Director: Michael Crichton
Screenplay: Michael Crichton
Starring: Yul Brynner, Richard Benjamin, James Brolin
Country: USA
Running Time: 88 minutes
Year: 1973
BBFC Certificate: 15
Westworld (1973) is a seminal work, the brainchild of acclaimed author and filmmaker Michael Crichton who’s known for writing the 1990 novel Jurassic Park. The Westworld franchise is also better known for the prestige HBO drama which aired between 2016 and 2022.
The film’s writer-director Crichton created a world where wealthy tourists visit a theme park made up of initially subservient but ultimately killer robots…which isn’t such a far stretch from the subservient yet ultimately killer dinosaurs of the Jurassic franchise. The 70s sci-fi also has distinct influences on James Cameron’s Terminator (1984) with Yul Brynner delivering a chilling stoic performance as a hostile gun-swinging machine, not all dissimilar from Arnie’s cybernetic android.
The low-budget 88-minute flick is far more than a pastiche of Western movie. There’s a mixture of themes to be examined in Westworld, ranging from: the dangers of advanced technology; the blurred lines between machinery and artificial intelligence; the role of old fashioned masculinity as it collides with the modern world; and the voyeuristic nature of the park, as guests embrace its hedonistic escape. It was also the first movie to use pixilation on screen to simulate an android’s point of view.
The story takes place in Delos, a park which contains three distinct worlds, Western World, Medieval World and Roman World. Anchoring the film, are the lead performances of Richard Benjamin and James Brolin, who play park going buddies Peter Martin and John Blane, respectively.
As a first-time visitor, Peter is somewhat of a schlemiel who fumbles through the Old West. Crichton’s direction shows real restraint in the initial tense scenes as Peter comes accustomed to the world and at odds with Brynner’s menacing Gunslinger. There’s a slowness in the action which adds weight to the world, lifting the stakes to a somewhat agonising degree. The bar fights and shoot outs are often presented in slow motion which effectively shows the submissive docile nature of the androids, which is disarmingly creepy.
The science talk behind the scenes of Delos is also a delight to experience. In one instance, a scientist rolls his eyes at the thought of a “machine allergy” spreading through the androids, which today would be more commonly referred to as a computer-virus. Like all of the best sci-fis, it was a movie well ahead of its time.
As a fan of the HBO show, at least its first season, the speed of the story took me by surprise. I went in more accustomed to the bread-crumb pacing of the prestige series, so seeing the robot uprising happen so swiftly was slightly disconcerting. I couldn’t help feeling it was a shame we couldn’t have spent 10 more hours with these characters, and watched the robots slowly realise their independence and gain agency.
Picture and Sound
The picture, restored in 4K from the original negative, really comes alive with the sweeping shots of the old west, or in reality, the Mojave Desert, all the earthy tones, the deep browns, tans and dusty oranges. Then in contrast, the long impending shots of the Delos hallways in crystal clear clarity add to the clinical isolated nature of Crichton’s cynical vision of the future. Some of the older slow-motion shots still jar to this day and date the action, and there are some nighttime long-shots of West World that look a little dark and rough.
Fred Karlin’s soundtrack absolutely sings through the speakers. The sound is absorbing and crisp. Karlin has provided a charming composition of country and western music which accentuates tense and feel good moments.
Product Features
4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
- Brand new 4K restoration from the original negative by Arrow Films
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Original restored lossless 4-channel stereo, 2.0 stereo, and 1.0 mono audio options
- Optional remixed 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Brand new audio commentary by filmmaker and film historian Daniel Kremer
- Cowboy Dreams, a newly filmed conversation between actor Richard Benjamin and producer/screenwriter Larry Karaszewski
- At Home on the Range, a brand new video interview with actor James Brolin
- HollyWorld: Producing Westworld, a brand new video interview with producer Paul N. Lazarus III
- Sex, Death and Androids, a brand new appreciation of the film by author and film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
- On Location with Westworld, an archival behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film from 1973
- Beyond Westworld, the 48-minute pilot episode of the 1980 follow-up television series
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Arik Roper
- Collectors’ perfect bound booklet featuring new writing on the film by David Michael Brown, Priscilla Page, Paul Anthony Nelson, and Abbey Bender
- Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Arik Roper
- Six postcard-sized artcards
- The commentary by historian Daniel Kremer was illuminating. He spoke about directorial techniques employed by Crichton. How he chose to use slow motion to make action seem unreal. He provided insightful background on the creatives behind the project and explains how key sequences in the film came about.
- Cowboy Dreams: Dick Benjamin interview, 11 mins. He told a sweet stories about working with Yul Brynner and how Crichton developed a welcoming atmosphere on set.
- At Home on the Range: James Brolin interview, 17 mins. The actor talks about his craft and getting into the business, it was fascinating to learn about his life. There are some great stories about working with the rattle snake and how Brynner coached him into filming action sequences.
- HollyWorld: Producing Westworld. Interview with producer – 34 mins. The feature with the least flair that actually I found most fascinating. Filmed on a webcamm Paul N. Lazarus III provides the best insight into working with Crichton. He speaks about the initial conversations that fuelled the author’s ideas, how they went about attracting the finances and how Crichton retained control of the production on set. Crichton ‘edited’ with the camera by only shooting what he wanted appearing in the final product.
- Sex, Death and Androids This short feature provided analysis of masculinity, gender politics and dynamics in Westworld. It comments on how the men regress to child fantasies (infantilised regression) and how women chose to experienced adult fantasies in Rome world. This is best encapsulated in a key moment between man looking at wife nervously eyeing Roman world, suggesting a lack of sexual fulfilment.
- On location at Westworld – It was fascinating to actually see Crichton directing and interviewed. Especially how he views technology, and if Westworld will ever become a reality. It was delightful to see wide-eyed Brynner’s passion for the project. There’s an incredible moment of where they show a behind the scenes shot of the crew watching the man on fire, and the team is just watching on with their hands in front of their eyes, agonised.
Arrow’s Westworld (1973) limited edition 4K UHD and Blu-ray releases on Friday, 23 February.