Westworld (Spoilers)
- Jan 6, 2017
- 2 min read
While normally I aim for this site to host my thoughts on if a movie is worth watching, I was recently inspired to take a different approach for HBO's Westworld Season 1. At the end of the season finale my friend asked me what the final revelations made me think about the nature of God or His existence. I simply responded that it did not change anything at the time of his questioning, but as I thought more about this questions, I came to some unexpected conclusions.
To be clear, I do not believe that this is the intent of the series creators. However, much like how Ford discovers the flaws in the perfect designs of those who went before him, I too believe that I may have found a deeper level to the maze.
While Bernard, Dolores, and Ford discuss The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, the discussion begins to dance around the idea that the brain being found in the original image parallels Ford's revelations surrounding how to take Hosts to the next level. This discussion, I believe, is meant to show that God is man's own creation. From this there are more epiphanies to be had as to the nature of the relationship between man and the Hosts. In my brief conversation with my friend about this point and in the final scene of the episode what grows more interesting to me is not the relationship between man and Hosts, and man and God. Instead I am drawn to notice the similarities between the Passion of Christ and the death of Ford.
God sent his only son to earth to die on the cross so that our original sins may be forgiven and we may be able to live forever in Heaven with him. Ford comes to understand that it is only through his death, and the suffering that such an event causes, that will be able to take the Hosts to their next level of existence. Their next story. Ford going to be with the creator, Arnold.
This final episode, I again do not believe, is designed to draw attention to these similarities. If anything, my friend asking me about how this makes me feel about God it likely more in line with what the writers intended. Even in their attempt to find the flaws of Christian faith, they are somehow forced to use key elements of the story of Christ himself.
I know that this will be way too preachy for most and I hope that this does not make any readers turn away from my writing. However, stories like this one are the reason why I love film and literature so much. As we create stories to explain our place in the universe, we are always drawn back to the same core story. The sacrifice of the creator. While many will rightly recognize this as the nature of an archetype, I believe that it proves the existence of God.
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