Reaction
Two years after its theatrical release, I finally got around to watching Jonny Depp in Transcendence. Waiting for the new-release excitement to die down was a good decision. Transcendence is one of those films that causes you to leave the theater disappointed. But as time goes by, the ideas from the film burrow deeper and deeper under your skin (in a good way).Immediately after my viewing of the film, I jumped online, eager to see what conversations were going on relating to the themes and questions addressed by the film. I opened the first three discussion groups I could find, read the first few review titles, and felt instantly dejected.
Overwhelmingly, critics ranted about how the film failed to meet their entertainment expectations. With the all-star cast and killer trailer building up anticipation since 2012, these film buffs wanted a blockbuster—a Hollywood sci-fi—not what they got—a true sci-fi (which happened to have expensive graphics). Only a fraction of the online conversation was spent productively talking about what the film was actually intended to do—address the themes surrounding the age-old sci-fi question: what is the soul?
Plot (No-spoilers…this was hard!)
The plot of the movie teetered on the premise of whether or not the AI they had created really was Will. Was Will's soul (not just his essence) transferred to Transcendence? How was the AI changing? And ultimately, was it plotting to destroy humanity? Both sides build momentum until they climax in a direct conflict. By the end of the film, the viewer has mentally and emotionally invested in one side or the other, but then is forced to question that stance.Dynamic Tension
The film's tension grew out of the viewer's inherent fear of an AI-driven apocalyptic revolution (Thanks T2: Judgement Day and Matrix!) As we follow the growth and development of "AI Will", all the while the characters (and audience alike) are forced to walk the tightrope of whether AI Will is more of a benevolent, human-cherishing "god" or more of an amoral, power-hungry "god". Some espoused the knee-jerk position: "We've got to stop the AI before it takes of the world!" However, this film challenges this well-engrained notion that r/evolution is truly as bad as we fear. All those Michael-Bay-Loving reviewers who said this was "2-hours of boring", obviously didn't pick up on this tension at all…
Themes
The way the story unfolds leads the viewer to believe that Will is gone and all that remains is a hyper-intelligent, self-preserving, manipulative AI masquerading as Will. However, a twist ending forces the viewer to reconsider the evidence which had been quietly mounting on the opposite side of the argument—that Will truly did live on in this AI, and that evolution—while scary—might not be such a terrible thing. Just because human evolution can happen rapidly, doesn't make it inherently "wrong".Was AI Will sentient? While failing to convince the audience of its morality and possession of human characteristics of illogical, emotional conflict, that doesn't mean it wasn't. And if it was, would that be "bad"? If it was, would that be "bad"? Here are the facts: The AI never broke any (significant) laws nor any of our social mores of morality—we just feared he would. "Will" never forced anyone to do anything. All human life was preserved. Rights were respected. Earth was healed.
Should we be afraid of AI? While I am in favor of rapid evolution, what I disagree with AI Will's approach. As stated by the nineteenth century English Historian, Lord Anton, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." AI Will's ever-growing power needed to be checked.
The problem is secrecy. Everyone in this film is tragically obsessed with operating in secrecy, thinking it will forward their cause. Secrecy does supports effective short-term gains, as evidenced by the successful synchronized attacks executed by members of the Anti-AI sleeper-cell, R.I.F.T., and by the development of Will and Evelyn's underground lair. However, we see that in the end, secrecy fosters fear and jealously in those who would oppose them. Liberty, democracy, and visibility are the virtues that lead to long-term solutions. Lord Acton had something to say about this as well, "Every thing secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity." Even if AI Will's motivations were to heal the world and make people "better", he mustn't do it alone. Lord Anton further warned, "Whenever a single definite object is made the supreme end of the State, be it the advantage of a class, the safety of the power of the country, the greatest happiness of the greatest number, or the support of any speculative idea, the State becomes for the time inevitably absolute. Liberty alone demands for its realisation the limitation of the public authority, for liberty is the only object which benefits all alike, and provokes no sincere opposition."
Wikiquotes
Reviews
Transcendence review – grand ideas rather than spectacle lie at its heart by Mark KermodeTranscendence by Matt Zoller Seitz
IMDB — 6.3/10
Rotton Tomatoes - 1.9/10
This is so well thought out and your writing is excellent! I too, liked the film better and better after letting it sit and marinate. I wish that as a public we would give things more of a chance before we jump on the "I wasn't shaken to my roots" bandwagon. Transcendence really brought up some great issues that will have to be faced sooner or later and perhaps coming to grips with some of them initially through film will give us a headstart.
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