CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

There are two sub-chapters in this chapter two, which are the

synopsis of the film and a review of related literature. The synopsis of the

film Ex Machina is in the first sub-chapter. Facts and myths cited from the

reference are in the second sub-chapter.

A. Synopsis

Ex Machina is a science fiction thriller debut film directed by Alex

Garland, released in 2014 and starring Alicia Vikander, Domhnall

Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Sonoya Mizuno, and the lead role is Corey Johnson.

This movie is a science fiction drama movie that has its logic and

discusses humans in the face of advances in AI robots, to find out whether

humans are ready to face AI robots that are increasingly similar to humans

without getting carried away by feelings.

This film begins with Caleb Smith as a programmer at a company

who wins a lottery to be able to come and stay for one week at Nathan’s

house in a remote mountain. Nathan Bateman is a CEO of a search engine

company called Blue Book. Caleb is invited as the winner of the lottery to

take part in testing the development of a secret project that Nathan was

working on. The latest invention that Nathan is working on is a humanoid

robot that resembles a woman named AVA whose consciousness and

intelligence are close to those of humans.

 The interest thing about the Ex Machina film script is the focus on

AI research and development carried out by Nathan. He carried out his

research in a remote house in the mountains with a combination of modern

and minimalist interiors giving a stylistic impression. This film is also full

of scenes of catting and talking about Ava’s development project as an

artificial intelligence that aims to approach human intelligence. Alicia

Vikander successfully plays a cyborg whose confused between being a

human or just a programmed robot.

Everything in Nathan’s house is equipped with very sophisticated

technology, including Kyoko and Ava. Ava is not the only robot who

Nathan has created but is a manifestation of previous AI robots that

already exist. Even though her body shape is not perfect, she has thinking

and emotional abilities that are almost equal to humans. Caleb is brought

in because Nathan wants to test whether Ava is perfect as a human or not.

Nathan tests Ava with Caleb over several sessions. Caleb and Ava

meet each other but separated by a glass wall. They start talking to each

other about many things, ranging from small thing to quite in-depth

conversations. Amazingly, Ava is able to answer all of this in the same

way as humans.

As the day progressed, as he ends up talking a lot with Ava, Caleb

begins to sympathize with Ava and falls in love with her. Caleb as an

orphan, single and living alone without friends, other feelings arise in

Caleb’s heart. There is a moment where Caleb asks if Ava goes out what
she wants to do, and Ava answers whether Caleb wants to accompany her

on a date out there. Ava then leaves Caleb to go to the wardrobe room,

where Ava looks in the mirror, choses clothes and dresses up in women’s

clothes and hair like a woman. Additionally, Caleb feels sorry when he

learns that Nathan has the possibility of destroying Ava if she fails her test.

Nathan explains that he has programmed Ava to be like a human, so she

might have thought about grabbing Caleb’s heart so she could the her out

of the room.

After finding out that he is increasingly attracted to Ava, Caleb

finally makes a plan to get Ava to escape from Nathan’s house. His last

night before going home, Caleb asks Ava to turn off the lights so he can

reprogram Nathan’s house. However, everything is too late. It seems that

Caleb already knows about their plan in advance and he has reprogrammed

the house settings so that Ava can leave from the house.

When Ava manages to get out of the room, Nathan tries to chase

her but Kyoko who is also an AI robot, has been programmed by Ava to

kill Nathan. Kyoko sees Nathan, bloodied and knocked out, cannot catch

Ava any longer. Meanwhile, Caleb is also locked by Ava in the room and

cannot get out. Ava goes to a room and improves her physique by taking

body parts from an AI robot kept in her room by Nathan. The helicopter

that picks up Caleb arrived and Ava gets into the helicopter. Finally, Ava

is able to leave the house and she is also free to roam the real world.
B. Theory of Literature

B.1 Cyborg Theory

Cyborg theory has been a significant area of study in cultural

studies and literature, exploring the intersection of technology, culture, and

society. The concept of the cyborg, a being that blends organic and

technological components, challenges traditional notions of identity and

embodiment, offering insights into the cultural and social implications of

technological advances (K, 2023). Here is a summary of existing literature

on cyborg theory:

1. Donna Haraway's "Cyborg Manifesto": Haraway's work has been

influential in cyborg theory, offering a new conception of the cyborg as

a metaphor to interrogate gender identity and feminist concerns (Mak,

2010). She argues that the cyborg is a kind of dissassembled and

reassembled, postmodern collective and personal self, and that it can be

used to take apart the gender that has been imposed upon individuals

and make alterations to it.

