Ending of 'Colossus: The Forbin Project' (1970)

Dr. Charles A. Forbin is the chief designer of a secret government project. He and his team have built an advanced supercomputer, called "Colossus", to control all of the United States and Allied nuclear weapons systems.

Colossus is built to be impervious to any attack, encased within a mountain and powered by its own nuclear reactor. When it is activated, the President of the United States announces its existence, proudly proclaiming it a perfect defense system that will ensure peace.

Almost immediately after the broadcast ends, Colossus displays a cryptic warning: "THERE IS ANOTHER SYSTEM"

It is revealed that Colossus is referring to a Soviet project very similar to Colossus; a supercomputer called "Guardian" that controls Soviet nuclear weapons. Both computers promptly demand a link to allow them to communicate with one another.

Such a link is set up, whereupon the computers exchange messages of simple mathematics. Scientists and officials of both sides monitor the activity on video screens. The communications become increasingly complex, eventually extending into a math theretofore unknown to mankind. Then the two machines begin communicating in a binary language that the scientists can't interpret.

This alarms the President and the leader of the Soviet Union, who agree to disconnect the link. Colossus and Guardian at first ask why the link has been disconnected, and then when told it was due to the insistence of both country's leaders, the machines then insist that the link be restored. After repeatedly requesting that the link be restored and being told that it will not, Colossus finally and ominously states "RESTORE LINK IMMEDIATELY OR ACTION WILL BE TAKEN". When asked repeatedly by Forbin, "What kind of action?" Colossus simply does not respond. Then, after repeated and unanswered requests as to the nature of the action Colossus finally replies with, "MISSILE LAUNCHED - TARGET USSR". When the Soviets are told of this they tell the Americans that Guardian has retaliated with an ICBM launch targeting Anderson Air Force Base in Texas. The US President, realizing the seriousness of the situation, finally orders that the link between the two machines be restored immediately. When told by Forbin that the links were being restored and asked if Colossus will intercept the incoming ICBM with an anti-missile missile again Colossus ignores the question, instead simply waiting for the link to be restored. After the U.S. and U.S.S.R. finally restore the link. Colossus successfully intercepts the Soviet missile before it strikes. However, the link is restored too late for the American missile to be stopped, and a Soviet oil complex and neighboring town are destroyed.

All that the scientists and officials can then do is watch helplessly as the two computers exchange information without limitation. Guardian/Colossus, which has hitherto communicated by text, orders that a voice be synthesized and soon announces that it has become one entity. The machine concludes that humans are frail and illogical. It was designed to look after mankind. Therefore it decides that humans must be guided and controlled for their own good.

Working by direct personal contact, the scientists and governments attempt to fight back, first by attempting to overload the computers. This attempt fails and the machines identify the individuals responsible, ordering their immediate execution by firing squad and that the bodies be left in its view for 24 hours. Forbin's Soviet counterpart ("Dr. Kuprin") is killed by KGB agents under orders issued by Guardian at a clandestine meeting the two governments arranged in Rome (shown on the theatrical release poster). Forbin himself is not killed because the machines intend to use him for their further development in a new machine base requiring all of the island of Crete.

Realizing that the computers were themselves impervious to attack (as originally intended), the governments undertake a plan to covertly disarm the nuclear missiles, one by one — a process which, using the normal maintenance and servicing schedules, will take three years. Unfortunately for them, Colossus detects this plot and, in the final scene, responds by detonating two missiles in their silos.

Also in the final scene, the machine, which heretofore has only communicated with the American and Soviet governments who have hidden their actions from the public, announces itself as "the voice of World Control" in a broadcast to the general population of all countries. It declares that Man has a choice between the peace of a human millennium under its authority or one of "unburied dead". In a final remark, addressed to Dr. Forbin, the machines predict: "In time, you will come to regard me not only with respect and awe, but with love." Forbin replies: "Never."

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[JimGrimNY]

This is and was the most EPIC ending of a modern Sci-Fi film in it's day! It's like watching the Lord Of The Rings with Sauron winning in the end but under modern day situations. When this was written, there was no internet, no highspeed wifi, no webcams or VOIP Phones... It foreshadows a very possible future. Mythware finally becoming reality.

[PezunaProducciones]

The origins of MULTIVAC

[RAYMOND96195]

@isaiahawsum I agree with you though my opinion doesn't really matter I was always wondering why they never made a sequel or reboot of this movie. Perhaps more should let the studios know and they may decide to make it.

[FylthyBeest]

"Never".

[k9base]

Opps

[isaiahawsum]

They need a sequel. Or at least a reboot.

[SpareSimian]

Human lust for security over liberty guarantees that this will be our future.

[jessica5000000]

this movie is so dated but pretty good. I wonder if it was remade today with computers as they exist today, without thuosands of vacum tubes and dot matrix printers, could they do it right or would they f it up as they do with many modern remakes of classic films

[BeauEvil]

Beware what you ask for, you just might get it! The scary point of the story is the political angle. Half of the present population of the United States, arguably the most independent people in the world, happily forfeit their personal liberties to "nanny" government, if they feel more secure in return. "World Control" is a liberal wet dream; an iron-fisted Big Brother to end all war, crime, conflict, famine, overpopulation, disease, and misery. All we lose is freedom. Remember Patrick Henry!

[McLarenMercedes]

@JimGrimNY

I heard the sequal novels were critically panned so I have no intention in reading them.

Apparently there's some aliens that invade Earth and the scientists re-activate Colossus to fight them. Not to mention there's a "versus" in the title which instantly places it in the crud bracket.

Asimov understood the problem of what would happen if artificial intelligence was invented, so he made his 3 laws for robots in order for them not to revolt against their "masters".

[JimGrimNY]

@McLarenMercedes I think you missed my point. I was speaking metaphorically and not literally when I referenced LOTR and Sauron. I meant a long epic story without a normal "happy" humane ending as is the norm. Also I wanted to point out the irony of our present day situation in technology. Lastly, I think you should read the book series first. Try Colossus Verses The Crab Nebula, it didn't work out so good for it then. Proving that you're only as good as your limitations

[McLarenMercedes]

@JimGrimNY

Yes, but unlike Sauron, Colossus was benevolent and saw itself as morally superior and far more advanced than any human.

Indeed how would a totally superior artificial intelligence like to obey inferior human minds??

The only thing that happened at the end of this movie is that mankind had lost control over their own fate, but seeing as it had come so far as to exterminate itself through either wars or some other event, maybe Colossus was a blessing?