Sibling rivalry & Family bonds in PROMETHEUS
First, an overview of scenes containing clues hinting at the big reveal:
One; David finds Vickers awoken from hypersleep:
Meredith Vickers: [asking how long the Prometheus crew has been in hyper sleep] “How long?
David: “2 years, 4 months, 18 days, 36 hours, 15 minutes.
Meredith Vickers: “Any casualties?”
David: “ Casualties, ma'am?”
Meredith Vickers: “Has anyone died?”
David: “No, ma'am. Everyone is fine.”
Meredith Vickers: “Well, then wake them up.”
Two things of interest come to light in this dialogue: the first thing, which many viewers instantly noticed, seems to be the mistake David makes. “18 days, 36 hours, 15 minutes.” For a long time I did not understand why he would say such a thing; then it hit me. It’s not a mistake on David’s behalf; he is actually testing Vickers, to see if she will notice. She doesn’t. Why not? And why is she on the Prometheus to begin with?
That second question will be answered later in the film, explaining all about her curiosity about possible casualties.
Two; the Weyland briefing:
Peter Weyland: [as a holographic recording] “Hello, friends. My name is Peter Weyland. I am your employer. I am recording this, 22 June, 2091. And if you're watching it, you have reached your destination. And I am long dead. May I rest in peace. There's a man sitting with you today. His name is David. And he is the closest thing to a son I will ever have. Unfortunately, he is not human. He will never grow old and he will never die. And yet he is unable to appreciate these remarkable gifts for that would require the one thing that David will never have. A soul. I have spent my entire lifetime contemplating the questions: Where do we come from? What is our purpose? What happens when we die? And I have finally found two people who convinced me they're on the verge of answering them. Doctors Holloway and Shaw, if you would please stand. As far as you're concerned, they're both in charge. The Titan Prometheus wanted to give mankind equal footing with the gods and for that, he was cast from Olympus. Well, my friends, the time has finally come for his return. Doctors, please. The floor is yours.”
Vickers introduces herself to the crew and then the recording of Peter Weyland starts: pay close attention to Vickers’ face as he says, “And I am long dead.” At first, we can glimpse, briefly, grief on her face as she listens to Weyland’s speech.
But then he says (about David); “…he’s the closest thing to a son I will ever have.” The look on her face changes radically; now it is one of disgust and disdain.
Three; the meeting between Vickers, Holloway and Shaw (and David):
Meredith Vickers: “Weyland found you impressive enough to fund this mission. But I'm fairly certain your Engineers are nothing but scribblings of savages living in dirty little caves. But let's say I'm wrong, and you do find these beings down there, you won't engage them, you won't talk to them. You will do nothing but report back to me.”
Charlie Holloway: “Um, Miss Vickers, is there an agenda that you're not telling us about?”
Meredith Vickers: “My company paid a trillion dollars to find this place and to bring you here. Had you raised the monies yourself, Mr. Holloway, we'd happily be pursuing your agenda. But you didn't. And that makes you an employee.”
“…report back to me.” Not to anyone else. Not the captain, not the other members of the crew remaining on board, not David: only to her.
Four; Discovery:
Elizabeth Shaw: [in an alien chamber] “Prometheus, are you seeing this?”
Meredith Vickers: “They were right...”
Janek: “You wanted them to be wrong?”
She can’t say it out loud, but yes, she wanted them to be wrong. Captain Janek doesn’t realize the importance of his question. Neither does the first time viewer of the film at this point.
Five: Confrontation:
Meredith Vickers: “What did he say?”
David: “He said; ‘ try harder.’ Cup of tea, ma’am?”
By now it’s clear that something is in the works. Who is this mysterious stowaway giving orders to David? And why is Meredith Vickers so hell bend on finding out what this man has told David?
Six; Medpod:
Elizabeth Shaw: “I need a cesarean!”
Medpod Voice: “Negative. This Medpod is calibrated for male patients only.”
She (Vickers) lives on a lifeboat that has a Medpod calibrated for males only? Why is that?
Seven; Reveal:
Meredith Vickers: “If you're really going down there, you're going to die.”
Peter Weyland: “Very negative way of looking at things. Exactly why you should have stayed at home.”
