The 2020 fantasy drama My Maker (originally The Archive) is the directorial debut of Gavin Rothery (a famous special effects artist) on the creation of artificial intelligence.
Plot
The action takes place in 2048. The protagonist George is a young roboticist who is inventing new humanoid machines in a Japanese laboratory. He works for a large corporation in top secret. His goal, contrary to that set by employers, is different: to return from the other world his wife, Jules, who died in an accident. He has only 3 years to do this (the Archive is kept for that long). The mind of the deceased is enclosed in a large black box – the so-called Archive, through which communication with her takes place (via video and telephone).
At the beginning, the scientist assembles the first female smart mechanism – J 1, but its development is drawn to the level of a child. The second model J 2 is a teenage girl. Both look unfinished. The first does not have “hands”, the second has all the limbs in place, but it all seems to be assembled from old computers. And finally, the third is J 3 (J is for Jules), a completely innovative creation with a feminine appearance.
Interestingly, all androids are women, with an individual shape and character. They are in love with their creator, jealous and dangerous towards themselves and their “sisters”. Option number 2 with the thinking of a teenager in love committed suicide by entering the lake. And J3 didn’t want to be Jules’ mind-embedded being. The scientist failed to carry out the intended “relocation” of the soul.
The end of a kind of thriller turns everything upside down. In the finale, it turns out that the wife of the technician is alive, and they and George have a common child – a girl. Who really died? And whose consciousness was in the archive – the black box? In the final part of the dramatic on-screen narration, the viewer learns that the tragedy happened to George. It was he who continued to exist and think in the closet-sarcophagus. And his wife, who survived after the accident, went to “meetings” with him. And the non-existent research building in a picturesque place near a waterfall in Japan was only created by his still vivid imagination.
The meaning of the film
Archive, in its essence, touches on an eternal theme: the desire of people to prolong the days of existence of those who have gone to another world. Keep a part of it not only in memory, but also in real phenomena.
Theo James’ character cannot come to terms with the loss and wants to “resurrect” his wife in a robot. In some sense, the fictional “archive” from the movie in real life is all the information on the media that remains after death. Videos, photographs, correspondence, social media account — while browsing, relatives seem to “communicate” again in their souls with the dead as with the living.
The director of his debut creation, Gavin Rothery, admitted that he was prompted to make a picture of this kind by a personal trouble that happened to him. No, nobody died. Two home computers failed, and the artist lost the entire information base that had been formed over the years. Further, an unusual thought visited his head: what if suddenly a humanoid computer with AI does not want to live anymore and commits suicide? Being the creator of such an android is exciting, dangerous and in some ways cruel.
Despite the fact that the original idea was to create a fantastic drama about love, in the end both motifs were included in the tape. But the ending of the picture is simply amazing in its unpredictability. The author did not intend to kill the main character: he decided to change the ending after part of the work had already been completed. And this was decisive for the picture: it introduced the missing zest into its slightly drawn-out plot.
Characteristics of heroes
In the film, the main character, the creator of innovative androids, George, appears before the audience. He was played by Theo James. Believable and heartfelt. In the role he looked very organic. His character is smart, handsome, talented and promising in science. Opportunities open up before him, but a tragedy (accident) occurs, and everything collapses.
In the story, George loves his wife very much. So much so that he becomes obsessed and even selfish. Creating artificial women, he did not care about their feelings, but only about his one desire – to be with his beloved.
The beloved was played by the beautiful and sophisticated French actress Rhona Mitra. Her appearance was perfect for the image of a female robot, and even through the layer of “android makeup” graceful features were visible. The heroine of Rhone is Jules. She is smart, wise, gentle and supports her husband in everything, even if she is not happy with everything. This is a very strong person. At the end of the picture, the viewer learns that Jules raised her daughter alone and went to the electronic sarcophagus to continue communicating with her beloved. Their love did not die or disappear after the accident. And it’s not about fantasy, but about ordinary earthly feelings.
reminiscences
The topic related to the creation of such androids has already been touched upon in many fantasy. Such as:
- She (2013);
- I, Robot (2004);
- Artificial Intelligence (2001);
- Matrix (1999) and others.
But such a device, called “ARCHIVE” has not yet appeared in any. This unique invention, according to the protagonist, should help people say goodbye to the deceased if they did not have time to tell them something important. Also, the deceased himself can still live 200 hours in such a unique way. And to finish what I did not have time (mentally) and tell about something close.
Conclusion
Returning to the theme of eternity, the extension of life days after leaving for another world, in reality, one can call the archival carriers of the people themselves – children, relatives, friends. The race continues: children will inherit traits of appearance and character. Everything happens as in the song of Basta: “When I am gone, I will sing with the voices of … my children and the voices of their children.” In the souls and minds of loved ones and friends, the voices of those lost forever to this world sound from time to time. Sometimes a person knows what a friend who no longer exists would say in this given case: what assessment he would give to the event. The dead are alive as long as they are remembered.
And the film “My Creator” is to some extent the quintessence of these thoughts.