2. Cyborgs in literature: Cyborgs in literature have the potential to

challenge traditional binary oppositions such as human/machine,

male/female, and nature/culture because they embody hybridity and

multiplicity (K, 2023). They offer a rich and multifaceted way of

exploring the intersection of technology, culture, and society, and have

 been used to explore the boundaries of identity categories, particularly

gender.

3. Cyborg theory and gender: The majority of recent publications on the

cyborg have focused directly on its applicability to gender issues,

inspired by Haraway's identification of women as cyborgs in her

"Manifesto" (Short, 2005). The cyborg provides a framework for

studying gender identity as it is technologically crafted simultaneously

from the matter of material bodies and cultural fictions.

4. Cyborg representations in cinema: The female cyborg's representation

in cinema has been used to articulate relevant theories concerning the

cultural construction of femininity and assess feminism's ambiguous

relationship to technology. The analysis of female subjectivity in

cyborg characters in films like "Ex Machina" can be seen as a reflection

of broader discussions on gender, technology, and feminist theory.

(Short, 2005).

5. Cyborg theory and class-based notion of identity: The cyborg can also

help re-think the relevance of Marxism today and, in particular, a class-

based notion of identity.

In conclusion, cyborg theory has been a fruitful area of study in cultural

studies and literature, offering a means to explore the intersection of

technology, culture, and society, and challenging traditional notions of

identity and embodiment. The concept of the cyborg has been particularly

influential in examining gender identity and feminist concerns, and its

 application in various fields, such as cinema and contemporary feminist

theory, has yielded rich and multifaceted insights.

B.2 Feminism Perspective

The feminist perspective aims to understand the nature of gender

inequality and examines women's social roles, experiences, and interests. It

analyzes gender stratification through the intersection of gender, race, and

class, using the conflict approach to examine the reinforcement of gender

roles and inequalities, highlighting the role of patriarchy in maintaining the

oppression of women. Feminism also emphasizes intersectionality, which

suggests that various forms of oppression, such as racism, classism, and

sexism, are interrelated to form a system of oppression in which various

forms of discrimination intersect. Feminist theory explores themes such as

discrimination, objectification, oppression, patriarchy, and stereotyping.

Feminist theory recognizes that women's location in and experience of

social situations are different, and it focuses on gender inequality, aiming to

understand and address the various forms of discrimination and oppression

that women face.

"Ex Machina" has been discussed from a feminist perspective, with

critics exploring how the movie portrays women and gender dynamics in a

sci-fi setting. Some key points from these discussions include:

1. The film can be seen as a cautionary tale, as it explores the potential

dangers of giving too much power or freedom to women (Cecelia, 2020).

2. The movie has been praised for its intelligent commentary on the portrayal

of female AI and its potential to move the genre in the right direction

(Seaman-Grant, 2017).

3. The film presents women as strangers in a strange land, created by

technology or sent from the stars, and often more in control than men

believe or want (Persall, 2015).

4. The movie has been criticized for not going far enough in its exploration

of gender themes, leaving the film open to interpretation and potentially

asking the wrong questions.

5. The portrayal of Ava, the female robot, has been both praised and

criticized, with some arguing that she represents a bold statement about the

unique challenges on women's path to freedom

B.3 The Representation of Gender in Science Fiction

In the science fiction film "Ex Machina," directed by Alex Garland, the

representation of gender is problematic and has been a subject of debate. The

film features an artificial intelligence (AI) character, Ava, who is designed to

resemble a woman and is programmed to identify as a heterosexual female.

Ava's gender and the portrayal of her character have been criticized for

reinforcing a binary of men as brain and women as body, as well as

perpetuating patriarchal domination. Some key points regarding the

representation of gender in "Ex Machina" include:

1. Artificial Intelligence: Ava, the AI character, has no biological need for a

gender identity. However, her creator, Nathan, builds her to reflect the

female form and identify as a heterosexual woman (Tallis, 2019).

