On THAT Musical Instrument

Haha, I think the engineer has more to worry about than the fact that David learned to play the flute. But I agree that its interesting because its such a uniquely human thing, music, and the aliens certainly wouldn't be able to use it and turn the ship on.

Flute Players ARE THE ENEMY. No, joshing aside, I LOVE this method of ship-locking. It rules.

I think there is a greek myth involving one of the voyages of Ulysses about a box containing a monster and also a map, and it was opened by someone playing a flute, which also subdued the monster. They may be referencing this. (awful pretentious guy this Lindelhof seems to be). Soemone else said something about Legend of Zelda, but that's probably copying from the Greek myth as well I'm going out on a limb here, but I think the over dependence on mythology could be pointing to a jealous god type of attitude. The story of the Greek Titan Prometheus is that he was punished for trying to put humans on a level footing with gods (to use Weylands words) and what could be more level than creating life - such as David... also, if you take the story of the tower of Babel, it angered the judeo-christian god that people were trying to reach heaven ... well, the Prometheus crew did both, surely.... travelled 34.5 light years and got an android to wake up their maker, who promptly ripped off the androids head and used it as a weapon to kill Weyland.

Maybe the main theme of whole movie is about the dangers of learning the flute, and we're just missing it.

It didn't bother me, I have no idea why people are making such a fuss.

Or its a breathalyzer to see if he's too drunk to fly:)

@chargeandgo I am starting to suspect the same thing. The whole movie might really be about how dangerous mixing music lessons with Rosetta Stone Cuneiform Space Edition can be.

Music and art tend to be associated with intelligent creatures that also have emotions. Aside from abstract art painting Elephants, humanoids probably have the corner on this market. Plus aliens don't have lips. Hadley's Hope made some really good points. There are probably many borrowed concepts from mythos. The tower of Babel was not just about reaching heaven but it was indignation by man. We wanted to show god he didn't have enough power to kill us via flood again. All authority is based on power. If the creator doesn't have power over the creation they are pretty much equal.

I wish I had that little flute the Engineer used. I'm assuming it's a flute, but theirs is obviously a small-scale type, maybe a different instrument altogether. I'd just do that number I heard in the movie. Mi-So-Fa-Mi-So.....I think those are the pitches' names...

I think the notes played on the flute somehow connect to the 'language' of the Engineers. For example if the voice was used to play the same chords would that have started up the Orrery system? or even the piano on the Prometheus could have been used. Heck i would like to know if a recording of the flute on an ipod could have activated the sequense. When the console is shown with all of the egg buttons.. to me it looked like a keyboard of the Old Timey large Wurlizer Pipe Organ. Imagine playing the 5 alien tones from 'Close Encounter' on that unit in the Orrery. It looked like the flute was sort of placed on the console haphazardly. For a 'key' so much needed tin our storyline it would be kind of arrogant for Engineers to depend only on the flute means of starting the various displays and prepare for missions.

The flute is probably referencing Dr Who - the second doctor had a flute or recorder. Ridley did some set design on Dr Who and was chosen to design the Daleks but he couldn't do it for some reason. Dr Who was a time lord, wasn't he?

I know that Dr. Who has quite a history and following. I suspect I have watched maybe 2 partial episodes over the years. In the USA they are on the PBS a Public Network. Sometimes they get short sighted in their quality programs.. RS use of the flute to actice stuff is just refelection of his life. Heck I would do the same thing. If I write a story I want a performance car in it. Ferrari/Lamborghini/Aston-Martin

I think it's more a reference to the time lord thing...

I can understand why some people would get upset by the use of a flute in a hi-tech movie like Prometheus. It's because they approach the movie burdened with decades of preconceptions of how aliens should be, and a sense that flutes are human devices used in primitive cultures. But they are really missing the point, and victims of their own hang-ups! Simple musical instruments like this are going to be utterly ubiquitous throughout the universe. We made flutes from dead bones, just like every evolving civilisation with access to bones or hollow wood will do. As a multi-purpose key, it's highly efficient (you can play countless little ditties with a small number of holes) and crash-proof. And it fits in well with the Engineers' own ideas of symbolism and mysticism. A good choice of key.

Exactly, cuz when I saw the movie back in June I thought that part was very unique and very well done. Its really stupid to think thats a dumb idea. The flute is one cool instrument if you wanted to have some sort of sound activation technology. What else are the criticizing retards thinking of that you cant have a unique piece of alien tech. thats so different than your own?!.....

Did you know that according to most if not all scientists that music should be available to any intelligent life that hears patterns of sound. Why should we humans be the only species that enjoys music huh?! By the way with music you activate a part of your brain that loves to recieve something called Alpha waves. Basically its a natural brain high.

I'm sure that music is a universal phenomenon that is at least available to, if not loved by, all higher forms of life that have ears. There's definitely something mysterious about it. Music & mathematics are strongly linked. While a lot of people struggle with mathematics, most find music easy and natural to appreciate. Cats do not like music, but some dogs [url=http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=edb_1355173273]seem to be quite keen[/url]. Probably a certain minimum level of brain power is required to have an artistic appreciation.

"..While a lot of people struggle with mathematics, most find music easy and natural to appreciate..." This describes me. Music may be linked to mathmatics but the forms of what earthlings call music is varied. And to my ears music of some cultures is just niot interesting and sometimes painful. In our movie it is not that music is not a part of the movie but a part of alien culture, especially in activating a technically evoloved orrery surprising. We have not seen much of the Engineer's culture. We have seen enough to not see any other musical reference in their world. Yea if i'm had seen a big a## jam box in the Juggernaut activated as the Engineer gets settled in the seat then i might agree with the flute scene. For me I'll just note I was surprised at the use of the flute as I listen to my Led Zep 8-tracks.

"Cats do not like music, but some dogs seem to be quite keen. Probably a certain minimum level of brain power is required to have an artistic appreciation." i read that the music an animal favours related to the pitch of their own call so maybe cats ust dont like the same music as dogs? lol

its certainly easier to remember the flute chords than numbers i forget my own pin but i bet i could start up the juggernaut lol

Oh, I dunno. I think Kenny G and Zamfir got laid plenty Drakeequation. Who says the xenos wouldn't learn some bitchin' tunes on an electric Fender with an old Peavey amp. It might mellow them out, get them interested in psychedelics, smoking weed and expanding their consciousness a bit.

I never thought I would read a Kenny G reference in with Fender guitar notation. Cool though..

My mind goes anywhere and everywhere...sometimes that's not always a good thing