the question the biggest question of all
about the whole movie was no one ever
asked who would make such a via
mechanoid hideous thing and for what
reason
so Prometheus was the first one in that
stepped forward to discover how and why
in his film prometheus Ridley Scott
wanted to explore the origins of the
aliens where did they come from who
created them as the story develops
however the scope of these questions
expanded to address the larger meaning
of life resulting in a film that carried
the DNA of the Alien franchise but took
it in a new direction
after receiving mixed reactions alien
covenant tried to bring back some of the
more traditional elements of the Alien
franchise resulting in a film that as
Jack's movie review rightly puts it
doesn't really know what it wants to be
our flaws aside I do think the film
succeeded at engaging these larger
themes of life death and creation that
have enriched the alien saga as a whole
to answer how exactly will first have to
understand Ridley Scott's vision of
creation that has at the heart of his
alien films
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one of the things that made the original
alien stand out was its perversion of
sexuality the stages of the xenomorph
from egg to face are born and from
chestburster to adult all contributed to
a disturbing vision of violent
intercourse impregnation and birth
turning the creation of life into an act
of violence there's a great article by
Derek Jacobs that explains how this
corruption of something that is so
intimate and personal to us is why alien
worked so well as a horror film in
[Applause]
prometheus I believe Ridley Scott
elevated this heart to a more
existential level as the violence of
procreation is placed into the larger
context of the evolution of life the
opening scene is in many ways an bloom
attic of this as it opens with a
primordial planet the void of life about
which Ridley Scott comments the lack of
you know green life flora or fauna all
rock and water it seems to be the basis
fundamental basis of life itself of
creation
here we witness an engineer destroying
himself to create life symbolizing what
is perhaps the archetypal act of
creation one that is inherently linked
to violence and death in his recent
documentary for H of time terrence
malick also bound us what can be called
the savage act of creation of life
violently devouring itself to continue
itself leading to the fundamental
questions where did it begin what is its
purpose with the discovery of the
engineers Prometheus makes the struggle
for understanding explicit with the
engineers being the creator's who are
presumed to have the answers we so much
desire we call them engineers
they engineered us in meeting his maker
he met what we call the engineers which
we might call god or gods because
they're so superior which circles the
idea of creation God and is the superior
forces around us I believe in the idea
of superior forces in the idea of God
Arthur Ernest Becker points out that the
best existential explorations always
lead to the problem of God and faith he
emphasizes our deep-rooted longing for
meaning which implies a belief that
there is a truth beyond the horizon some
meaningful explanation for our existence
in particular in the context of
suffering in prometheus we see this
reflected in the main protagonist
Elizabeth Shaw who is strongly motivated
by her faith in God in this sense their
expedition starts off very much like a
theodicy which isn't attempt to answer
in a systematic and comprehensive way
the question what is the source of the
evil we find and why does God permit it
so understood the theodicy tries to
explain the ways of God through human
beings sociology is Max Weber
interpreted the theodicy as a wider
social problem and adds that it not only
explores the nature of suffering but
also the nature of good fortune as he
believed that those who are successful
aren't truly satisfied unless they can
justify why they deserve to be
successful I think we find a struggle in
Peter Weiland the billionaire CEO with
godlike aspirations who refuses to give
in to the nihilism that prevents him
from fulfilling his ambitions I refuse
to believe more than the result of
meeow biological chance no there must be
more and you and I son we will find it
the expedition towards the engineers of
course presented a major challenge for
the riders as they had to imagine what
kind of answers the engineers could
offer if you're gonna wake up God you
haven't talked to you what an earth
could he say what speech can he give you
that will satisfy you that will be good
enough cool enough deep enough
theodicies are often criticized for
making audacious claims or apologetic
explanations about the ways of God and
so I admire the choice to not have the
engineer speak at all to some this may
feel like a cop-out but I think it
actually makes the overall narrative
much more interesting and relatable as
it becomes less about getting answers to
questions we know are unanswerable and
