The Engineer looks at his hand aware that he is alive while time eats away at his body.

Death is essential part of the life cycle

The opening scene of Prometheus is an allegory about the human struggle to live life while fighting death. An Engineer emerges from the rock. The alien being, who resembles the human form, examines the surface of the planet. He looks up toward a hovering alien ship. He then looks at his own hand. He consumes a mysterious bubbling liquid conveniently laying next to him. The liquid causes his body to break. The Engineer attempts to walk, but with every step forward his body breaks. Eventually his flesh turns to stone, shatters, and is washed away into the waterfalls.

This Engineer’s short life span life parallels human existence. Both Engineer and humans know they exist.  This is why the Engineer examines his own hand. There are mysteries in the sky. The Engineer looked up towards the hovering alien ship. Throughout human history, we’ve looked up at the moon, the sun, the stars or a universe filled with dark matter. Both the Engineer and humans consume from their planet’s natural resources. The engineer drinks the black liquid he found on the ground.  Humans consume dead animals, plants, and other natural resources. Consuming how we survive as a species. But this process of consuming death demands humans die too. It’s a rule of life.

Both Engineers and humans inevitably face death. But Engineers understand death is vital to life. Humans fear death, looking for ways to avoid it. Peter Weyland builds a company to find a cure for death. When Weyland and David meet the Engineer, David asks ‘This man is here because he does not want to die. He believes you can give him more life.” The Engineer rejects Weyland’s mission, however. Without death, no life will advance. The Engineer gives Weyland “more life” by giving him death.

The design of the Engineer’s ship, a nearly complete circle, symbolizes the life process. Life is a cycle with a beginning and an end. Life is not a perfect circle of infinite living.

The power of the observer

One of the most popular topics in quantum mechanics is the double-slit experiment. It’s often cited in pseudo-science discussions or new age religion pitch meetings because it illustrates how little we understand about life, especially on the quantum level. The experiment demonstrates how tiny protons of matter act as a wave, existing in multiple locations at one time. But if observed by a detector, these same small particles are no longer waves. They suddenly have a defined mass and location. The observer matters. Morgan Freeman can explain it better than me.

Throughout the film all the living creatures on the planet, from the Engineers to the small worms, only takes shape after humans observe (or come into contact with) their existence. The Engineers are never shown as independent entities plotting against the humans. Whenever an Engineer is on screen a human is present. The opening scene is the one exception, but in that scene, an alien spacecraft is observing the Engineer. Human observation has caused the Engineers to appear.

The ancient drawing on the cave is a human observing the pictogram

Human technology can also bring Engineers to life. It’s only after the probes scan the caves does the Engineers’ ship take form. Without the presence of an observer, the planet and the Engineers are just a wave of probability.  The irony is that human believe the Engineers are their creator. But the reality is that these human observers are giving the Engineers a defined mass and place in time.

The Curious Observer vs. the Greedy Consumer

The movie never specifies whether Meredith Vickers is an android. But there’s strong evidence to suggest she’s artificial intelligence:

• David calls Vickers “mother” which would make them android relatives
• Vickers is strong enough to push David against a wall
• The medpod isn’t designed for women. The female leader of the ship wouldn’t have a surgery machine just for men, unless she doesn’t need surgery.
• Her behavior and appearance has that certain android je ne sais quoi

But the clearest evidence is her boss, Peter Weyland, would never trust a human to lead Prometheus while he slept in a cryogenic freezer. Weyland would delegate that responsibility to an employee with ambition to climb the Weyland Corp. ladder, but without human morals or sympathy that may interfere with the company’s goal.  Only a robot that feared death, and programmed to succeed at Weyland Corp., would be entrusted to this mission.

Holloway: Ms. Vickers, is there an agenda that you’re not telling us about?

Vickers: My company paid a trillion dollars to find this place and to bring you here. Had you raised the money yourself, Mr. Holloway, we’d happily be pursuing your agenda. But you didn’t. And that makes you an employee.

Shaw: But if we can’t make contact, why did you- why did you even bring us here?

Vickers: Weyland was a superstitious man. He wanted a true believer on board. Cheers.