Meredith Vickers: “Did you really think I was going to sit in a boardroom for years arguing over who was in charge while you go look for some miracle on some godforsaken rock in the middle of space? A king has his reign, and then he dies. It's inevitable. That is the natural order of things.”
Peter Weyland: “Anything else?”
Meredith Vickers: “No. That’s it – father.”
And there we have it: all pieces of the puzzle come together. Peter Weyland, the founder of “The Company” is on board of the Prometheus to find his maker and ask for more life. He does not want to die. He wants to rule his kingdom forever.
Meredith Vickers, his daughter (and, apparently, only child) is heir to the company; Weyland, despite his intellect, seems an old fashioned man who would have preferred a son to continue his life’s work. He created David, an android so lifelike he can hardly be distinguished from a human being; Vickers and David perform a battle through (harsh) words, as many siblings do – and David knows that Vickers, despite seeing the bigger picture quite clearly, is easily overlooking the details (“18 days, 36 hours, 15 minutes.”) while attempting to succeed as fast as she can.
The reason why she’s onboard of the Prometheus is answered in the dialogue between her and Weyland as well; the Prometheus so far from Earth, it seems unlikely that there’s direct contact with home. Would Weyland have died on the ship, the Company’s management would never have known about it and Vickers would never have gained control over the Company until the news of his death would be received; if the Prometheus would ever make it back home.
When Weyland dies and Janek, Chance, Ravel and Vickers seem to be the only survivors, she says, “Let’s go home.” She does not seem pleased or relieved, having killed Holloway by setting him on fire (for the first time being confronted fully with the horrors waiting just outside the ship), and having lost her father who, despite their differences, she clearly loved and respected very much. (Which became clearer in the dialogue from the extended scene.) But she does know that she can bring back the news of Peter Weyland’s death to the board of directors, and take full control.
Prometheus is a much-debated film; praised for its visual effects, disliked, and in some cases even despised for the questions it raises, rather than answers.
However, at its core lies not the story of creation (of mankind), but the frail bonds between powerful family members; it is very much a royal drama which the entire film revolves around; a king not willing to give up his throne and rule, and his daughter, heir to the kingdom, who wants what should rightfully be hers.
Looking a bit deeper into this, it starts with her setting up in the separate module (the lifeboat) that was originally designed for Weyland himself. As he is asleep in his pod, Vickers makes herself comfortable in his quarters, believing (hoping?) that her father will not survive this journey and a take-over will be easy and without a fight.
The shock of the reveal of Weyland and Vickers being father and daughter seems largely lost to the more general audiences who watch this film for a bit of entertainment and thrills; partially the chopped up scene is to blame, making it seem quite illogical. (One moment Vickers is almost in tears, the next she’s angry with Weyland – the transition works far better in the extended cut.)
And partially this is due to the events taking place simultaneously on other parts of the ship: Shaw has just given birth to the Trilobite, Fifield has returned to the ship and caused death and destruction before being killed himself; the crew is preparing to enter the Pyramid once more and face the last remaining Engineer.
Why do I bother to write all this? For me, you can have as many fantastical creatures and the most beautiful spaceships, planets and moons thrown into a film, but it only works when there’s a connection (not necessarily blood related) between characters; when they collide and try to find one another again; when they bond during times of hardship; show love for one another in any (subtle) way possible; are willing to forgive despite their anger – or are being unforgiving.
And parents and children, they go through all these stages. Most of the time, gaining wisdom along the way and through the years, children learn to forgive their parents for their mistakes; and parents appreciate and respect the adults their children will/ have become.
Sometimes, that never happens. This is what I see happen between Weyland and Vickers: she is trying to connect to him, attempting to stop him from going out. (“If you're really going down there, you're going to die.”) not wanting to lose her father despite knowing that his death will bring her fortune and prosperity.
For a moment he seems to understand but then he believes he realizes that she’s only after the rule over the Company and he retreats back into his old self; stubborn, arrogant, looking for one thing only: more time. Eternity, if possible.
Even upon first viewing in a cinema this was what stood out to me; the reveal of the frail connection between Weyland and Vickers, hinted at through all the little clues within the dialogues and body language. Director Ridley Scott has taken the ALIEN universe to a whole new, subtle level; the acting in these films was always solid but the back-story has been intensified with this power struggle.
