Tuesday, November 17, 2015

A Contemporary Prometheus

The 2012 Ridley Scott film Prometheus deals with a space expedition to learn more about the origins of humanity on Earth. One of the members of the crew is an android named David, played by Michael Fassbender. David is extremely human like in his appearance, showing no real differences from the rest of the crew. To make the crew more comfortable with his presence, he even does things like wears a helmet to create the illusion that he requires hair. Only when he is later beheaded do we see him as physically different from a human being (he is still functional, no blood and guts, etc.). From a “mental” or “psychological” prospective, David has some traces of programming, but he is strangely human. Throughout the film, David seems to develop a sense of arrogance because of his vast and encompassing knowledge. He also has a bit of an ego and craves recognition for his superior abilities.


David serves as a reflection of humanity but also our fears of artificial intelligence. In a time where we are faced with increasing automation in industry, the possibility of self-driving cars, etc., it is understandable why we would have some reservations. David shows the audience that an android was created in such a way that he could accurately mimic humans and even develop personality. He demonstrates that we can not only create “life”, but create living beings that are superior to humans. These androids could and likely would replace humans in the workforce from labor positions to professionals. The fears and anxieties of becoming obsolete make David’s character more intimidating. In a sense, Prometheus’s rendition of an android is similar to a horse inventing a car; the horse will have more time to pursue its own interests, but has become completely obsolete and its best hope is to be kept around for gambling. 

1 comment:

  1. It's interesting how David hates his creators and attempts to go "over their heads" by selling them out to the engineers. In this way, while he's certainly a reflection of humanity, he's also a meditation on satan, one of the many overtly religious references in Prometheus.

    That's why he's such an interesting contemporary Prometheus, as you say: Like Frankenstein's Monster, he's a parallel to the antagonist of Paradise Lost. In many ways, he's more than human, and I think that's what makes him such a terrifying character. He's superior, sure, but only because he's free from the things that make most people human.

    I'm not sure what to make of this, exactly, but I think it's worth noting: The original screenplay for Prometheus (which is even more religious in its overtones than the final product) has David playing chess with Shaw as they attempt to fly back home. It's a very strange ending, but it's certainly reflective of David's cold calculation.

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