A.I.: Intellectual Artifice?
Thank you for the John Prizer and Tom Harmon articles on the movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence (July 15-21 and July 22-28).
Both articles were right on target. I have little to add to what they said except to point out a certain irony. In Schindler's List, Spielberg did such a fine job of portraying the wicked de-humanization techniques applied against Jews by the Nazis. But maybe now he needs to examine his own conscience. The demented sentimentality of A.I. indicates that Spielberg has some difficulties himself understanding what constitutes a human being.
The “profound” problem his film poses can be answered quite simply: If it's a robot, however impressive its powers of mimicry, it is no more human than an automobile. Anyone who cannot grasp that is either not thinking or is insane.
JOHN LORANGER
Sparks, Nevada
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- August 05-11, 2001
