Pearls Before Swine

Rating: 7/10 (13 June 2012)

"Prometheus" is a film born of an interesting idea but with an agenda so varied that it cannot possibly fulfill each and every one of its interests. Moreover, the coexistence of these very diverse themes results in some serious problems of tone which are very difficult to ignore. Let's just say that rather poignant musings on the creation of man and the nature of the soul do not get along very well with monsters straight out of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." And if we add an element of ambiguity that stems from sparing vital information for understanding some of the actions of the protagonists, in the absence of which it is easy to assume that these are a completely illogical acts, we have a sure shot for controversy , where some fans will complete the missing elements with theories lifted from the discussion forums and viral videos, and other will give up concluding that it's just the screenplay's expository problems. I personally favor the latter: I do not think a film should retro-feed information from any other medium, or even from other entries in the "Alien" franchise. The film itself should contain all the clues to explain itself. In this regard, "Prometheus" wins some points for its first half, during which it sets itself apart from the universe of "Alien", putting enough distance to it, so it is actually able to stand on its own foundations. Unfortunately, soon enough it starts losing these points, as it piles up the type of loose ends that only a sequel (or two) could mend. That is to say, "Prometheus" is not so much indebted to the past of "Alien" as it is to the future of a new saga. It is a sign of the times, where sequels and reboots dominate the market and its creators conceive narrative arcs that only close in a next installment (box office returns permit). Not that "Prometheus" does not have its pleasures. In fact, as entertainment, it is a film that has very few flaws. As a spectator you can feel frustrated, but never bored. Obviously, it is a film built around a handful of very effective set pieces, except perhaps one involving a mutant attacking the crew, an episode whose sole function seems to have been to raise the body-count. The decidedly retro look of the movie is another aspect that I enjoyed greatly, a style not necessarily inspired by the iconography of the original "Alien", but by cult films like Mario Bavas's "Planet of the Vampires" , Fred M. Wilcox's "Forbidden Planet", and of course Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey", which opening sequence plays a similar role to that of "Prometheus"; Weyland's room also strongly reminds the aging astronaut's quarters in that film. Equally outstanding is the conceptual art for the Engineers: their silent presence is more evocative than any description the writers could have come up with: their appearance is reminiscent of the archetypes of beauty and virile power reflected in art from ancient times, usually associated with the notion of a Creator, suggesting that perhaps these were not just a sublimation of an ideal, but a reflection of a real model. As for the acting, just one word: Fassbender (he eats the movie, stealing every scene he is in). While watching "Prometheus," especially when a character was delivering a particularly bland line of dialog, I could not help feeling that the crew of the starship were in desperate need of a philosopher. Maybe a Dr. Spock type of character: someone who could make an erudite interpretation of the events; an intellect capable of drawing analogies; of weighing the significance and consequences of the encounter between Creator and creature as featured in the film. None of the characters lived up to the challenge. Shaw, the protagonist, was admittedly wrong throughout the whole film (not an example of clear mind for sure), and David, although might have been a good philosopher, hid his motivations so well that his contribution to this effect was limited to only a few sarcastic remarks. Pearls before swine, as they say...
My score: 7/10