I have re-watched 'Westworld' recently, the 1973 film directed and
written directly for the screen by Michael Crichton. I was struck by how
the movie's basic assumptions, so to speak, as well as those of the main
character, fit the psychology of LIEs.
From other evidence, I
think that Crichton was a LIE, so I'm not using the movie as a tool to
type him - I intend to show how his type was reflected in the story and
characters as he wrote them. As he was the writer as well as director,
we can safely attribute the movie, as shot, mainly to him (although it
seems that his original script was longer and more detailed).
Obviously, as I discuss the movie, there will be *SPOILERS* for those who haven't watched it yet.
Those who know the movie, or can't be bothered to read the plot summary, may skip the next 9 paragraphs to the Socionics analysis just below.
Summary: "Westworld" describes a theme-based amusement park for wealthy adults, inspired by Disney parks, called Delos, with 3 "worlds": Westworld, Roman World, and Medieval World, built in what seems to be the Arizona desert. There, respectively, an Old West town (or rather the Hollywood version of one); a classical Roman town like Pompeii; and a Medieval (maybe 15th century) castle are re-created and populated by lifelike humanoid robots. Tourists then go into each of those resorts, dressed accordingly, so not obviously distinguishable from the robots, to have the following kinds of fun:
The behind the scenes workings of Delos are then shown: at night, workers collect the damaged or "killed" robots. They are taken to Delos's underground facilities and repaired - including Yul Brynner's gunslinger. There are scenes with the engineers discussing how the robots have started to show malfunction with ever-increasing frequency - a comparison is even made to a disease or virus (in a 1973 movie!). But they cannot shut Delos down yet, although they decide not to accept more guests besides those already there, for the moment. As an example of malfunction: the above-mentioned guy in Medieval world, starting to have an affair with the (robotic) queen, tries seducing a maidservant, who rebuffs him (yet she was a "sex model").
The next day the gunslinger - "resurrected" - goes after Peter and John at their hotel, and is "killed" again. Later they participate in a drunken brawl and end up sleeping in the saloon. Very early next morning, the engineers in the control center are about to start and supervise the sword duel between that guy and the "Black Knight" in Medieval world. That goes wrong quickly: the robot refuses to be easily beaten, the tourist gets tired, and is then injured and killed by the robot, without the control room engineers being able to stop him. In desperation, the engineers shut down "all power", but the robots can continue on battery power, and all the engineers achieve is to lock themselves up in the control room with no means of getting out.
In the meantime, in Westworld, Peter and John wake up in the saloon with a hangover, wander to their hotel, and are again challenged by the Gunslinger. This time, a bored John decides to handle him - and is immediately shot twice and killed. Peter realizes his danger and runs away, pursued by the Gunslinger, who prefers to walk in a "slow but unrelenting" way. The trapped engineers can see what's happening in Roman World - the robots have gone berserk and are killing guests (and maybe each other) with swords, including the wife of the now-dead guy in Medieval World.
Speeding it up: Peter flees the gunslinger on a horse across the desert, meets an engineer who tells him what's going on and gives him a few tips (and is then shot dead, from a distance, by the gunslinger). Peter finds his way to Roman World, walks past the dead guests and robots that have run out of power, finds an entrance to the underground complex - which is now totally empty, besides the now-suffocated control room engineers (maybe because it's the quiet shift?). Peter manages to catch the Gunslinger by surprise and throw hydrochloric acid on his eyes (as that engineer had suggested), but that only stops the Gunslinger temporarily. The chase continues, and Peter ends up emerging in the banquet room of Medieval world - where he finds that tourist with a sword in his belly, and the robotic queen and Black Knight out of power. The Gunslinger follows him there, and Peter notices that now he has to rely on infrared vision and is thus confused by the several torches. As Peter tries to slip away, he makes noise, so the gunslinger throws himself at him but Peter sets him on fire with a torch. That is essentially the end of the basic plot of the movie (there are a couple of surprises but never mind).
Why I think this movie is a reflection of a LIE's mind - for the basic plot, characters, and setting:
Looking at the Delos concept from the perspective of other types:
- F ego types: "so - you get into fights with robots, to 'kill' them - knowing you can't lose or even risk being hurt? What's the fun in that? Sounds like something for kids, or wimps".
- Alpha and Delta types - "so - you think it's fun to pretend that you're actually killing people, robots that actually look and bleed like people, and the fun is in pretending they're real? That's sick".
- Ethical types - "ok -- you want to 'seduce' robot girls knowing that they won't refuse you? That's sort of sad".
The way that Crichton wrote and shot it, the film suggests that he was at least somewhat aware of the ridiculousness of it - but only up to a point.
So, he created Delos - or at least Westworld and Medieval World - in a way what would appeal mostly to F-valuing but F-weak men, and he wrote his "everyman" character, Peter, as a LIE i.e. a projection of himself.
To learn more about LIE, click here.
Obviously, as I discuss the movie, there will be *SPOILERS* for those who haven't watched it yet.
Those who know the movie, or can't be bothered to read the plot summary, may skip the next 9 paragraphs to the Socionics analysis just below.