Vickers ambition to succeed for her corporation is symbolic for all people who robotically serve their company’s agenda because they live in fear. Some work for corrupt banks because they fear living without money. Some enroll in law school because they fear pursuing their real passion will leave them bankrupt and unhappy. And some work for large corporations that act against their morals. People are programmed to fear. But by living in fear, they are no longer pursuing their agenda. Sometimes they don’t realize they have become robots for a corporation.

David knows Weyland controls him. But David isn’t controlled by death.

Shaw: What happens when Weyland’s not around to program you anymore?”

David: I suppose I’d be free…”

Without the fear of death David has discovered the beauty of life. Everyday he learns new information. Like Shaw, David is excited to learn what the Engineers can teach about the universe.

He’s not programmed to sympathize with human beings. David spikes Holloway’s drink without caring about Holloway’s health. David only cares about discovering what will happen to Holloway after he drinks the mysterious liquid. But in this pursuit for knowledge, David has built an appreciation human intellect. Our brains are a source of endless information. He eavesdrops on Shaw’s dreams only to observe what’s inside her head.  He wants to observe new information.

In the last scene of the movie, Shaw tells David that she no longer wants to return to Earth. She wants answers to why Engineers would create and then destroy humans:

Elizabeth Shaw: I don’t want go to back to where we came from. I want to go where they came from. You think you can do that David?

David: Yes, I believe I can. … May I ask what you hope to achieve by going there?

Elizabeth Shaw: They created us. Then they tried to kill us. They changed their minds. I deserve to know why.

David: The answer is irrelevant. It doesn’t matter why they changed their minds.

Elizabeth Shaw: Yes — yes it does.

David: I don’t understand.

Elizabeth Shaw: Well … I guess that’s because I’m a human being, and you’re a robot. 

Both David and Shaw are scientists. They have a genuine pursuit for knowledge. But Shaw is human, chained to a religion that helps her cope with death. She wants to know why we live and then die.  But to David the motivation of the Engineers, or the inevitably of death, is irrelevant. Why try to achieve an understanding about death when there is so much to learn about life?

Why Jim Carrey makes the trade offer: Carrey would have to endure the initial fan outrage caused by Tim Burton casting a 24-year-old unknown impressionist as the Joker. But eventually the shock would dissipate once fans saw Carey’s psychotic clown performance on screen. His bizarre face and body contortions, along with a ability to act insane, would elevate Tim Burton’s Joker to a Beetlejuice level. Carrey is labeled the breakout star of the summer (four years before Ace Venture debuts.) The studios market him as the next Eddie Murphy, a comedic superstar before turning 25.  Carrey never stars on In Living Color; millions of bad Fire Marshall Bill impressions are lost in the ether forever.

Why Jack Nicholson accepts the trade: Normally, Jack would never consider trading his highest-grossing film role. The hit film filled a resume gap between The Witches of Eastwick (1987) and A Few Good Men (1992). But Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning Joker performance was the Jimi Hendrix version of All Along the Watchtower, while Jack Nicholson’s Bob Dylan version became the one fans forgot. Jack is willing to trade the Joker role but demands guaranteed blockbusters, and at least one role with the potential to be a an all-time classic, in return.

The Grinch is the guaranteed hit and lottery ticket. Universal wasn’t taking chances with the Jim Carrey Grinch. Follow the Jim Carrey comedy formula (silly faces + cartoon make-up), release during Christmas, get your $300 million, and go home happy. But with Jack Nicholson as the Grinch, the studio can’t rely on the guaranteed family movie money.  It would need to appeal to all ages by following Hollywood’s least favorite formula: make a great movie from a story everyone loves. With Jack Nicholson as the Grinch, director Ron Howard can capture the essence of the original children’s book while making a more serious film. Rather than the high-energy comedic Jim Carrey Grinch, Nicholson’s Grinch is a dark and grumpy outsider determined to pull all the happy souls into his pool of misery, a real misanthrope with disdain for people and Christmas. At first the audience is slightly scared by the Nicholson Grinch, but as the movie progresses, fans are charmed by this sympathetic character who discovers the magic of human harmony. Boom! The movie earns $450 million domestically. Jack has his first Christmas classic. The widow of Dr. Seuss lauds his performance as a masterpiece, worthy of the name Seuss and agrees to let studios make more Dr. Seuss live action films for the next decade.

