Prometheus a heavy-handed cinematic indictment of germany?
Prometheus Forum Topic
pootboy
MemberOvomorphJune 19, 20123526 Views24 Repliesok, saw prometheus.
thank you, ridley, for at least nodding in the direction of alien(s).
on the other hand, no thank you for having kubrick anxiety and injecting a rote social message into a completely innocent property.
david (as in star of david) is a humorless, robotic blonde, obsessed with WWII movies, with instilled dreams of eugenics, complete with teutonicly tailored military garb and a fricking "eagle's nest" broach on EVERY OUTFIT .
his creator is a doomed eccentric whose dogs lie on their backs for him (i.e. hitler's shepards).
they face a motley international coalition (i.e normandy/north africa), including a [poorly done] black southern pilot [i.e. red tails].
meanwhile "david" has no interest besides his master and the other perfect aryan specimen, re: charlize, who uses flame to burn one half of the jewish-featured leads of the film, as the other half undergoes dr. mengele inspired experimentation.
ridley, i know you're a 50/60-something brit and all, but i think we all kind of already know that germany was the bad guy. we don't need a ham-handed allegory in place of what should have been a proper, hard sci-fi prequel.
Other discussions started by pootboy
Replies to Prometheus a heavy-handed cinematic indictment of germany?

David 1June 19, 2012
ALEX JONES IS THAT YOU?
lol
[b]Ask nothing from no one. Demand nothing from no one. Expect nothing from no one.[/b]
pootboyJune 19, 2012
what's with the crossed out stuff? is it showing up like that for you? i'm not doing it.
*edit-- nm, figured it out.

David 1June 19, 2012
yes. Sometimes it happens.
Edit your text and select "Underline" that de-select it.
[b]Ask nothing from no one. Demand nothing from no one. Expect nothing from no one.[/b]

David 1June 19, 2012
predator voice: "anytime..."
[b]Ask nothing from no one. Demand nothing from no one. Expect nothing from no one.[/b]



Kane77June 19, 2012
David as aryan-looking Hitler-youth boy..hmmm
its a stereotype.
actually his line " a superior species, without a doubt " might [i]somewhat[/i] remind of Hitler´s propaganda eugenic ´policy´
..and of course any modern eugenic based on human resources is a picky theme, therefore animal experimentation..
Carpenters [i]village of the damned[/i] deals somewhat with similar looks IMO..
[img]http://img6.imagebanana.com/img/czb3zur2/village_of_the_damned_ctjn.jpg[/img]


CrazyDave55811June 19, 2012
Oh great. Undertones relating to Germany. I suppose it's an inevitability when something of a grand scale is made in Hollywood (I'll say no more on this one; I don't want my image to be tainted), but honestly I couldn't find any of it in Prometheus. I know David was acted by a German dude, and I thought the Engineers had a sort of Aryan-ish appearance (despite lack of blonde hair & blue eyes, being very pale, and being very tall).....but I think I get Aryan physique & Greek/Aegean sculptural physique mixed up. Overall, I didn't see any such references of 1940's Germany in this movie. Maybe I didn't pay enough attention?

Kane77June 19, 2012
[i]charlize, who uses flame to burn one half of the jewish-featured leads of the film,[/i]
how do you come to that, Halloway is jewish?

Jim100a100June 19, 2012
@jett,
he's probably the type that stays young by constantly working, like Eastwood.


