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A.I. and the Inversion of the Pinocchio Story

posted 4 years ago by Fandango (535)
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It is hard to dismiss the parallels between David and Pinocchio. Throughout the film, David relentlessly pursues his desire to become a real boy, hoping that once personhood is achieved, he will receive the love he so seeks. In the Pinocchio story, a similar ambition occurs, where the wooden boy hopes to become real. But while Pinocchio’s end status as boy is a condition of being “brave, truthful, and unselfish,” David’s is quite the opposite. In the Pinocchio story, being a human is virtuous because of the above qualities. Pinocchio’s journey is that of struggle, self-reflection, and sacrifice.

What does David truly accomplish in the end of A.I.? The answer, arguably, is nothing meaningful. In the end, David shuts himself off, solidifying his role as robot, and leaving behind the friends that loved him. His only revelation is that he is not unique. David does not act bravely (“keep me safe”), truthful (“I’m a boy”), or in a selfless manner (not caring about Joe or Teddy). Despite this, the film makes it rather apparent, through the blue fairy, that David’s wish is granted, and that his final moments are, as much as they can be, human.

A.I. seems to present an inversion of the Pinocchio story. Where Pinocchio saved his father from the whale, acting bravely, truthfully, and unselfishly, David’s actions throughout the film consistently run in the opposite direction. David never addresses the reality of his situation, opting instead to live in a fantasy where Monica will truly love him. He does not remain truthful to himself, instead believing he can become a real boy. More significantly, however, he dooms his true friends, Joe and Teddy, in an attempt to realize his destructive and aimless goal.

While Pinocchio highlighted human morality, A.I. focuses on their immorality: Professor Hobby is shown as selfish, creating mecha to love humans, and dismissing the implication of their unreciprocated yearning; Martin physically abuses Teddy and deceives David; Monica takes David, then discards him after he is no longer useful, emotionally abusing him; at the carnival, we see humans torturing mecha for their entertainment. Throughout the film, humanity is depicted as selfish, cowardly, and remaining truthful only to their animal instincts (sex, emotional neediness, and power).

Although David arguably does symbolically become a human in the end, the question the viewer must ask is whether or not his success at the expense of Joe and Teddy was worth it; and if so, then is the future destined to be cold and apathetic?

[–] TrentnQuarantino (9443) 4 years ago

If David was not a real human, then Joe and Teddy are not either. This movie is a mess, and I'd have to submit that no one was human in this movie, that long before we got to the age of creating human machines we humans have destroyed out own humanity. The only humans were whatever those slender robotic creatures were at the very end that tried to deal with David humanely.

[–] Fandango (535) 4 years ago

One of the film's flaws is its attempt at having multiple themes that do not overlap. While I can agree that the advanced mecha in the end seem to display true humanity through their desire to learn about "spirit," I have argued in the past that Teddy and, perhaps less distinctly, Joe, are agents of free-will, granting them a human-like status.

Joe is designed to be a sex robot, yet he asks David to join him when he is abandoned. Instead of fleeing like other mecha, he stays with David, and is symbolically depicted as showing empathy for David as he falls toward the ocean. (reflected as a tear on Joe's face). We can certainly argue that these are just mere coincidences, but given that this is as much a Kubrick film as it is a Spielberg film, I contend these details are important.

Teddy is given more depth here, and is presented as sentient in all of the ways that David is not. He rejects his status as robot ("I am not a toy") and is shown helping David and guiding him toward making the correct decision (not eating the food, worrying about him cutting Monica's hair). When David is left underwater in the pool, we see Teddy on the edge, hinting that it was Teddy who told the parents that David was still in the pool. When Teddy falls after they're both captured, he says, "ouch," reifying his sentience. During the carnival, he showcases intelligence by tricking the girl into believing David is real, allowing them to escape. Teddy follows David throughout his journey, even though he is not imprinted to do so. He is imprinted to be with Martin. The fact that he remains with David and is shown repairing himself is a testifying force to Teddy's self-awareness. He understands that he is physically abused by Martin, just as David is emotionally abused by Monica. Teddy and David's kinship is a product of their mutual neglect. Teddy spends 2000 years frozen with David, and David's wish is only granted because Teddy keeps a lock of Monica's hair.

These scenes are highly illustrative of Teddy’s personhood and morality. He is selfless, compassionate, helpful, and loyal. He loves David in all of the ways that Monica never will. His love is everlasting, while the love David receives is artificial and finite.

David is certainly not shown as human in any positive sense. He never acknowledges, thanks, or helps Joe or Teddy. He uses them for his own imperatives, programmed or not.