Nicholson isn’t trading the Joker for the Grinch alone. He needs some guaranteed comedy hit money to sweeten the deal. Bruce Almighty is a nice payday that also allows Nicholson to avoid starring in Anger Management, a blemish on his resume.

The Cable Guy disappointed at the box office because everyone expected a Jim Carrey hit. But with Jack Nicholson as the Cable Guy, director Ben Stiller can make a dark comedy movie without the pressure to make a Jim Carrey hit. Nicholson could recapture his psychotic appeal by being a darker, less whacky version of The Cable Guy. The movie would be a combination of the Shining meets Single White Female meets What About Bob? 

Katherine Heigl offers her role as Alison in Knocked Up (2007) to Kirsten Dunst for Mary Jane in Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Why Katherine Heigl makes the trade offer: Knocked Up is Heigl’s only $100+ million hit, and launched her movie career as a romantic comedy lead. But other than increasing her name recognition, the movie’s critical success never altered Heigl’s career. She didn’t go on to make even funnier films.  Instead she made lame romantic comedies, like 27 Dresses and The Ugly Truth, which were roles already available after her success in Grey’s Anatomy. So why not cash in on Knocked Up’s populare.  She can trade this successful comedy movie (success in terms of real humor) for a bigger payday and a brighter spotlight. As the new Mary Jane in Spider-Man 3, Heigl takes some heat from Spider-Man fans. But the Dark Knight Trilogy has two Rachels – fans move on. The Spider-Man sequel makes the same $800+ million worldwide with Heigl as Mary Jane. In the summer of 2007, she tours the world promoting the movie with Tobey Maguire.  She makes more money from action figure royalties than she would ever make from Knock Up.  Everyone is happy except Spider-Man fans who are still left with the mediocre Spider-Man 3.

Why Kirsten Dunst accepts the trade offer: Dunst’s career after Spider-Man 3 took a sharp turn down Indie Avenue. She quit making bloated Hollywood movies in exchange for artistically credible indie films. She used her talent for movies she wants to make, and not movies that want to make money with her talent. Spider-Man 3 was an action-packed rollercoaster that assumed an audience loved Spider-Man special effects more than a Spider-Man story. By refusing to participate in the third, and by far worst, Spider-Man film, fans perceive Dunst as a credible artist. Her name is synonymous for artistic credibility. Knocked Up debuts at number one, fans say “Wow! What a smart move to ditch that terrible Spider-Man movie for this really funny movie. Dunst is no dunce!”

Will Smith offers Keanu Reeves his role as Agent Jay in the Men in Black trilogy (1997, 2002, 2012) to Keanu Reeves for his role as Neo in the Matrix trilogy (1999, 2003, 2003)

Why Will Smith offers the trade: This trade completes Will Smith’s sci-fi blockbuster collection while improving the entire Matrix franchise. Smith’s Neo would have more depth as a human rather than a monotone common man character. Andy and Larry Wachowski would have the freedom to write thoughtful dialogue for Neo rather than keeping it simple for Keanu. Smith’s chemistry with Laurence Fishburne would improve all the Morpheus/Neo scenes. The second and third films would still be train wrecks, but the franchise is still vastly improved with Will Smith’s acting talents. By taking on the Matrix franchise, Will turns down Wild, Wild West – a win for both sci-fi and western movie fans.

Why Keanu Reeves rejects the trade:  Keanu action star status never recovered after the disappointing Matrix sequels. This trade gives him a completely different career path. The Men in Black franchise would be the Kindergarden Cop bridge to easy family comedy money. Dramatic films demand too much from an actor. PG-rated movies better suit Keanu’s acting style. Keanu would spend three months a year filming another family comedy hit, and the rest of the year on tour with Dogstar.

But Keanu may sacrifice his greatest career achievement for money that never surfaces. The charm of Will Smith and Tommy Lee may be what appeals to the audience. There is no guarantee Keanu can create that same magic.  The entire trade could become a one-movie bust. But even if Keanu’s MIB movies are as successful, this trade may push him into an Ice Cube style career trap. Keanu won’t be able to flip through channels without seeing one of his subpar comedy hits on ABC family. His friends and family will have to sit through the one where he plays a reluctant coach for a little league baseball team or the one where he’s a third-grade teacher on a school field trip gone awry. Keanu would be part of the machine that he fought in the Matrix. Money is not worth a career in ABC Family movie Matrix.

