Green rock/crystal in chamber with gigantic head

yes that was very strange that it had no explanation and played no part in the rest of the film after the camera focuses directly on it. Maybe it wasn't meant to be anything or maybe we will find out in the second one. They should of got David to play around with it :D

It' so Superman doesn't wreck shop! Put it behind head so he doesn't see it upon entering.

very odd/interesting indeed. Im not sure what the significance of the "green crystal" could be, but its definitely something. The filmmakers deliberately changed the item displayed below the alien/xeno bas relief from the canister (shown at beginning of film) to the "green crystal". Said crystal must have some sort of integration into the underlying narrative...otherwise, why even bother to go to the trouble/expense of changing the item displayed. If it didnt matter at all...just leave it as the canister/container. Why change it to what it ultimately became? has to have some sort of significance (however small or large). Interesting that Ridley, damon, and john all completely bypassed the ampule room, and the little hints housed within, during their respective commentaries. Tells me they dont want to spoil the fun. For example, a classic egg (analogous to the ones seen in alien 1979) is depicted in one of the frescos on the ceiling. Thats a fairly large reveal in the context of the overarching mythology! there are quite a few little information nuggets embedded in the ampule room.

@ joeyjoe perhaps the crystal is itself an information nugget.

That scene has been driving me nuts! Why change it, why a crystal, why green??? To me it appears to have the familiar shape of the rear part of the traditional Alien head. Or should I go to Specsavers?

Don't worry! Shaw is flying off to find your answers! Isn't that so [b][i]mysterious[/i][/b] and [b][i]satisfying[/i][/b]? If I remember, I think I had given up on liking the movie by that point. I just became more and more frustrated as it kept going. I think around then (maybe it was when they removed their helmets) I just gave a loud sigh and was like "ok, let's just finish the movie."

To all There was a thread not long ago where the vial that David takes out of the ampule was completely green. There was a photo comparing two scenes where the vials are compared - the one that was used in the movie (with the black substance surrounding the vial and the other with a clear substance surrounding the green vial. It struck me as odd that the colour of the substance inside the vial is green - very similar to the green crystal . Now is the substance in the vial green because the vial itself is green or it green by itself ? I just thought I would mention this because it might be that the green crystal might be a tap containing that (maybe)green fluid ? Ad there fore is green itself ? The little bit of mutagen virus may also be stored in that tap as well ? Just a thought

Or maybe it was the reactive green crap that David used to open the door? It doesn't really matter because it has no bearing on the story.

Or....does it?

@xenotron: how can you say that? ...you just dont know that. Might not have much of a bearing on the big picture as far as the engineers are concerned, but just like the frescos on the ceiling (they have a massive influence on the story), it surely has some purpose. @major noob: agreed. i believe the little green crystal is, like the rest of the visual clues in the ampule room, a little piece of the puzzle. Hate it for ya that you dont like it @xenotron...id imagine id be rather upset if i had come away from the film with the feelings you described. Its funny...i read 3 new reviews of prometheus today. One review said the film was a triumph of cinema. Another review said the film largely failed because ridley refused to fully embrace a sense of ambiguity (felt the film spelled everything out etc.) the third review said the film was largely unsuccessful because it was too vague and asked too many questions etc (the opposite of the previously mentioned negative review). LOL!!! classic! General response to Prometheus is an interesting psychological case study in and of itself.

I can say that joeyjoe because it has no bearing on the story. Do you expect them in the sequel to go back to the green crystal thing either physically or in a flashback? If so, why? If you were to cut that shot out of the movie, would we miss anything? No. You're under the assumption that all of these exhibits the Prometheus crew looked at on their museum tour of the temple are going to come back in the sequel. I have more room to say that it has no bearing on the story because there is no sequel yet; it hasn't been created and is, for now, pointless. For all we know, the sequel could show us that Jones the cat on the Nostromo is a shape-shifting Time Lord: prove me wrong. Telling me that I can't say that is a logical fallacy called "The burden of proof". I can't prove that it comes into play in the sequel, and neither can you. All we can go from is what we've got which is Prometheus which is nothing.

@xeno: You committed the fallacy of logic. Burden of proof indeed. Im basically saying that there is no way to prove that the "green crystal" isnt relevant to the overarching narrative. And thats a fact... you cant. Obviously that doesnt mean that it is then fact that the green crystal does have impact! Im not saying that. It may not directly come into play in any subsequent films (and im inclined to agree with you there), but that doesnt mean that its not relevant to the story. And you certainly cant arbitrarily proclaim that the "green crystal" is and always will be irrelevant (well i suppose you can, but its illogical to do so). Keep in mind, im not saying that the green crystal, without doubt, impacts the story. Im saying that its certainly possible that it impacts the story. Im basically asking a question. Why did the filmmakers change the object displayed on the altar from the canister to the "green crystal"? If it doesnt matter at all, why change it? very odd. You are speaking in absolutes and i am not. Therefore, the burden of proof is on you. Also, you are the one making the assumptions. You assumed that i assume that the artwork in the ampule room will come into play in a sequel to prometheus. In fact, i do not. This is pure speculation, but i feel that the sequel will likely veer even further away from alien/xeno motifs etc. Ill give you an example of how a piece of artwork seen in the ampule room impacts the overarching mythology, but doesnt ostensibly impact the core narrative in prometheus: Example: the egg/spore that is depicted in one of the frescos in the ampule room does not play any direct role in prometheus. Had no one seen it (and many didnt see it), the film would still have been able to articulate its general story arc. However, given the way prometheus and Alien are constructed, the aforementioned fresco is actually quite informative and key to a full understanding of what is going on concerning the bio-chronology in this fictional universe.

".. Im saying that its certainly possible that it impacts the story..." The green crystal has some importance. We can speculate all we want. The impact that this crystal and contents may not reveal it's self till the 3rd prequal when loose ends are tied up connecting with Alien. The way that crystal(and contents sit on top of the table is curious. And there is a scene with Holloway looking first at the crystal and then toward the ceiling at the murals. There is some connection that even he can't figure out. "Just another morgue" Look at Holloway as he first looks at the green chrystal and raises this flashight and eyes upwards as the light beam settles on the mural. His Head and Chrystal are at the same angle. And that angle leads to the crucifixion mural THere is a connection bertween the chrystal, mural and I think the Big Head. Holloway sees this but can't explain the connection. This not by chance. I don't have an answer but mention this as an observer.