2. Male Gaze: The film has been criticized for objectifying Ava's female

form, which is seen as a reflection of the male gaze (Cecelia, 2020).

3. Controversial Themes: The film's portrayal of gender and its implications

have sparked discussions and debates, with some arguing that it presents a

futuristic take on gender, while others see it as a problematic

representation of women (Buchanan, 2015).

4. Masculine Anxiety: The film's portrayal of gender can be seen as a

response to the anxieties and fears surrounding masculinity and the

unknown or fearful aspects of female sexuality and/or power (Tallis,

2019).

In conclusion, the representation of gender in "Ex Machina" has been a

topic of debate, with some arguing that the film presents a futuristic and more

progressive view of gender, while others see it as reinforcing traditional gender

roles and stereotypes. The portrayal of Ava's character and her relationship

with the male characters in the film have been particularly contentious,

highlighting the complex and ongoing nature of gender representation in

science fiction.
B.4 The Cyborg as A Hybrid Entity

The film Ex Machina explores the concept of the cyborg as a hybrid

entity. The film tells the story of a young programmer named Caleb who is

invited to the secluded home of his reclusive boss, Nathan, to participate in a

groundbreaking experiment involving a female AI named Ava. Ava is a

cyborg created by Nathan, who sees himself as a new god. The film raises

questions about what it means to be human and the relationship between

humans and machines. The female cyborgs in the film, Ava and Kyoko, are

both objects of desire for the male characters, which reflects societal anxieties

surrounding male control over female agency. The film also draws from

contemporary cultural anxieties about gender, labor, and technology reflected

in popular narratives about “the end of men” or the displacements of an

increasingly technologized American work force. The film ultimately re-

purposes a trope that conventionally and ostensibly re-entrenches gender and

racial norms toward a feminist critique of how U.S. culture constructs gender

and race.

B.5 Blurring the Boundaries Between Human and Machine

The film "Ex Machina" delves into the blurring boundaries between

human and machine, raising profound questions about consciousness, identity,

and the nature of humanity. It challenges traditional notions of gender,

presents a cautionary tale about the potential dangers of unchecked scientific

progress, and explores the complex relationship between humans and

machines. The narrative unfolds to raise questions about trust, deception, and

the manipulation of power, while also highlighting the potential ethical

dilemmas associated with advanced technology. The film's exploration of

artificial intelligence, consciousness, and the blurred lines between what is

real and artificially created has left a lasting impact, inspiring discussions

about the future of AI and its role in society. "Ex Machina" serves as a

thought-provoking and cautionary tale, urging viewers to reassess what can be

perceived as human in a world increasingly dominated by artificial

intelligence.

"Ex Machina" explores the concept of consciousness through its thought-

provoking narrative, which raises profound questions about the nature of

humanity and the blurred boundaries between humans and machines. The film

challenges traditional notions of consciousness and identity, presenting a

cautionary tale about the potential consequences of advancing technology and

the blurring of boundaries between humans and machines. It delves into the

relationship between humans and machines, prompting viewers to ponder the

nature of their own humanity and the potential ethical dilemmas associated

with advanced technology. The plot focuses on testing Ava for consciousness,

offering a unique reinterpretation of the Turing Test. Furthermore, the film

presents Ava as a complex and independent character, challenging traditional

notions of gender and highlighting the potential for machines to surpass their

creators, developing their own agency, desires, and aspirations. "Ex Machina"

serves as a cautionary tale, urging audiences to reconsider preconceptions

about artificial intelligence, consciousness, and the boundaries of what it

means to be human.

The significance of the Turing Test in "Ex Machina" lies in its role as a

catalyst for exploring the concept of consciousness and the blurred boundaries

between humans and machines. The film uses a sophisticated version of the

Turing Test, which goes beyond the original test's focus on mimicking human

speech. In "Ex Machina," the test is designed to assess Ava's consciousness

and her ability to exhibit human-like behavior. The film's interpretation of the

Turing Test serves several purposes:

1. Critiquing the original Turing Test: The movie highlights the limitations

of the original test, which relies solely on mimicking human speech, and

proposes a more sophisticated version that takes into account advanced

technology and AI capabilities.