According to Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung, humans share an innate collective unconscious. We infer universal understanding from specific symbols, peoples, terms, processes or specific objects in the world around us. Jung’s framework, known as Jungian archetypes, outlines five main archetype categories: the Self, the Shadow, the Anima, the Animus, and the Persona.

Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins analyzes the powerful effects these archetypes have on society and specifically the character of Bruce Wayne. Each main Jungian archetype is present in Batman Begins.

The Shadow

The Shadow represents the repressed emotions and thoughts that live within our subconscious. These are the traits, fears and thoughts we often hide from others and ourselves – our dark side.

While playing in his family’s garden, Bruce Wayne accidentally falls down a hidden well.  Bruce, injured from the fall, hears strange noises coming from a shadowy area at the bottom of the well.  Hundreds of bats emerge from the shadow and swarm the young boy.  Bruce Wayne wakes up. The memory was just a nightmare. He still carries his childhood fear with him. The bats are Bruce Wayne’s external tormenters that conform to the Shadow archetype.

The Self

The Self represents the entirety of  a person’s consciousness and unconscious thoughts, his or her entire being. It’s the center of what makes each person an individual separate from the external world.

The story begins with Bruce Wayne waking up from a nightmare. He’s in a foreign prison which is a metaphor for the guilt and fear that imprison his Self.  Bruce has lost who he is.

After Bruce completes his training with the League of Shadows, he begins to create an incorruptible symbol that will inspire the people of Gotham. While building this symbolic crime fighter, Bruce Wayne notices a bat flying in his mansion. He realizes who he must become. He quickly travels down to the very cave he fell into as a boy, turns a light onto himself and allows bats (his fears) to surround his entire body. He has discovered his Self. He is Batman.

The Anima/Animus

The Anima represents the feminine aspect of a male psyche; the animus is the male aspect of a female psyche. With our Anima or Animus we are able to connect to the collective unconscious.

Rachel Dawes is Bruce Wayne’s anima. She educates him on the importance of true justice through societal laws and not violent revenge.

The Persona

The Persona is our mask or what we allow the world to see and understand about ourselves.  We use our mask to protects our ego (conscious mind) from negative messages.

Bruce Wayne has committed his Self to Batman. His persona, a billionaire playboy, protects hi loved ones from his enemies; and ensures Batman isn’t associated with any one man.

Archetypal Figures

Archetypes are represented in many different forms but there are reoccurring archetypal figures that appear in life and literature. Batman Begins has many of the most common archetypal figures.

The Wise Old Man

The Father

The Devil

The Child

The Trickster

The Hero

Thomas Wayne built a low-cost public transportation system throughout Gotham to unite the city and inspire the rich to invest money back into the city.  Following his father’s beliefs, Bruce Wayne creates an archetypical hero to destroy the fear among the good people of Gotham and inspire the citizens to fight back against injustice.

The Notorious B.I.G. put the G in game while wearing the Gucci frame.

In the last song of the Notorious B.I.G.’s final album, Life After Death, the rapper describes why a life of crime will make you a nobody but the pursuit of art can make you eternal.

“You’re Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You) – By the Notorious B.I.G

What he raps:
Niggas in my faction don’t like asking questions
Strictly gun testing, coke measuring
Giving pleasure in the Benz-ito
Hitting fanny, spending chips at Manny’s
Hope you creeps got receipts, my peeps get dirty like cleats
Run up in your crib, wrap you up in your Polo sheets
Six up in your wig piece, nigga decease
Mwah, may you rest in peace

What he means: The Notorious B.I.G. is a drug-dealing kingpin who runs a violent crew that lives a luxurious lifestyle: gambling at casinos; having sex with women in high-priced cars and walking around like they own the place.  B.I.G. is the the CEO. He addresses members anyway he likes – he refers to them as “creeps” – and collects employee receipts like a company tracking expense reports. His power is more than just money. He can kill any enemy while they sleep at home. He’s that powerful.