CrazyDave55811June 19, 2012
Well I read what I could of the opening post of this thread (all of it, trying to understand as much as possible). One thing I will say is that, with all due respect, saying things like this are going to be picked up by many others, and suddenly lead to lots of "unwanted critical thinking". I suppose it's inevitable that a movie of such like Prometheus is going to open a lot of minds, but the notion of this movie harboring feelings reminiscent of the Third Reich is......well, to me, it's probably the trillionth occurrence. We see references to Hitler, Jews, anti-Semitism, the Holocaust, and Nazis all the time in media; Family Guy has a hard-on for making these references.
The only reference I caught in Prometheus was when Fifield (or Milburn?) saw the pile of Engineer bodies and said it looked like something out of a Holocaust painting. I don't know if there was a legit purpose for throwing that in the script, but now that I saw this thread, I can't help but wonder. Until now I thought it was just dialogue expressed by the first thing that came to the guy's mind (Fifield or Milburn).
I don't know if I want to go on giving my opinion of this matter. I will admit that my views are different when it comes to things pertaining to the Holocaust. Over time in recent years I have learned to stop being emotionally-biased over it, though in truth it's both a good and bad thing. Thing is that I am not an anti-Semite....or, to be precise, I don't hate Jews (Arabs are Semites, too). However, I do question Zionism, and that is apparently just enough to brand me as an anti-Semite, because that's how Zionism is trying to establish itself. Also I don't talk much about Zionism because a lot of it sounds like conspiracy theories; even the name "Zionism" sounds so fancy that it sounds like a conspiratorial title...

JettJune 19, 2012
@Jim
The limitless supply of arm candy available to both of 'em couldn't hurt either....that's HollyWOOD for ya.

Jim100a100June 19, 2012
yeah, they work hard and play hard that's for sure. Other than the hot wife, I think Ridley has a vineyard on the side
.June 19, 2012
This film makes you think.... that can a good thing if that thinking is productive and open minded, but I can see why someone would place labels on both the situations and the characters within the movie. I personally did not see any of what was mentioned in your opening discussion thread in the movie, but then I am more of an academic and ex-military, so my mindset moves in that direction of proper protocol and safety of the crew at hand. Politics and religion are always hot buttons for most people, and bringing similarities between National Socialism ideology and corporate space exploration was a new slant that I would never considered. This will be a lively thread, well done you have indeed opened Pandora's Box...
[img]http://i1157.photobucket.com/albums/p582/mr_lincolnlog/th_KnowYourXenosign-2.jpg[/img]

SpartacusJune 19, 2012
@CrazyDave55811...well I am a JEW so I think yea, you are right you should STOP right there!
GuestJune 19, 2012
A vineyard...now that's class. Classy and elegant, in a rich, yet understated way. Probably has a fine variety of yields, many examples including pinot noir, merlot, chardonnay, riesling.....riesling, wait....I feel...feel..a touch of Jeff Goldblum coming on...yes...yesssss..oh yeah, right!
Ridley has a vineyard in which he grows riesling grapes which he loves..which are German grapes, but he wouldn't want them if they were as crappy as this drooling rant posing as thread and in keeping the little riesling buggers he clearly shows appreciation for what comes from Germany and by extrapolary theory...there is no anti Germanic bent from Ridley in regards to Prometheus.
Wonder if Clint has a spread of grapes in Carmel Valley?

