thaneofmemphis Review of Colossus: The Forbin Project

Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)

One of the great under-rated films.

[4 November 2003]

This film is on my list of the 10 best under-rated films of all time. Most horror films leave me cold, but this film is flat out scary. Yes, I know the technology is out of date, but other than 2001: A Space Odyssey, what sci-fi film is not? The film is very intelligent. It allows the audience to discover things, rather than hit them over the head. Its scares come from thinking about what is being presented, not cheap shocks. That is not to say there are not shocking moments. When the scientists are executed, the shock and revulsion the other characters feel is palpable. The character of Colossus is very well drawn. It thinks like a computer, not a movie villain. Requiring that the bodies of its victims be left on display, for example, shows the kind of cold, calculated thinking a machine would do. The film shows great subtlety in moments like the simple statement, "There is another system." It also does not resort to the obvious, such as a romance between Forbin and his assistant. The people are too busy for such nonsense. The last moments of the film, where the voice of World Control is intercut with the detonations of the warheads is gripping and powerful. The performance of Eric Braedon, especially when he realizes the computer has been two steps ahead of him the whole time, is outstanding. You can clearly see, though the film does not put it into words, that he feels the weight of every death his failures have caused. This is a powerful and frightening film. It is a must see for anyone interested in technology and its monstrous risks. On my baseball scale of movie ranking, I call this a three-run homer.