classic 70s Movie: Colossus: The Forbin Project stands right at the cusp of the change in cinematic attitude toward technology. Prior to Colossus, mankind’s threats in science fiction were biological (Godzilla), natural (Crack in the World) or alien (The Atomic Submarine). Technology was generally seen as beneficial or at least indifferent (Fantastic Voyage, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea).
Two years prior to Colossus, the HAL 9000 computer aboard the Discovery (2001: A Space Odyssey) changed that view and proposed that technology could be an active, volitional threat. But HAL only endangered the crew of a single spaceship; Colossus magnified that threat by endangering all of mankind with its own weapons of mass destruction. Other movies would continue the theme of technology as threat, but Colossus was the first to demonize technology as a conscious antagonist in film.
My Favorite Moment In The Movie: The finale. After everything the humans try to do, just when it seems they’ve outsmarted Colossus, the computer plays its hand and shows it is mankind’s equal, if not better. All the attempts to defang Colossus turn to naught and Colossus’ closing monologue declares the dark future for mankind. And yet there is a glimmer of hope with Dr. Forbin’s refusal to submit.
My Favorite Dialogue In the Movie: Colossus sees Dr. Forbin as a threat and places him under 24-hour surveillance. Forbin wants to devise a plan to defeat Colossus, but needs the help of the other scientists. He tricks Colossus into believing he has a mistress (Dr. Cleo Markham) and requests private time for them. During their time out of Colossus’ watchful gaze, Forbin reflects on what he has created and remarks to Dr. Markham:
Dr. Forbin: I think your mother was right. I think Frankenstein ought to be required reading for all scientists.
Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie: The Cold War was at its height in 1970 and the Doomsday Clock was well established in the minds of the American public. The US and USSR had built massive nuclear weapons stockpiles. The rest of the world watched in fear should one side or the other suddenly twitch on the launch button. The story of Colossus reflects the worries of the times.
Colossus proposes the question of whether it might be better to hand control of such power to an “infallible” machine. As in Dr. Strangelove, the two superpowers are thrown unwillingly into a forced cooperative effort to undo the monster they co-created, and just as in Strangelove, this is not a movie with a happy ending — the villain wins, possibly one reason why it has not been as popular as others with more satisfying endings.
Of particular interest is the casting of Gordon Pinsent to play the role of the President with his very John F. Kennedy-esque appearance at a time when Richard Nixon occupied the White House.
The physical location of the Colossus complex is sealed inside of a mountain, reminiscent of NORAD’s former headquarters inside Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado.
The technology of the time is evident throughout the movie: dial telephones, picture tube monitors. Interaction with Colossus initially takes place through teletype machines and a single-line overhead text display. To avoid taxing the patience of the movie audience, Colossus gains an unearthly voice so the human actors can interact directly with the machine antagonist. The electronically-enhanced quality of Colossus’ voice makes it seem that much more threatening and inhuman, as a contrast to HAL. The voice of Colossus was performed (uncredited) by famed voice actor Paul Frees (known for voicing Boris Badenov and Ludwig von Drake, among many others).
Thanks, Will! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!
We already have a set of 80s Movies and 90s Movies. This month, we’re working on 70s Movies.
Thanks to all of you for your participation in this project, creating a resource for writers, movies we should all watch to help learn the craft of screenwriting!
Comment Archive