"The (space) journey, metaphorically, is about a challenge to the gods. NASA and the Vatican agree that is almost mathematically impossible that we can be where we are today without there being a little help along the way. That's what we're looking at (in the film), at some of Eric von Daniken's ideas of how did we humans come about."Now it seems Fox has quietly updated the synopsis with an extra little piece of information to confirm this. The updated synopsis, which can be found on the official Prometheus page on Facebook:
Ridley Scott, director of “Alien” and “Blade Runner,” returns to the genre he helped define. With PROMETHEUS, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
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| Alien in his ship according to von Daniken. Space Jockey? |
Also, Ridley Scott has pointed out that Prometheus is about "gods and engineers" and that the name Prometheus is not just coincidence.
In Greek mythology, the Titan Prometheus and his brother Epimetheus were given permission by the gods to create life on Earth.
Prometheus created man from water and clay, and the goddess of wisdom, Athena, breathed a soul into man. Epimetheus created all the other creatures on Earth and gave them all the good qualities, so Prometheus made man stand upright like the gods to make them more superior.
We all know Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to the humans, but Prometheus also gave humans science, maths, medicine and arts, the foundations for modern civilization - a mind of their own, uncontrolled by the gods, free will.
Before Prometheus' revelations to humans they had lived in a state of timeless harmony, a counter-image of civilization.
In a similar story from The Bible, we hear of Adam and Eve living in a state of timeless harmony and ignorance, until they crossed God by eating from the tree of Knowledge.
This place was called 'Paradise', which also was the working title for 'Prometheus'.
A coincidence?
(source: Prometheus on Facebook)
Epic post, sir. I often wonder if the film will deal with these themes directly. If it does, then will it delve into the mythology created within the context of the first film, the Giger-inspired nightmare world of his Necronom IV, while escalating the themes of psychological trauma so prevalent in the first film? One thing I pose to you and the readers of this blog is that given the opportunity to come face to face with the truth of creation, presupposing a fictional origin like the one proposed above, would this not be the most terrifying thing one could experience? Why would we think these being benevolent if we were but ants before something so much more technologically advanced?
ReplyDeleteSounds like AVP, if you ask me. A tired idea, very overused, cheesy, and uninspired. Hopefully this disastrously dull plot is rescued by some decent acting and some good cinematography, but I'm not holding my breath.
ReplyDelete...please hold your breath...about 7mins should do it!
ReplyDeleteGood thinking, Squire. That's joining that fact-dots together, rather than idly speculating.
ReplyDeleteGood work!
'Sounds like AVP, if you ask me. A tired idea, very overused, cheesy, and uninspired. Hopefully this disastrously dull plot is rescued by some decent acting and some good cinematography, but I'm not holding my breath.'
ReplyDeleteNothing like it, my friend. In point of fact, the whole ancient pyramid / intelligent alien culture themes dropped from Alien's earliest incarnations have been well discussed here, and are detailed in 'The Book Of Alien'.
It was always intended that there was a link to an intelligent alien culture lost to antiquity, and that sense of mystery is what is sorely needed again.
That look of existential horror on Lambert's face is exactly what Prometheus should be all about. Wouldn't it be scary coming face-to-face with artifacts of an alien culture you couldn't even begin to understand?
So many films claim to deal with "the origins of mankind". When 2001 did it, it was original, and it was done well. Since then it's been overdone and overdone, and badly at that. The disaster of AVP has pretty much drained any credibility of that plot concept by showing that it truly has been done too much. And I would have liked, I would have LOVED it if Ridley Scott tried to distance this film as much as possible from the AVP films, but no, now it has the same concept.
ReplyDeleteIf they can do it in an original way, then sure, I'll eat my words. And I do hope, I really do hope that they do it in an original way. Yes, I loved the Alien pyramid concept that wasn't used, and I love the idea of ancient alien artifacts - but this is talking about the origins of the human race, not the origin of an alien race. It's just SUCH an infinitely predictable premise.
Alien is supposed to be surreal, extra-terrestrial, inconceivable. Horrific. From a completely different world, with unanswered questions and infinite mystery, grotesque by every human standard. Combining the creation of the Alien with the creation of humankind takes away a lot of that surreality, takes away a lot of the mystery and is really quite boring for a concept. It seems to "terrestrialise" the Alien, and us, the audience, have to now accept that the Aliens came from the same breeding ground as humans, and BANG the mystery and the surreal nature of the Alien is gone. Forever.
