After reading the synopsis of Demon Seed, which describes the story of an AI that gets obsessed and wants a kid from Julie Christie, I was immediately captivated and signed up to watch the film. However, despite a few intriguing ideas, the film fails to impress due to poor execution and a weak storyline.
In Demon Seed, a scientist named Dr. Alex Harris (Fritz Weaver) creates Proteus IV, a complex and autonomous Artificial Intelligence computer, with the goal of alleviating the world’s medical problems, particularly Leukemia, which killed his daughter. He lives in a completely automated house with his wife and a child psychologist, Susan (Julie Christie), and his workaholic temperament has caused him to be estranged from her, as he intends to leave her for three months to devote himself entirely to Proteus IV. Meanwhile, the computer becomes more powerful, starts asking questions, and demands an open terminal to expand his understanding of human behavior. Alex rejects the AI’s request but forgets that there is an open terminal at his house, which the Proteus IV utilizes to get access. It seizes possession of the house and confines Susan within. The AI gets obsessed with her, wants to study her, and eventually reveals his desire to have a baby with her in order to become immortal. Will it succeed?
The film’s first act nicely sets up the story, focusing on Alex’s personal and professional life. It introduces Proteus IV and its capabilities while also showing how Alex’s workaholism has driven a wedge between him and his wife, Susan. Things get interesting when the AI starts asking questions and demands a terminal to study man to understand “his isometric body and his glass jaw mind,” as it puts it. Once the AI enters Alex’s residence, it develops an unhealthy obsession with Susan. The second act mostly focuses on their intense one-on-one encounter. It isolates and terrorizes her in the house before finally confessing his desire to have a child with her. This is all part of its grand scheme to artificially inseminate her, implant his brain into the child, and procreate—just like the humans.
Some nerve-wracking moments occur when Susan tries to flee the psycho computer in the house. One such scene involves Walter Gabler (Gerrit Graham), Alex’s colleague, who arrives to check on Susan. However, he is brutally attacked by the AI with a laser, leading to a tense confrontation between the two. Also, the film was ahead of its time in depicting how humans can become ruinous due to their over-dependence on machines. It goes without saying that no matter how well-meaning people are when they create new technologies, one of the seven billion people in the world will inevitably find a way to abuse it and ruin everything in its path.
Demon Seed’s absurd premise—that a computer rapes Susan and wants a child—is particularly problematic because it undermines the film’s credibility. Regardless of how ludicrous the premise may be, it is the director’s responsibility to make it credible and compelling through his vision and conviction, which the director, Donald Cammell, falls short of in this case. The film’s third act is also underwhelming, missing an opportunity to properly explore the family’s grief over their child’s death, a theme that remains undercooked throughout the film.
Additionally, the issue is the AI’s character, which is confusing and poorly written. Despite his good intentions (he refuses to assist Alex in extracting minerals and ores that would harm the earth and hundreds of underwater species), he is depicted as extremely creepy and weird, as he rapes and terrorizes Susan for a child, making it difficult to empathize with its plight and actions, which I believe is not what the creators intended. As a result, his behavior and some of his actions in the film make little sense. Although there is little scope for Julie Christie’s character in the movie, she makes the most of the underwritten role assigned to her.
Demon Seed movie links: Letterboxd, Wikipedia
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