JettJune 19, 2012
Yeah stop right there CD..we were talking about this brainless, drooling rant( no offense intended pooter, just MHO) posing as a thread when we should be talking about Ridleys vineyard...now THAT'S class...classy and elegant, rich yes, but in an understated way.
Wonder if Clints got one too?
pootboyJune 19, 2012
[b]wait, there was an actual b@lls-out holocaust reference? i was in the bathroom for that scene, i literally did not know that til just now. wow, he really went all-in.
[/b]
>Excellent. Did you see it in Germany?
[b]naw...austin, texas.[/b]
>Hmm. I personally thought it was just a nod to Alien. Didn't see much of Aliens in there. Please elaborate.
[b]i just meant the franchise[/b]
>What is "Kubrick anxiety"? What films of his would I need to see to obtain that feeling? I'm not sure what "rote social message" you are referring to. Are you talking about religion>
[b]kubrick inserted a native american extermination theme into "the shining" that was absent from the King source material[/b]
[url=http://www.drummerman.net/shining/essays.html]http://www.drummerman.net/shining/essays.html[/url]
[b]by "rote social message", i'm referring to the fact that, like kubrick's indian theme, r. scott's holocaust subtext is a little worn by now. i think we're all pretty up to speed on the fact that genocide is bad.[/b]
>"Star of David", "blonde", "WWII obsession", "dreams of eugenics"? Are you saying that he is a representation of former Nazi Germany? I didn't notice him wearing any "eagle's nest" broach. Please educate me as to what that symbolizes.
[b]note the similarity of the symbol on david's chest (which appear on ALL his wardrob) to the nazi eagle[/b]
[img]http://screeninvasion.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/31.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.anythinganywhere.com/commerce/military/ger-naz-wm-patch-1.jpg[/img]
[b]also note the tunic and hairstyle being nearly indistinguishable from a nazi officer.[/b]
>Are you talking about the Weyland hologram with the dog playing on the floor. Are you saying that Weyland is like Hitler and the dog on the floor represents his "shepards"? Why would Hitler need sheparding?
[b]was referring to hitler's german shepards. hitler being kind to his dogs is a famous historical irony.[/b]
>Facing a motley international coalition? You mean like the allied forces or something? "Black southern pilot"? You mean the actor from Britain? Was he trying to portray an African-American born and raised in southern US? What does that have to do with an indictment against Hitler controlled Europe during the early 40s?
[b]yes, the allies. scott, irish(?), brit, and american accents in abundance. the actor playing janek, while british, was affecting a [rather poor] southern american accent, i.e. the "red tails", a famous all african american, largely southern fighter squadron that overcame racism to fly successful escort missions for white-manned bomber planes in WWII, recently depicted in the lucas movie.[/b]
>So David and Vickers are perfect Aryan specimens because they have blond hair? Charlize burned one (1) person. Holloway. Was he supposed to represent a Jew? Granted, Milburn might have been Jewish, but he didn't get burned. "Dr. Mengele inspired experimentation"? Did we watch the same movie?
[b]blond hair and blue eyes. yes, hitler's master race. holloway, dark haired and with easily jewish facial features, was the only character to die by fire if memory serves, and at the hand a famously stunning aryan actress. prior to which he was the subject of experimentation, along with his wife, also brunette and semitic-featured, and eventually, and apparently by design, their "child", hence dr. mengele, notorios death camp "doctor" who performed cruel experiments on jews, notably women and children. [/b]
>Ridley is 74, I beleive so he was a little boy during the war. Probably sent off to the countryside during the bombing that occurred over Britain.
[b]yah, got the age wrong, but i imagine being a british kid during the bombing of england would be a monumentally formative experience, no matter where he was sent.[/b]
All in all, it sounds like you've got some major issues with this film. I'm not disagreeing with any of your points because this is a polarizing movie. Maybe this is why Germany is among one of the last countries to see it (August 9th). I also believe that none of what you have pointed out is racist or anti-semetic. Assuming that you are German, it is simply the movie bouncing off of YOUR experience, culture and, quite possibly, the shame that Germany may still carry for what happened over 60 years ago.
My advice: Let it go, bro! You won't get past it if you're seeing "indictments" of Germany in a film that nobody else, to my knowledge, has yet to bring up.
Great post, though!
thank you, sir. but no, not german. but i do have issues, mainly with the distracting and worn-out holocaust subtext, but also with some of the lucas-sized plot inanities. (see the following for a couple of my favorites...)
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x1YuvUQFJ0&feature=youtu.be#]Red Letter Media talks about Prometheus - SPOILERS[/url]
[img]https://i.chzbgr.com/completestore/12/6/13/T7Y1y2jOQEmritH4M4tsjg2.jpg[/img]
cheers!
Cry HavocJune 19, 2012
I thought the angry white guy intent on genocide made your point of the movie being an indictment of WWII Germany plainly obvious.
Too bad censorship by Godwin's Law has clouded everyone's mind.
TrevorNewmanAugust 16, 2012
I agree with the OP. This was so blatant it could have been made by the German propaganda machine of the 1930's. David and Vickers popped out of a Hitler wet dream, they call Weyland 'Father', are cold hearted pricks and like experimenting on the rest of the black, asian and non-aryan crew. We get the message, the Germans are evil, of Ridley likes Nazi's. .
TrevorNewmanAugust 16, 2012
Weyland quotes Nietzsche as well who was Hitlers favorite philosopher and heavily influenced his writings and beliefs.
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