By: Kimberly Grant
In a time where protests are already in effect against the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), The Creator is timely. So timely that it is destined to be a conversation starter.
The Creator will be out in theaters on September 29.
Storied Creation
The Creator is written and directed by Gareth Edwards with Chris Weitz serving as an additional screenwriter. Both are the same people who brought us Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Joshua (played by John David Washington) is an ex-US Special Forces soldier trying to reconnect with his wife, Maya (Gemma Chan). Maya is believed to be dead. Joshua and Maya first met while he was undercover for the United States military in a dystopian Asian village circa 2065. Maya is the human daughter of the father of all AI creation, simply known as Nirmata.
“Nirmata” is a Nepalese word meaning creator in terms of artificial intelligence. Nirmata (the Creator) is a human being that has been hunted by the US since an AI detonated a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles 10 years prior. This bombing is the catalyst for the US War on AI. This war mainly takes place in Asian nations (New Asia) where AI is not considered a threat.
The Golden Child
The story has an undertone of familial love, as well. First, Josh’s love for Maya. Then his bond with an AI little girl named Alphie (Madeline Yuna Voyles). It’s a nudge toward nature versus nurture, in that this little girl’s development is mostly code, yet shaped by the humanity of the people and AI around her. In The Creator, the Americans are after Alphie and Josh because they see one as a weapon and the other as a traitor. Speaking of Yuna Voyles, this young actress is one to watch! She’s amazing in this movie.
Originally, Alphie’s creation (or design) is created as a way to bring both sides together; human and AI. This storyline has shades of a movie that I used to watch as a kid, called The Golden Child. This 1986 film starred Eddie Murphy as a detective tasked with finding a special child. The child is a Buddhist mystic that’s been kidnapped by an evil sorcerer named Sardo Numspa (Charles Dance). And, yes, Dance is the same guy who played Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones. I was scared of him back in the 1980s and not much has changed.
Speaking of nostalgia, Washington is a great actor in his own right. He’s also inherited his famous father’s voice, sense of humor, and Glory tear (#IYKYK). Washington’s portrayal as Josh further establishes his range as an actor and allows the audience to see him in a new type of role. Further solidifying himself as a serious actor, Washington’s performance is not only heart-warming but relatable.
Creating Conversation
The age-old argument of machines taking over is still relevant today. Just ask the SAG-AFTRA actors on strike to keep AI from replacing live actors. AI is also being used to substitute writers, musicians, graphic artists, and the list goes on. As a writer, I am opposed to allowing AI to “write” things for me. I don’t want it to learn my writing style to mimic. I don’t want to be phased out of my talents.
While we, as humans, are protesting AI, how do we keep our humanity? I think this is the question the filmmakers want us to ask. In the movie, the humans are the villains, mainly the ones from the US. They represent what could happen if we lose our humanity to AI. So many innocent lives are lost in this film in the pursuit of getting to one perceived threat: Alphie.
Granted, AI doesn’t have feelings; yet. But, if it’s taught to feel, then we humans must remember that AI isn’t some alien race that invaded our world. They’re man-made machines. We are participating in the problem that we are scared of. This means we still have time to control the outcome. In the oncoming war of them against us, we have time to stop feeding the “monster”. In other words, it’s time for us humans to go back to creating our works and not relying on machines to do the creativity.
In the meantime, The Creator is a beautifully written, directed, and acted film (by humans!) with a bittersweet ending. It also pays homage, in my opinion, to one of the movies I loved as a child.
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