film blog The Bicenenial Man

PLOT
The plot in the film, The Bicentennial Man, while based off of the short story, had many differences. yes, there is a Robot named Andrew who is seeking to become human and fight for his rights; however, there is different characters, events, and a love story thrown in that make it different from the short story. These are events and characters that tend to be more attractive to people in the film making career and they attract film-watchers. In the movie, Little Miss falls in love with Andew but decides she needs to marry a human. Andrew makes a house on the beach which he does not have in the short story. He also does not get along with George, Little miss' son. George has a daughter in the movie that Andrew falls in love with. It is more so that he can be with Little Miss' granddaughter tan so he can fight for his rights, that he becomes human physically. Andrew also spends alot of time in the movie traveling the world looking for robots like himself. This is how he meets a scientist that is creating human skin and organs for robots. In the story, Andrew creates all this himself. Proving that he is in dependant and a contributor to society. The plot still asks who deserves rights and freedom but it directs the question more at who deserves to be loved rather than a political stance of right and wrong.

POINT OF VIEW
The movie is still told from Andrew's point of view. Movies are always different from stories because we can not hear what the characters are thinking but we can tell from their actions. In the movies point of view Andrew makes himself become mortal so that he can die along with his wife. In the book Andrew wants to become mortal so that he can be a human being and referd to as a living man. The intentions are different so as to create a dramatic love scene for movie-goers. Andrew, in the movie, feels he is a lone due to his uniqueness. He does not fit in with robots because he can think like a human but he does not fit in with humans because he is a robot. Becaue of this point of view Andrew is determined to travel the world until he finds a robot who is like him. He also seeks companionship in a lover that is human. He finds this in the end and it is the cause of his immortality. In the book Andre's quest is more political and scientific. He wants to help society so he creates medical treatments and he wants to help robots so he writes a book and he fights for their rights. Andrew most of all wants to be considered a man and be equal with all of society and that is why he causes his own mortallity.

CHARACTERIZATION
The most important characters in this story are Andrew, Little Miss, and Sir. In both the short story and the movie this is consistant. However, in the movie, there are many different characters. Andrew moves from being closest to Little Miss then to falling in love with Little Miss' granddaughter. Paul and George are not characters in the movie. This is because Andrew has a political relationship with these two men and in the movie he is not interested inpolitics but in love. Another important character in the movie is the scientist. He is discovered by andrew when he is traveling the world looking for a robot like himself. This scientist is able to make Andrew look like a human being by providing him with fake human-like skin. Andrew helps him engeneer the human organs for himself. Andrew does this so he can be more human and have a human wife. The characters are different in the movie mainly because Andrew has a different set of intrests. this is all intertwined with the plot and the theme of love versus the theme of human dignity.
SETTING
The time setting in this story is what is most noticable. The story takes place over a two hundred year span (hence the title) which shows more about the story plot than a physical place does. An important detail left out of the movie is a succsess story of Andrew's. A honnorary dinnner was held for andrew in which a toast was given for the "Sesquicentennial Robot". This was left out of the movie because it was a matter of politics in the short story while andrew's age and purpose in the movie is to becme a man who can be with his wife. The setting in the movie is geared more towards Andrew's quest to included in humanity through exceptance of others. this is seen in his travels around the world and his relations with people. The setting is altered to show Andrew's priotities with love relationships instead of relationships with politics andscience.
THEME
Often times when a literary work is converted into a film, the theme is lost amoung the Hollywood adaptions. This was certainly the case with this short story. In the story the reader is compelled to look at how human dignity is dispersed and waht qualifies an individual for rights and equality. the movie displays a "cute" love story and a robotic man's search to be loved as a human. The fact that love is the central theme in the film permits some of the narrations most crucial issues to be neglected. this is apparent in in the plot, point of view, characterization, and the setting. The short story is presented as a creative satire in which major flaws of society are pointed out. the theme of the short story (struggle in searching for freedom and equality) can beapplied to past historical events and future events. Unfortunately this message is over shadowed in the movie with Andrew's pursuit to be loved as a human being.