Westworld (1973)

Before writing Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton penned the script for and directed a movie about another technology-driven amusement park where the attractions go amok: 1973’s Westworld. Instead of genetically modified dinosaurs running rampant, Westworld features human-like robots that ignore their programming and go after the tourists.

The film sets up the premise with a clever series of interviews with past guests to Delos, a futuristic tourist destination, that explain what guests should expect. Delos is comprised of three separate sections: Westworld, Medievalworld, and Romanworld. For $1000 a day, people can partake in their fantasy world of choice. Each area is populated with robots that are virtually indistinguishable from people. (There are also robot animals as well.) Visitors can do whatever they’d like without fear of being harmed. And, yes, that includes getting into bank robberies in Westworld, sword fights in Medievalworld, or partaking in the orgies of Romanworld. Disney World this is not.

Peter Martin (Richard Benjamin) arrives in Westworld with his friend, John Blane (James Brolin.) John is a repeat customer while Peter is a first-timer and full of questions. When a horse-drawn carriage drops them off at their hotel, John immediately goes into character as a cigar-chomping scoundrel. Peter, on the other hand, finds the adjustment a little silly. He even orders a martini at the local saloon before John orders a shot of whiskey for him. When Peter is hassled by The Gunslinger (Yul Brynner,) John has to push him to stand up for himself. A gunfight ensues and Peter “kills” the gunslinger. Once he realizes there are no repercussions for his actions, Peter starts to loosen up a bit.

Behind-the-scenes, however, Westworld’s technology team is noticing a rampant problem that is causing the robots to fail at an unusually high rate. Strangely, the failures have spread like a disease from one section of Delos to another. Before the techs can find the cause of the problems, the robots begin circumventing safety features that protect guests from harm. Peter’s first encounter with The Gunslinger won’t be his last.

For a film made in 1973, its premise has aged quite well. To its credit, the film spawned a TV series in 2016 that ran for four seasons that features most of the core thematic elements from the movie. And, although Westworld is rated PG, it doesn’t shy away from the adult subjects that would arise if Delos were a real place. In fact, it addresses them almost immediately, if not graphically.

While actors Richard Benjamin and James Brolin may be the main focus of the script, it is Yul Brynner who steals the show. As The Gunslinger, Brynner exhibits a relentlessness that would later influence characters like Michael Myers and The Terminator. With the reflective contact lenses that give his eyes an eerie shimmer and a nearly expressionless face, Brynner’s performance will likely haunt my nightmares for some time to come.

Even with the dated visuals and representations of future tech, Westworld is an extremely entertaining sci-fi thriller.