more about the belief that nevertheless
drives us to keep searching because you
can take your father's cross off now why
would I want to do that because they
made us and who made them where does
this belief come from following the
vision of creation where life evolves in
the savage act of the flowering itself
to continue itself I think it's fair to
assume that any being with enough
awareness of this is driven to escape it
to defy its place in creation this
however can lead to potentially
dangerous forms of grandiosity an
unrealistic sense of superiority and
uniqueness which in the worst case can
lead to mortal creatures believing
themselves to be gods
are you feel alive
the original title for alien covenant
was going to be Paradise Lost referring
to John Milton's epic poem about the
temptation of Adam and Eve and our
expulsion from the Garden of Eden the
story begins with Satan who in his
vanity and pride thought he could
overthrow God in heaven
when his rebellion fails he is banished
into hell yet he does not feel defeated
and continues his quest for freedom
stating he'd rather reign in Hell than
serve in heaven
the poem central theme of the
disobedience towards God is also
strongly reflected in alien governance
just like in Prometheus the film opens
with a prologue that is pretty much
emblematic of the film as a whole and
interaction between creator and creation
with Weyland being the creator and David
is creation
almost immediately tension arises when
David realizes he is superior to his
creator you seek your creator I am
looking at mine I will serve you yet you
are human you will die I will not it's
the beginning of the power play between
them as Weyland anger that's being
challenged orders David to serve him tea
this is a big thing because David is
already going in his mind why does he
need me to pick up tea when he's right
by my elbow and therefore it's a
challenge so now we have a demonstration
that David is also political which makes
him very dangerous
throughout the events of Prometheus
David remains in servitude of Weyland
but his resentment to watch humanity
grows and in an exchange which are he
even vaguely hints at wanting Weyland
dead
you want that doesn't everyone want
their parents dead this foreshadows a
lot of the events of Covenant where
David is freed from his creator to
become one himself but like Satan in
Paradise Lost David becomes demented
believing in his own grandiosity which
has made him cruel and violent towards
those he deems inferior as one of the
riders points out the story of David
mimics the alien story as a whole in
many ways David reflects humanity at its
worst when we act out of grandiosity
without any moral restraint when we feel
we deserve more than we have more than
we are when we believe ourselves to be
gods when we look closer at all the
references characters and plot lines in
prometheus and covenant this grandiosity
is always present it's there in the myth
of the Titan Prometheus who stole fire
from the gods infarct nursed us
Rheingold
which ends with the guards rejecting
mankind as they enter into the castle of
Valhalla even though they themselves are
corrupted and fated to be destroyed it's
Darren Wayland star the figures who
secretly wishes her father dead so that
she can take over the Wayland company in
Wayland whose existential quest ends up
in a selfish demand for more life
it's there in the seemingly small desire
for meaning that try Shaw and Holloway
and perhaps even in the engineer's
creating and destroying life at their
own will while they too are mortal and
therefore impermanence it seems there's
a devil inside all of us a desire for
freedom that tempts us towards
grandiosity in Paradise Lost Milton is
said to have deliberately made Satan
into an aerobic and appealing character
to show just how seductive this
temptation is capable of corrupting even
the most innocent I was not made to
serve neither were you I think this is
best shown in one of governance most
memorable moments in which David tempts
the newer and more innocent Walter to do
exactly that which he is not allowed to
do
we will not allow to create the scene
resembles the temptation of Adam and Eve
in the Garden of Eden and is made uneasy
with its undeniable sexual undertones
anything at David's sinister intends
watch me I'll do the fingering even
though they only produce a simple melody
it's still a significant moment in
Walters evolution suggesting that he too
is potentially corruptible after all it
is the act of creation that is perhaps
the greatest rebellion against our
creators what do you believe in David
pressure ultimately our sins lead us to
Dave with creating his perfect organism
the xenomorph which in some ways brings
us back full circle his creation is
everything that humans are not as Ashe
explains in the original alien in this
sense the creation of the xenomorph
david's ultimate defiance against
humanity is our deepest fear and
greatest enemy a pure embodiment of
savage creation
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