Summary: "Westworld" describes a theme-based amusement park for wealthy adults, inspired by Disney parks, called Delos, with 3 "worlds": Westworld, Roman World, and Medieval World, built in what seems to be the Arizona desert. There, respectively, an Old West town (or rather the Hollywood version of one); a classical Roman town like Pompeii; and a Medieval (maybe 15th century) castle are re-created and populated by lifelike humanoid robots. Tourists then go into each of those resorts, dressed accordingly, so not obviously distinguishable from the robots, to have the following kinds of fun:
- Westworld (where most of the action of the movie takes place): men can enjoy outdrawing robotic gunslingers, participate in saloon brawls, and have sex with beautiful robotic saloon girls (who obviously look like supermodels rather than their real old west counterparts). It's not clear what kind of fun women tourists have in Westworld.
- Medieval world (where some of the action is set): men can challenge, and defeat, knights while seducing the queen and servant girls, and eating and drinking a lot in banquets.
- Roman world (which is just briefly shown) - this seems to appeal more to women (as per the movie) - essentially sensory forms of pleasure. Again, what tourists actually do in Roman world is suggested but not really shown.
The behind the scenes workings of Delos are then shown: at night, workers collect the damaged or "killed" robots. They are taken to Delos's underground facilities and repaired - including Yul Brynner's gunslinger. There are scenes with the engineers discussing how the robots have started to show malfunction with ever-increasing frequency - a comparison is even made to a disease or virus (in a 1973 movie!). But they cannot shut Delos down yet, although they decide not to accept more guests besides those already there, for the moment. As an example of malfunction: the above-mentioned guy in Medieval world, starting to have an affair with the (robotic) queen, tries seducing a maidservant, who rebuffs him (yet she was a "sex model").
The next day the gunslinger - "resurrected" - goes after Peter and John at their hotel, and is "killed" again. Later they participate in a drunken brawl and end up sleeping in the saloon. Very early next morning, the engineers in the control center are about to start and supervise the sword duel between that guy and the "Black Knight" in Medieval world. That goes wrong quickly: the robot refuses to be easily beaten, the tourist gets tired, and is then injured and killed by the robot, without the control room engineers being able to stop him. In desperation, the engineers shut down "all power", but the robots can continue on battery power, and all the engineers achieve is to lock themselves up in the control room with no means of getting out.
In the meantime, in Westworld, Peter and John wake up in the saloon with a hangover, wander to their hotel, and are again challenged by the Gunslinger. This time, a bored John decides to handle him - and is immediately shot twice and killed. Peter realizes his danger and runs away, pursued by the Gunslinger, who prefers to walk in a "slow but unrelenting" way. The trapped engineers can see what's happening in Roman World - the robots have gone berserk and are killing guests (and maybe each other) with swords, including the wife of the now-dead guy in Medieval World.
Speeding it up: Peter flees the gunslinger on a horse across the desert, meets an engineer who tells him what's going on and gives him a few tips (and is then shot dead, from a distance, by the gunslinger). Peter finds his way to Roman World, walks past the dead guests and robots that have run out of power, finds an entrance to the underground complex - which is now totally empty, besides the now-suffocated control room engineers (maybe because it's the quiet shift?). Peter manages to catch the Gunslinger by surprise and throw hydrochloric acid on his eyes (as that engineer had suggested), but that only stops the Gunslinger temporarily. The chase continues, and Peter ends up emerging in the banquet room of Medieval world - where he finds that tourist with a sword in his belly, and the robotic queen and Black Knight out of power. The Gunslinger follows him there, and Peter notices that now he has to rely on infrared vision and is thus confused by the several torches. As Peter tries to slip away, he makes noise, so the gunslinger throws himself at him but Peter sets him on fire with a torch. That is essentially the end of the basic plot of the movie (there are a couple of surprises but never mind).
Why I think this movie is a reflection of a LIE's mind - for the basic plot, characters, and setting:
- P: as in his novels, Crichton is fascinated with how such a complex would actually work - its nuts and bolts. Quite a few scenes are relevant not because they advance the plot itself, but because they show and explain how Delos works.
- F: something that is most revealing is how the fantasies that the (male) tourists indulge in, in both Westworld and Medieval World, are F related. That is: defeating medieval knights in sword fights, outdrawing asshole gunslingers, saloon brawls - but always knowing that they are in no danger of losing or getting hurt. Until, of course, the malfunctioning robots stop playing along, and the guests are exposed as incompetent fighters.
- F+R - as I said, Peter, rather pathetically, thinks he can have some sort of human bond with the saloon robot girl (John, more like an EIE, doesn't seem to care); while the Medieval world guy actually is having an "affair" with the queen and tries to seduce maidservants as part of his fantasy-fulfilment.
Looking at the Delos concept from the perspective of other types:
- F ego types: "so - you get into fights with robots, to 'kill' them - knowing you can't lose or even risk being hurt? What's the fun in that? Sounds like something for kids, or wimps".
- Alpha and Delta types - "so - you think it's fun to pretend that you're actually killing people, robots that actually look and bleed like people, and the fun is in pretending they're real? That's sick".
- Ethical types - "ok -- you want to 'seduce' robot girls knowing that they won't refuse you? That's sort of sad".
The way that Crichton wrote and shot it, the film suggests that he was at least somewhat aware of the ridiculousness of it - but only up to a point.
So, he created Delos - or at least Westworld and Medieval World - in a way what would appeal mostly to F-valuing but F-weak men, and he wrote his "everyman" character, Peter, as a LIE i.e. a projection of himself.
To learn more about LIE, click here.
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