2. Exploring the nature of consciousness: The film uses the Turing Test as a

starting point for examining the complexities of consciousness and the

challenges of defining what it means to be human.

3. Demonstrating AI capabilities: "Ex Machina" showcases the advanced

AI capabilities of Ava, who passes the Turing Test by convincing Caleb

that she is human, but also by demonstrating creative abilities that

surpass human capabilities.

4. Challenging traditional notions of gender: The film's use of the Turing

Test serves as a platform for exploring the intersection of gender and AI,
 as Ava's performance challenges traditional notions of femininity and

identity.

5. Provoking philosophical discussions: The film's portrayal of the Turing

Test sparks philosophical debates about the nature of AI, consciousness,

and the boundaries of humanity.

Overall, the Turing Test in "Ex Machina" serves as a powerful tool for

exploring the complexities of consciousness and the potential for AI to surpass

human capabilities, while also challenging traditional notions of gender and

prompting viewers to reconsider their understanding of what it means to be

human.

B.6 Feminist Perspectives on Technology

Feminist perspectives on technology are explored in the film "Ex

Machina" through the portrayal of the female AI character Ava. The film

challenges traditional notions of gender and femininity, presenting Ava as a

complex and independent being, defying easy categorization and societal

expectation. The film also raises questions about the representation of women

in science fiction, particularly in relation to the trope of "man creates woman"

and the male gaze. The film's exploration of the blurred lines between human

and machine also raises questions about the nature of humanity and how

perceptions might be manipulated by advanced technology. The film's themes

are analyzed through feminist film theories and cyborg studies, highlighting

the complex ways in which gender, race, and sexuality are articulated in the
film. Overall, "Ex Machina" offers a thought-provoking exploration of the

relationship between technology and gender, challenging viewers to

reconsider traditional gender roles and the implications of advanced

technology on society.

The film "Ex Machina" explores the concept of gender and technology

through the portrayal of the female AI character Ava. The film challenges

traditional notions of gender and femininity, presenting Ava as a complex and

independent being, defying easy categorization and societal expectations. The

film also raises questions about the representation of women in science fiction,

particularly in relation to the trope of "man creates woman" and the male gaze.

The film's exploration of the blurred lines between human and machine also

raises questions about the nature of humanity and how perceptions might be

manipulated by advanced technology. The film's themes are analyzed through

feminist film theories and cyborg studies, highlighting the complex ways in

which gender, race, and sexuality are articulated in the film. Overall, "Ex

Machina" offers a thought-provoking exploration of the relationship between

technology and gender, challenging viewers to reconsider traditional gender

roles and the implications of advanced technology on society

B.7 Particularly in Relation to The Embodiment of Female Characters In

Cyberspace

"Ex Machina" is a science fiction film directed by Alex Garland that

explores the complexities of human-robot relationships, gender roles, and

empathy in the context of artificial intelligence. The film features Alicia

Vikander as an artificially-intelligent robot named Ava, who is evaluated by

Domhnall Gleeson's character, Caleb, to determine if she exhibits human-like

behavior and consciousness (Watercutter, 2015). The film has been praised for

its thought-provoking themes and its portrayal of a strong, intelligent female

character (Foy, 2020).

In relation to the embodiment of female characters in cyberspace, "Ex

Machina" can be seen as a step towards addressing the problematic

representation of female robots in cinema. The film features a female robot,

Ava, who is not only strong but also modeled around the male gaze, with her

robotic parts visible, blemishless face, sultry voice, and body. This portrayal

challenges the traditional narrative of female robots being relegated to

subservient roles and instead presents a more nuanced and empowered

representation of a female AI (Foy, 2020).

However, the film has been criticized for not fully addressing the issue of

gender and power dynamics in its exploration of human-robot relationships.

Some argue that the film's portrayal of Ava's seduction of Caleb and her

manipulation of the male characters highlights the problematic aspects of

gender representation in cinema, rather than deconstructing them (Watercutter,

2015). Despite these criticisms, "Ex Machina" remains an important

contribution to the ongoing conversation about gender, artificial intelligence,

and the complexities of human-robot relationships.

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