In this blog post, I’ll explore longevity, humanity, and the meaning of an imperfect life through the movie ‘The Bicentennial Man’.
Introduction: Imagining Your 200th Birthday
“Happy 200th birthday, Mr./Ms. ○○○! Are you happy?” Everyone has probably imagined this at some point. What would it feel like to celebrate your 200th birthday? Would you be surrounded by countless descendants, living in a world completely different from today’s? It sounds like a fantasy, but perhaps celebrating such a birthday could become a reality in the future.
Humanity’s Desire for Longevity and Reality
Since ancient times, humanity has sought to fulfill the desire to live long lives without dying. According to Sima Qian’s records, Emperor Qin Shi Huang dispatched servants across the country in search of an elixir of immortality, and in Europe, alchemy was all the rage, with records showing people searching for the Fountain of Youth. This fundamental desire for “survival” has driven advances in medical technology, and as a result, humanity’s average life expectancy has continued to rise.
For example, while average life expectancy used to be around 40 years, it has increased significantly in modern times, reaching over 80 years in some countries by 2008. One media report even predicted that if current trends continue, average life expectancy could approach 90 years within the next few decades. As medical technology advances further, we may become free from more diseases, and the possibility of an era where people live to be 100 or even 200 years old cannot be ruled out.
The Questions Raised by the Movie ‘The Bicentennial Man’
Released in 1999, the movie ‘The Bicentennial Man’ asks what true happiness is, caught between immortality and humanity. Andrew, the housekeeper robot in the film, is a unique being created in the near future to serve as a domestic helper. Unlike other robots, he thinks and learns on his own, gaining experience and coming to understand what it means to be human.
Over the course of 200 years, Andrew develops emotions and senses like a human; he speaks, acts, and even loves. Except for the fact that he is a robot—an immortal body with an electronic brain—he appears no different from a human. Ironically, however, despite his immortal life, he is never truly happy.
After experiencing the deaths of his master—who educated him and gave him the opportunity to create—and his first love, “the Little Lady,” Andrew deeply feels the sorrow of living as a robot. He suffers from the helplessness of being unable to shed tears even when he is sad and having to watch the people he loves leave him. Later, he falls in love with the Little Lady’s granddaughter, Portia, but because he is immortal, he is not recognized as human and cannot marry her officially.
Ultimately, Andrew makes the choice to “age” like a human. By undergoing dialysis and giving up his immortal body, he accepts the finitude of human life. Appearing in court nearly at the end of his strength, he requests to be recognized as human; finally, at the age of 200, he is registered as a human, marries the one he loves, and passes away peacefully.
Imperfection, Humanity, and Happiness
In the film, humanity hopes to live longer through the artificial organs and life-support systems invented by Andrew. This is not so different from Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s quest for immortality or our own efforts to extend our lifespans through advances in medical technology. Perhaps humanity even looks up to Andrew, a robot, and strives to become more like him. Yet what Andrew desired most was not immortality, but a “life worthy of a human being.”
What he sought was to have a family, to grow old alongside the one he loved, and to be recognized as a human being. In other words, for him, the value of survival lay in being acknowledged as a human. After 200 years of reflection, he concluded that an “imperfect life—one in which one makes mistakes like a human, grows, and ultimately faces death”—is the very essence of true humanity.
Recalling an excerpt from poet Seo Jeong-ju’s “Beside the Chrysanthemums,” the line describing how a nightingale sang and thunder roared from within dark clouds so that a single flower might bloom conveys the idea that one must endure pain and trials to mature. It is precisely because humans are imperfect that they can grow, and in that process, they experience joy and happiness. Just as light stands out against darkness, imperfection makes the true happiness of life shine brighter.
Portia’s attitude views death not as something to be avoided, but as a natural part of life to be accepted. If we were to achieve eternal life, like robots, through advances in medical technology, would we truly be happy? As Andrew’s life demonstrates, no matter how long one lives, without time spent with loved ones, life goals, and emotional connections, that life can be spiritually impoverished.
In the middle of the film, Andrew gains his freedom but wanders for over a decade in solitude, searching for his own kind; his solitary existence does not appear happy at all. On the other hand, when he is with the one he loves and strives toward the goal of becoming human, his expression brightens and he becomes more human. In this way, humans only feel happiness when they strive within the life they’ve been given and spend time with those they cherish.
Conclusion: A Life Lived with Imperfection
If you were to celebrate your 200th birthday, would you truly be happy? The answer depends on each individual. How long one lives is by no means the sole criterion. We are beings who, according to the laws of nature, will one day leave this world. A life can be considered successful when we find a purpose within our own imperfect lives, strive toward it, and live happily with those we cherish.
This is not a forced positivity that tells you to view everything through an optimistic lens. Every human being is capable of making mistakes and experiencing despair, and such mistakes and despair are part of the process of finding life’s purpose. It is only when we overcome them, accept our limited lives, and create meaning that we can truly attain a happiness that is uniquely human.
The resolve Andrew demonstrated reminds us of precisely that point. The fact that we are imperfect is another possibility—and a condition for happiness. Ultimately, what matters is not how long we live, but how we accept the life we’ve been given and how we live it within our relationships and goals.
