By
Mark Cerulli
Cinema Retro readers no doubt remember Michael Crichton’s classic sci-fi thriller Westworld. Who can forget the chilling spectacle of Yul
Brynner – sans face – stalking a hapless Richard Benjamin? When I heard HBO was “rebooting†Westworld, I was skeptical. The word “Why?†kept coming to mind. The original was so good, why go
there?
I’m
happy to say I was dead wrong. By
expanding Michael Crichton’s original vision, the producers were able to open
up new storylines and vastly enhance the earlier concept. While the 1973 film was epic, it was limited
by the visual effects available at the time. Now every modern tool in the VFX toolbox can be used and the results are
intoxicating, drawing the viewer into
Westworld’s latex embrace.
The
overall setup is still the same – a high-end resort modeled after the Old West
where guests can indulge in every fantasy and no matter how much mayhem they
cause, they can’t ever get hurt. So far… Overseen by Executive Producer J.J. Abrams (sharing
those duties with Jerry Weintraub, Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy and Brian Burk),
the series’ attention to detail is meticulous. The show’s use of Monument Valley’s stunning
vistas (put to such good use by John Ford many decades ago) really gives it a
scope well beyond typical cable. The
town of “Sweetwaterâ€, the hub of the
action, has an authentic look and feel as good as anything seen on Deadwood and the gunfights – of which
there are many – would do Clint Eastwood proud.
Jonathan
Nolan (who also directed the pilot) and Lisa Joy’s writing is crisp, seamlessly
blending layer upon layer of narrative. HBO’s casting is flawless: Anthony Hopkins as the resort’s Creator
Director is quietly menacing as he rewrites the resort’s “storyline†for mysterious
reasons. Instead of Yul Brynner, Ed
Harris is the relentless gunslinger in black. Not a robot, but a frequent guest who is on a quest to discover all
the resort’s hidden secrets, whether management wants him to or not. To say
he stays “in character†would be an understatement. When another guest begins to gush about how
his (real life) foundation saved his sister’s life, Harris threatens to slit
his throat, snarling, “I’m on vacation!†Thandie Newton is conniving yet vulnerable as the local brothel owner
who begins to have doubts as to who or what she is… and special note has to be made of Evan
Rachel Wood, a stunning actress who made her name in HBO’s Mildred Pierce and True Blood
and in a string of indie films. Here she
plays an innocent farm girl “host†(artificial human), available to be ravaged
or romanced, depending on the guest. Gradually she realizes she’s part of something much bigger and
her AI awakening is a major story arc. Louis
Herthum, playing her homespun rancher dad, is nothing short of terrific –
alternating from folksy charm to an eerie mechanical persona as he’s examined
by Hopkins and his head programmer, played by a brooding Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale). Rounding out the regulars is the great
looking James Mardsen as a stoic young gunslinger.
Early
in production, a casting notice asking extras to be prepared to perform nude
went viral, causing an uproar. There IS
nudity in Westworld, but it’s fleeting
and in each instance, totally germane to the story. Not a gratuitous shower scene in sight.
Currently
HBO has plans for 10 episodes of Westworld,
but hopefully that’s just the beginning. With a reimagining like this, there is plenty more to explore. And
then maybe they’ll visit Romanworld or Medievalworld…
Westworld premieres Sunday, October
2 on HBO.