User:Dave Young/rm/1-2/sargent-colossus

Colossus [1970]

Director: Joseph Sargent
Writers: James Bridges (screenplay), D.F. Jones (novel)
Stars: Eric Braeden, Susan Clark and Gordon Pinsent
Running Time: 96mins

Annotation

The film explores themes of control and authority with relation to computer technologies and artificial intelligence during the Cold War. The narrative begins with the public announcement of the American's construction of a cybernetic machine capable of controlling all the nuclear missile silos in the country, in defense against potential Russian attacks. The machine, codenamed Colossus, was designed by the protagonist Dr Forbin as a cybernetic entity with heuristic reprogramming and data processing technologies to such a level that it could predict an offensive maneouvre before it happens.

To Dr Forbin's surprise, the machine rapidly manages to grow in power and starts to make decisions by itself. The computer quickly realises that the Russian's have secretly constructed an equivalent machine named Guardian, and demands to have a data link set up between them. After creating a base language of arithmetic and calculus, which due to the massive processing power of the machines quickly ascends to mathematics previously unknown to mankind, they begin communicating in binary code so quickly that the humans cannot figure out what is being transmitted. Paranoid that Colossus is leaking military information to the Russian machine, they disrupt the connection. Colossus demands a reconnection and threatens 'action' if this command is not met. The US President, against Forbin's wishes, demands the link remain disconnected between the two computers, and in retaliation the Colossus and Guardian each launch a nuclear warhead at strategic points in the opposing nations. Both machines also refuse to shoot down each others missiles unless the link is re-established. They are left with no choice but to reconnect the machines, at which point the missile aimed at an American base is shot down, but the missile fired by Colossus at a Russian oil refinery hits its target and escalates tensions between the two nations.

Colossus is now out of human control and is behaving of its own accord. Forbin travels to Rome to meet the scientist who built Guardian, who is suddenly shot by Russian agents before Forbin has a chance to discuss what action should be taken. Forbin is quickly brought back to the United States, where he learns that Colossus and Guardian are cooperating in their bid to gain absolute control over humanity in order to stop the onset of another world war. Having no choice but to follow the orders of the machine, Forbin is held prisoner by a complex surveillance system in the military base where Colossus was built, which monitors every move and sound he makes. The machine outlines a timetable which Forbin must follow precisely, one of his first tasks being to construct a speech synthesis unit designed by Colossus so the machine can speak to the humans. The computer also demands the construction of a new machine, which would be located on the island of Crete. It prints out the designs for Forbin, and demands the cretian population be moved immediately so the new machine can be built.

Forbin then manages to trick the machine into thinking he has a mistress - another doctor who helped in the design of Colossus, enabling him to have some time without its cameras and microphones monitoring him. They are able to communicate between each other, and discuss how to proceed with regaining control over the machine. They come up with a plan to overflow the computer with information, and to replace an integral component in each of the missile silos that disables the detonators of the nuclear warheads so the computer is no longer a threat.

Colossus states that it is realigning all the nuclear warheads so they are aimed at the major cities of countries it does not yet control, and will be launched if its orders are not followed. It announces that the plan to overload its processing abilities failed, and has the men who ordered the action executed. At the end of the film, Colossus announces that it was aware of the plot to render the missiles redundant, and launches a missile from one of the silos in retaliation. The film ends on a hopeless note: Dr Forbin defiantly saying that he will not build the new machine, while Colossus replying that he has no choice, that the computers are in complete control.