PrometheusIt's difficult for a filmmaker to revisit a classic that has become iconic with sci-fi horror; but what Ridley Scott has done with Prometheus is approach these dark stars from a different light, yielding something both immediately identifiable as the successor to his Alien, while contributing a new and exciting component to this existing universe. Prometheus feels like a culmination of science fiction's greatest masterpieces, tackling some of the biggest questions that grace the genre, and portraying a striking version of the future that is as awe-inspiring and terrifying as a god made manifest.
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Fundamentally, Prometheus is a prequel to Alien, with not only similar visual and thematic elements, but with nods to the Alien franchise, and recognizable names and stylistic similarities. But unlike most prequels, Prometheus is itself an independent story, one that ultimately pulls in a direction removed from its predecessors. And Ridley Scott--while not often self-referential--effectively bridges another seminal science-fiction classic of his into this film: Blade Runner. Although the Alien films have consistently had androids as supporting characters, never before in the series have we been given so much insight and pathos into the mind of one as we do with David (Michael Fassbender), who might be the polite, refined younger brother of Roy Batty. (I won't lie, the prospect of a Blade Runner/Alien crossover makes me a little weak in the knees.) David is desperately seeking what it is to be human, but he also seeks to please his creator, like a Pinocchio to the Geppetto that is the late Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce)--and that enthusiasm leads to devastating consequences. Prometheus is a beautiful composition, crafted with familiar colors; many elements of the story, characters, and even direction feel at home with many other sci-fi films. The crew of the Prometheus is not only reminiscent of the original crew of the Nostromo--Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) feels in some ways the spiritual successor to Ripley--but also reminded me of the unfortunate residents of the Antarctic station from The Thing, with special attention given to the implementation of the iconic flamethrower. The haunting vistas, sweeping shots of the vast landscapes in the beginning of the film resemble the "stargate" sequence from 2001: A Space Odyssey, as does the fundamental purpose of the Prometheus' own odyssey. And even the theme music that plays ever so slightly reminded me of the theme to Superman, another tale of superior beings like us from another world. These wonderful nods to other classics give Prometheus an "all-inclusive" vibe that does not discount other science fiction, but invites it in to its universe. But what makes Prometheus really stand out is that it asks big questions, and doesn't always placate its audience with simple, easy answers. At its core, Prometheus asks the "God questions": "Where did we come from?" "Why do we exist?" "What is our purpose?" And more than leaving us guessing, Scott tantalizes us with enough to give us a part of the answer, letting our imaginations fill in the rest. The question of faith is embodied in our protagonist, Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace), who ultimately demands to know her (and her race's) worth in the face of her creator; Elizabeth is someone who has a strong grasp of the value of life and courage. (And her harrowing scene in the surgery pod ranks up there for one the most terrifying scenes in the series, period.)
Most science fiction by design looks to the future; the cryptic opening of Prometheus alludes that this film does so by paradoxically looking to the past, and asserts that our genesis was a result of a scientific experiment by beings from the stars. How are we supposed to process this revelation, that we were produced, and for what purpose? Here is where David's inclusion to the story is crucial. As an android, he was made for a purpose that is therefore not so far removed from our own in the context of the story. When David puts it to Dr. Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green)--companion and colleague of Elizabeth--about what was his purpose for being made, Holloway derisively replies, "because we could". David rightly replies how disappointing it must be to hear that, were that also true for humanity; and yet, it does parallel the inscrutable motivations of the "engineers" and their intentions. During hypersleep, David stands sentinel, monitoring Elizabeth's dreams, something he cannot share. Interestingly, Michael Fassbender reportedly drew more influence for his android incarnation not as much from Ridley Scott's Alien, but from his other science fiction epic, Blade Runner, and the existential angst of the replicants. He learns about choice from her dreams--as much as his capacity to comprehend it will allow--and augments his knowledge and self-discovery with other products left behind by humans, such as movies. In a way, this is similar to Elizabeth's discovering of the cave paintings, which ultimately directs them to the distant moon called LV-223. The name of the moon is itself a subtle reference to the Old Testament Bible passage--Leviticus 22:3--which reads: "Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the Lord, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the Lord." This is especially relevant as the expedition team crosses into the chamber on LV-223's research station housing the quasi-organic mutagenic agent shown in the opening--the catalyst of creation...or destruction. David's passion to understand humanity likely originates as a result of his task to deconstruct forms of communication in an attempt to reach out to the engineers, effectively turning him into a philosopher, polyglot, and theologian. His ability to use this understanding of human communication to speak to the engineer's systems suggests that communication is something inherent, even at the genetic level. The spaceship that takes the crew to those distant shores is dubbed "Prometheus" by the decrepit financier, Peter Weyland, because in the myth, Prometheus gave mankind fire, the "gift of the gods", but was cast out for doing so. Weyland--like any good salesman--reserves the portion of the story that tells how Prometheus was effectively a thief, and his punishment for his transgression was to be tortured for all eternity. The mission was funded by the Weyland Corporation with the intentions of discovering the secrets of the universe, and how to control them. Compare that with Elizabeth, who seeks answers, to discover her origins and the reasons for their creation--this is a quest for wisdom for her. This conflict inherent in humanity has always been at the crux of the Alien films, and is especially relevant here. Prometheus poses challenging questions about the nature of humanity and is fraught with tension and suspense; and if that isn't enough, it is one of the most gorgeous movies ever put to film, with vast landscapes both familiar and alien so real as to be alive--not unlike David.