To be honest though, I think I'm gonna have faith in Ridley Scott. He's made very few bad films, I'm just glad the premise has been left in such capable hands. I'm sure he'll make the best of it.
Why do the Space Jockeys have to be our creators in this story? I think it would be better if the Space Jockeys left their coordinates to certain planets to see which race is smart enough to discern their instructions and then they want to see just how far they can push each race that they come into contact with and use their DNA to form so the xenomorph can take on the traits of it host. This whole space jockey being the creator bit is kinda far fetched. I am sure this movie is going to be great I am just like most of the people that are not to thrilled about the AVP reference.
ReplyDeleteI think that Ridley Scott should consult serious biologists and not Swiss charlatans, creationists, priests or ignorant sensationalists etc before he makes assertive statements about the "mathematical improbability of life (or human life)". He will find out that there is nothing really mysterious about the origin of life and human intelligence on earth. These are just consequences of 4.5 billion years of evolution. If you assume that you need help from the outside, then who created the aliens who created us? It's an illogical argument.
ReplyDeleteHA HA HA HA!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSo the outline i wrote month ago was "far off" huh?
Also mark my words :
Space Jockeys = Very Human like creatures or maybe even very advanced regular humans.
I said this month ago.
KFS
I also find funny peoples who invoke biology, science and reality when we are talking about a movie that has giant spaceships, androids, alien creatures and such...
ReplyDeleteThe Alien universe may look and feel real thanks to it's production design, it's pulp.
It's comic book fun.
Not rocket science.
KFS
I agree with previous post that the terrestralization of alien would be a very bad idea. Prometheus has the opportunity to be the movie that could challenge our imagination by portraying how strange and incomprehensible alien life may really be. The mystery should be maintained and Ridley should do what he is (or at least was) good at and repeat the miracle of "Alien", a film truly extraordinary in terms of every aspect. I am not very optimistic though. Roger Ebert recently said that every year the magic is being consistently lost from the movies.
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS NOT ALIEN REDUX!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe movie is taking another route.
Scott wanted to top AVATAR in term of scale.
It's gonna an intergalactic confrontation between races, armed races.
It will pay hommage to the original scary and quiet tone in the 3rd act only.
And you really think he's gonna have the possibility to make a truly provocative theologicaly speaking story?
Fox wants it's money back.
Not contreversy.
Yes the concept of humans being created by Aliens is not new but it doesnt mean Scott can't make it interresting.
kfs
Why are some of you complaining? Just because one filmed used "that" theme badly doesn't mean another film can't use the same themes in a better way. I'm talking about the "alien-human connection" theme.
ReplyDeleteYeah sure, it may sound predictable, but there's always more than one way to go about things. I mean it's like saying the first X-Files film and the movie A L I E N are similiar and predictable because they both feature aliens. In fact, they are both very very different in feel.
I was really surprised to hear Scott lending credence to NASA and the Vatican's supposed admissions that human civilisation could not have advanced thus far without 'assistance'. Someone has quite rightly commented already on the illogical nature of this premise, by posing the "who made the aliens who made us" question. If you subscribe to this theory, you must by default accept the existence of a source or original creator who has no beginning or end....a god.....otherwise it is not only illogical, but impossible. I don't do mythical deities, so that's me out, but I can see why the Vatican might want to lend the idea some support.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see Prometheus, chiefly because nothing has ever left me with more visceral memories than the first time I saw Alien all those years ago. I just hope that Scott's not going to attempt to inform me that my atheism has been a waste of time.
D - 237...
ReplyDelete"D - 237..."
ReplyDeleteIs that a reference to the novels 'Master of Life and Death/Secret Visitors'? I think both these have terraforming and ancient alien concepts running through them don't they? Tell us more....
I suspect the secret to the Space Jockeys is the Alien, or the basic pre-ALIEN alien. Its origonal form. Its the basis foir all their technology due to its incredible molecular properties.
ReplyDeleteThe Jockey technology is based on this creature in whole or part. If the space jockeys were around for billions of years then the Alien is even older, one of the first beings ever to have evolved from the cosmic formation. It's a pure being its molecular make up extraordinarily complex no beings are even remotely like it.
