Quote from: Nerium on Aug 27, 2017, 04:39:30 PM
Quote from: bb-15 on Aug 26, 2017, 07:16:12 PM
- Taken in terms of evolution, a godlike AI he can be viewed as the next step.
In some ways David can be seen as the Nietzsche 'Overman'.
- The fear of an out of control AI and its threat can be seen as the reason why the Engineer in "Prometheus" tore David's head off.
There was certainly a danger which no one understood except possibly this Engineer.
...there is that deleted scene of the Engineer reading a book and watching the girl play the Violin as if he was enthralled and soothed by the fact we did develop art and complex literature, I mean the keys to their star skippers are flutes...
...maybe he was impressed they made it all this way and was gonna let em know you should really not be so greedy and just chill space is cool if you let it. But, then he freaked out with the rubber skin on David and just was like nnnnaaawwww, hell naw in fact...
- Yes. The awoken Engineer in "Prometheus" did admire the technology which humanity had achieved.
* But that same awoken Engineer in "Prometheus" saw that something was still very wrong with these earth humans.
And the trigger for the Engineer's attack began with David.
- Why would David be seen as such a terrible problem that humanity should be destroyed?
Ridley Scott touches on this in his commentary for "Covenant".
(Time in the film, 1:25:52)
QuoteHe (David) talks about dying species. Resurrection. Human life fundamentally failed and in so doing, so did the Engineers. 'Cause the Engineers let their children, i.e., human beings, get out of control.
What was out of control with humanity in "Covenant"?
It's a culture which would eventually create an AI, David.
- Ridley Scott continues in the same section of the film in his commentary switching to David.
Quote...he thinks he's taken over. He will now create his own environment and life form. Which he's already done. Which is lethal...
Of course he believes he's the visionary.
* Is this view of AI in "Covenant" a major shift from "Alien"?
Imo no.
- Ash had his own agenda of taking over and partnering with the xenomorph.
This is basically the same motivation for David in "Covenant".
- Ash manipulated the situation which not only led to the doom of almost all the crew but was a set up for his desire to cruise the galaxy with his "perfect organism".
- Instead of Ash putting Kane in stasis (as Parker suggested) who had a foot long, fast growing parasite, Ash let Kane walk around and eat with the crew.
This ridiculous decision only makes sense if Ash wanted the parasite to keep growing and eventually emerge from Kane and then have it roam free on the ship.
- Ash's core view is shown when he is broken apart and the plans from the Weyland / Yutani bio-weapons division have completely failed.
Is Ash disappointed? Absolutely not.
He is thrilled with the situation.
Ash admires this killer, (the
"perfect organism"), and is pleased that all the crew, he believes, will be killed (or assimilated according to the Director's Cut).
- David in "Covenant" has the same joy as he dreams that his perfect organism will get lose and take over.
- Also, the method of attack by Ash and David can mix sexuality with murder.
When Ash is trying to shove a rolled magazine down Ripley's throat there is a symbolism of combining killing with rape which fits a main theme in "Alien".
A similar theme of love/kissing with murder happens with David in "Covenant", who says he loved Shaw who he had tortured and killed.
And David kissed Walter and then stuck a weapon into his head.
Quote from: Nerium on Aug 27, 2017, 04:39:30 PMBut, this story really is all about Dr. Frankenstein being the Overman in space meeting the god of his god and seeing he is Over them all, so why not kill everything...
Agreed.
David in "Covenant" and Ash are like the dark angels in "Paradise Lost".
They can be seen as the Nietzsche 'Overman'. The modern Prometheus from "Frankenstein".
- Ash tried to take over but he didn't have the tools to completely defeat the humans in "Alien".
- But David in "Covenant" with the black goo super weapon, wiped out the Engineers on their home world. He overpowered an isolated Shaw and tore her apart like a lab rat.
And after the Covenant crew arrived, David used their trust of androids to allow him to lie his way into taking over the crew's ship.
* I think that Ash and David would agree.
The time for humanity was over.
A new era had come for monsters to rule the galaxy led by a more 'highly evolved' master.
PS.
Quote from: Nerium on Aug 27, 2017, 04:39:30 PMthe whole Lovecraft vibe ...
Lovecraft's range of influences runs throughout the Alien franchise and the prequels have certainly continued that.
I'll link a video below which gives imo a good summary of this.
- On a surface/superficial level a classic Lovecraft monster had lots of tentacles and the Trilobite (squid) from "Prometheus" certainly fits that description (though Giger has several images with tentacles / snakes following the Lovecraft vibe).
- Still in my attempt to be thorough from a nuts and bolts science fiction POV, I also need to give credit to John W. Campbell's short story "Who Goes There?" which to me was fundamental in establishing the alien infection creating monsters idea as a major trope for the genre. That is also fundamental to Alien films.
* Finally, here's the link to the Lovecraft influence video.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ejcELn1MeSM