Recommended for: Fans of science fiction who have missed a story-driven quest into the stars that asks questions bigger than "what color lasers to the bad guys shoot"? Also for fans of the Alien films who are willing to see beyond the pulse rifles and power loaders to dig deeper into this fascinating mythos.
Most science fiction by design looks to the future; the cryptic opening of Prometheus alludes that this film does so by paradoxically looking to the past, and asserts that our genesis was a result of a scientific experiment by beings from the stars. How are we supposed to process this revelation, that we were produced, and for what purpose? Here is where David's inclusion to the story is crucial. As an android, he was made for a purpose that is therefore not so far removed from our own in the context of the story. When David puts it to Dr. Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green)--companion and colleague of Elizabeth--about what was his purpose for being made, Holloway derisively replies, "because we could". David rightly replies how disappointing it must be to hear that, were that also true for humanity; and yet, it does parallel the inscrutable motivations of the "engineers" and their intentions. During hypersleep, David stands sentinel, monitoring Elizabeth's dreams, something he cannot share. Interestingly, Michael Fassbender reportedly drew more influence for his android incarnation not as much from Ridley Scott's Alien, but from his other science fiction epic, Blade Runner, and the existential angst of the replicants. He learns about choice from her dreams--as much as his capacity to comprehend it will allow--and augments his knowledge and self-discovery with other products left behind by humans, such as movies. In a way, this is similar to Elizabeth's discovering of the cave paintings, which ultimately directs them to the distant moon called LV-223. The name of the moon is itself a subtle reference to the Old Testament Bible passage--Leviticus 22:3--which reads: "Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the Lord, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the Lord." This is especially relevant as the expedition team crosses into the chamber on LV-223's research station housing the quasi-organic mutagenic agent shown in the opening--the catalyst of creation...or destruction. David's passion to understand humanity likely originates as a result of his task to deconstruct forms of communication in an attempt to reach out to the engineers, effectively turning him into a philosopher, polyglot, and theologian. His ability to use this understanding of human communication to speak to the engineer's systems suggests that communication is something inherent, even at the genetic level. The spaceship that takes the crew to those distant shores is dubbed "Prometheus" by the decrepit financier, Peter Weyland, because in the myth, Prometheus gave mankind fire, the "gift of the gods", but was cast out for doing so. Weyland--like any good salesman--reserves the portion of the story that tells how Prometheus was effectively a thief, and his punishment for his transgression was to be tortured for all eternity. The mission was funded by the Weyland Corporation with the intentions of discovering the secrets of the universe, and how to control them. Compare that with Elizabeth, who seeks answers, to discover her origins and the reasons for their creation--this is a quest for wisdom for her. This conflict inherent in humanity has always been at the crux of the Alien films, and is especially relevant here. Prometheus poses challenging questions about the nature of humanity and is fraught with tension and suspense; and if that isn't enough, it is one of the most gorgeous movies ever put to film, with vast landscapes both familiar and alien so real as to be alive--not unlike David.
Recommended for: Fans of science fiction who have missed a story-driven quest into the stars that asks questions bigger than "what color lasers to the bad guys shoot"? Also for fans of the Alien films who are willing to see beyond the pulse rifles and power loaders to dig deeper into this fascinating mythos.