The space jockeys practically worship this creature as much as the Jockeys understand the concept. So when humans arrive, created from the alien based technology and steal this creature the Jockeys are pissed. And like humans taking fire from the Titan Prometheus its a matter of time before the fire consumes them and the wrath of the Gods, the Jockeys decend upon them.
A guy working on the movie, month before we saw the images at SDCC, said that a spaceship had a gigantic head piloting it.
ReplyDeleteThe same guy said that the head was a representation of the Engineer, some sort of leader for his civilization, a great scientist who has a cult following by his people.
Probably because he masters the biomechnical technology that helps his race prevails over the universe.
The head seen in the images from SDCC has human features, eyes, ears and nose. A human face covered by biomechanical stuff, giger style.
But Human like nonetheless.
God created man at his image...
The gigantic head is indeed piloting the Engineer ship, but actually the head houses the Engineer's cryo rack and navigational system.
The famous chair from ALIEN.
Here my take on the ending :
The Engineer and survivors of the Prometheus crew end up travelling trough time and end up crashing on Earth at the beggining of it's creation.
Or they end up crashing on a totally new Planet where they're going to have some sort of last battle, then start a new civilization.
kfs
Yes i read KFS synopsis before a while ago. I still think the Alien is the cornerstone of the Jockey technology but somehow tied to the above.
ReplyDeleteTime travel? please, no. Fuck that shit. From truckers in space to Quantum Leap. Fingers crossed this is not an avenue RS is choosing to go down.
ReplyDeleteA guy I know who's seen stills of the film has described to me what the Engineers actually look like. Huge, muscular, blue. Think Dr. Manhattan from Watchmen, but really tall. Just in case you guys were interested. I don't know how well that will turn out, but it's good news that they don't have elephant trunks.
ReplyDeleteThey all look like horses apparently...
ReplyDeleteI see no horse...
Engineers are huge, tall, muscular blue guys? I hope you're joking. That sounds terrible. :O
ReplyDeleteI'm not joking. Maybe my description was a bit rough, but I can actually imagine it working. Honestly, I was expecting it to be much worse than that. I can also imagine it not working, but I'm glad it's left in Ridley Scott's hands. He'll make the best of it.
ReplyDeleteWith the uniqueness of Giger's Alien under his belt. Using a big blue man sounds a little bit of a letdown from Ridley. I think what your friend saw was guys dressed in blue for the CG characters. Guess that means that most of the non humans are going to be CG as it was mentioned in an earlier post on this blog that someone had seen blue Aliens outside Pinewood.
ReplyDeletePeople have been seen wandering around the Prometheus stages at Pinewood wearing costumes and prosthetics which are blue in colour. Ive been told the blue is for CG enhancement not anything Avatarish.
ReplyDeleteWhat he saw wasn't people wearing blue - they were full-CG shots, all pre-rendered. Also I heard that the actual alien used is different- for example, it's like a small snake that goes down peoples' throats, rather than a facehugger.
ReplyDeleteLindelof produced Star Trek in 2009, which had time travel themes in it. I wouldn't be surprised if the space jockey engineers turn out to be future humans (in the mould of the Tall Whites of ufology), who have gone back in time to various civilisations and interacted with them), such as the ancient greeks, mayans and sumerians, where they were worshipped as gods. It turns Von Daniken's hypothesis on its head, but borrows a lot of stuff from ufology, which Lindelof most certainly follows.
ReplyDeleteI think these new movies are about evolution. The Space Jockeys are somehow responsible for the creation of the Aliens, on purpose or just a mistake. I think the Aliens are some kind of biological Borg (from Star Trek) they adapt to counter the enemy/ host.
ReplyDeleteI think the original Alien is the one living in the egg, this creature in the egg adapts to the host and uses the facehugger (for humans) to "read DNA" and create the best counterpart, the adult alien. I think these movies are all about this, maybe a spoiler but I think it suits the story till now.
I hope these new movies never really show the true origin of the Aliens, but only show a little more of the mystery. I think it is a great mistake to show the really true origins of the Aliens because it made the previous movies (for me only Alien & Aliens) so good. Show less = best, show a little more = good, show all = mistake ...
ReplyDeleteThe first two movies only showed parts of the creature/ mystery, that made it so great!