The Engineer's behaviour... Clearer now than ever!

So you are basically saying that the Engineer bowed Weyland with respectful manner because he is old? Could be correct and shows that theirs culture respect old people as superiors in experience and knowledge. but own personal view is that the engineer didn't bow but kinda lost the motor skill on his leg as the side-efffect of hyber-sleep (like Shaw was really nauseous).

Prenihility, you've got to be kidding. Please, you're kidding, right? : (

The way the alien acted reminds how humans act after waking from hypersleep indeed, and after 2000 years, well, he shows himself as a really sturdy bastard, for just kneeling momentarily...

Yeah, I thought it was orthostatic hypotension that caused him to "bow." 2,000 years is a long time to lay flat.

He is not bowing, he is simply weak from being in stasis so long and stumbled. He has the same hybernation weakness that we saw the whole crew and especially Shaw suffer from.

Soldier Models are strong....afer 2000 years of hypersleep and he only shows some small cramps, then is ready to kill and flying a ship to another star... Damned sturdy model...

im pretty sure he stumbled and didn't bow. I think he wasn't amused by weyland proclaiming to be a god like him . He first looked at weylands creation and then thought not bloody likely , made some slight adjustments (removes head) . Opened a can of whip ass , took a few rounds to the chest , opened another can of whip ass ....all before breakfast ,outstanding !!

He did not bow.

I thought so too about the old age thing Prenihility. The first time I watched it I thought the engineer instantly recognized that Weyland was a leader because he was the elder and calling the shots, an unjust king, and that he mistreated his subjects. I already had a whole theory about multiple factions going before the movie based solely on mythology and a hunch that we would see other groups besides the Engineers once I heard what was in the suit. I spent so long trying to convince my gf that it was a bow, but she leans towards it being him stumbling. Now I think it was kind of both, he stumbles and then he bows while he's down there out of respect and fear of this thing that looks like the Elders for a second while he regains his bearings. And we're not supposed to know for sure what was intended because it could seem either way like a lot of the evidence/clues. Like the xenomorph, the Engineers fear/worship and attempted to control the Elders by rebelling against them at one point. This failed & drove the Egineers further with their experiments with the bioweapon, leading to the outbreak that killed off a number of the already nearly wiped out Engineers. They still respect the Elders out of honor and fear, because they're losing the war and they were going to resort to desperate measures 2000 years ago, but I strongly believe they are currently at war with the Elders still. It would kind of make sense with some of the theories about the Engineers serving the Elders, or rebelling against the Elders, but only if they almost worship the Elders out of fear/respect for their enemy now in the latter case. I think Bob may have been bowing to Weyland and recognized he had a lot more years on him than the others. The Elders definitely seem less perfect and wrinkly, but we don't know if Engineers really age or if it's some kind of phenotype/genotype difference. If they do age it could be they equate age with wisdom and power. However, I think he quickly realizes that Weyland isn't an Elder and then sees that he is calling the shots (tells the merc to shut Shaw up), sees how Weyland treats his subjects, and then the last straw is when he's insulted by this man asking for Eternal life, and thinking he's a god.

I'm in agreement with the others. If you notice, as he steps out of his cryo bedchamber - he almost knocks Weyland to the ground and only kneels to regain his balance. If he was truly knelling, why didn't he remain that position?

@Subsume... Yes. Absolutely. I initially thought the same thing. I'm not the first one to post this. I remember someone posting that the Engineer had bowed. But didn't include a reason for it. ( if only i could remember the poster's name...) He could have just stumbled AND bowed, you know that, right? Either way. He had that mentality towards Weyland. Because he saw he was the oldest. DEFINATELY. And also, guys... Yeah... he stumbled because he was in Hyperspace for two millenia? Then dummied every person in the room. Piloted the ship as if he just woke from a nap. Then made his way to the lifeboat... He can recuperate from his long hypersleep, and have trouble standing... for three seconds? And PFFT!

I mentioned it in my second list, point #4 I think. I felt there was a suspcision that he bowed. http://www.prometheus-movie.com/community/forums/topic/8976 Everything RS does visually is for a reason. He is very, very careful about how things are presented & seen. He may have created this dubious camera angle and Engineer movement to make us wonder exactly what the Engineer was doing. Create some questions about the Engineers motives. Suspense! It may be that he does bow but then as he hears David , Weyland talk, Shaw get hit by the muscle that he re-assesses the situation or of course thinks "bloody hell there's humans in me hyper sleep chamber..how long have been out? Fightin time!" lol.

The "engineer" didn't bow to that old man period. He was being awaken from 2000 years of sleep and needed some time to orientate himself from dizziness. He lost his step that's all. The way he acted after David woke him, remind us of the symptoms that the "Prometheus" crew suffered after being awoken when they reached the planet LV-223.

I like the idea that it's kind of a sarcastic bow. Weyland fancies himself a god, when he's actually a decrepit old man. The only "bow" he gets from someone is the Engineer trying to get his bearings after being asleep for 2,000 years. Haha. It's a fitting bow.

I dont think so. My reason for not agreeing with your opinion @Prenihility is that if he did bow, he would of stayed in that position much longer. In fact he would of waited until Weyland told him that he could get up. I also do not agree with the opinion that the Engineer thought at first that Weyland was an Elder Engineer. Weyland is a midget next to any elder, and just beacause he is wrinkled like a prune doesnt mean that he looks like an Elder.

He didn't bow. No way. No how.

I just basically elaborated on Regular Parrot's initial idea of the Engineer bowing. But that doesn't really matter. Whether or not he did bow. Point is, he recognized Weyland as an elder. There's no denying that. The Engineer isn't blind.

I dont think so my friend.

@Prenihility - Yeah, he kinda figured that out

An elder in the context of human aging, sure. But, if they live for millions and millions of years, then 96 Terran or so is not that impressive in the the big picture of things. Our lifespans would be like those of an insect to them.

To my eyes, it's most definitely not a bow. After replaying that scene over and over, he definitely stumbles after coming off the cryo-chamber onto a crouching position resting on his hands with his head down, like he's dizzy. Upon hearing Weyland speak, he suddenly looks up most likely because he doesn't recognize the language. On the next camera cut we see him on one knee with his right arm resting on his right knee, but it looks to be just a stance he's taken to listen to the humans in front of him. He's taking it all in slowly, then realizes the situation more clearly and stands.

he acts that way by animal instinct or survival, or because he was exposed and infected too, Why did he deposited at hypersleep cabin? That's my answer. In the attacking to Shaw outside the alien stronghold, his face face undergoes mutation and appears scorched before being attacked by trilobite.