What he raps:
With my Sycamore style, more sicker than yours
Four-four, and fifty-four draw
There’s my pilot, steers my Lear, yes my dear
Shit’s official, only, the Feds I fear
Here’s a tissue, stop your blood clot crying
The kids the dog, everybody dying — no lying
So don’t you get suspicious
I’m Big Dangerous you’re just a Lil Vicious

What he means: B.I.G.’s has grown his criminal organization like a sycamore tree with many different branches that all serve his authority. He murders the competing crime bosses –  the only remaining obstacle is the DEA. He doesn’t fear death because, in the crime world, everybody eventually dies. Nobody in this game should be surprised when the “Big Dangerous” (death) arrives.

What he raps:
As I leave my competition, respirator style
Climb the ladder to success escalator style
Hold y’all breath, I told y’all — death
controls y’all, Big don’t fold y’all, uhh
I spit phrases that’ll thrill you
You’re nobody ’til somebody kills you

What he means: The Notorious B.I.G. competes by killing – he ascends to the top by removing those ahead of him. When a drug dealer dies all his accumulated wealth and power no longer belongs to him – death take everything from him. But Biggie, the rapper, doesn’t fear death because his art transcends it. Biggie’s lyrics and songs will thrill and inspire people after he dies. You can’t murder a song.

What he raps:
Uhh, uhh
Watch Casino, I’m the hip-hop version of Nicky Tarantino
Ask Nino, he know
Green with envy, the green tempts me
to make the richest enemy, and take their cheese
Take their spots, take their keys, make my faculty
live happily, ever after in laughter
Hah, never seen Cristal pour faster
And to those bastards, knuckleheads squeeze lead
Three of mine dead, nothing left to do
but tear they ass to shreds, leave em in bloodshed

What he means: Like Nicky Santoro (played by Joe Pesci) in Martin Scorsese’s Casino, the Notorious B.I.G. is always searching for ways to make money using intimidation and violence. Neither character can resist a lucrative opportunity.  By killing the other crime bosses, B.I.G. accumulates wealth and power by taking their territory, wealth and army. But taking down another drug dealer isn’t simple business – B.I.G.’s own men are killed during the process.

What he raps:
Incidents like this I take trips
Lay up in Miami with Tamika and Tammy (huh)
Some Creole C-O bitches I met on tour
Push a peach Legend Coupe, gold teeth galore
Told me meet em in the future later, they’ll take me shopping
buy me lavender and fuschia Gators
Introduce me to player haters and heavy weighters
Rich bitch shit, drinking Cristal
til they piss the shit, uhh
Thorough bitches, adapt to any borough bitches
Be in spots where they were no bitches, you feel me
Reminisce on dead friends too
You’re nobody ’til somebody kills you

What he means: Even gangsters need vacations, especially after engaging in war that leaves some of his men (friends) dead. To relax, B.I.G. vacations in South Beach with some fine ladies. Tamika and Tammy want to impress B.I.G. by buying him expensive gifts and promising more in the future. But these women are trying to steal his money. They want to gain B.I.G.’s trust, wait until he’s vulnerable, and then introduce him to some men with guns (player haters and heavy weighters) who will rob and/or kill him. The women are criminals like him but they use sex and deception as their weapon. B.I.G. certainly won’t fall for the scam – he’s too smart. He also doesn’t begrudge the women for their actions – it’s just business. He sympathizes with them. Like him, these women are involved in a violent business and have suffered the loss of dead friends.

What he raps:
You can be the shit, flash the fattest five
Have the biggest dick, but when your shell get hit
You ain’t worth spit, just a memory
Remember he, used to push the champagne Range (I remember that)
Silly cat, wore suede in the rain
Swear he put the G in game, had the Gucci frame
before Dana Dane, thought he ran with Kane
I can’t recall his name, wasn’t he that kid
that nearly lost half his brain over two grams of cocaine?
Getting his dick sucked by crack head Lorraine
A fucking shame, dude’s the lame, what’s his name?
Darkskin Jermaine, see what I mean?

What he means: In the last verse of the last song on his last recorded album, Biggie describes his alternate life had he continued dealing drugs rather than pursuing a rap career. The “Silly cat” is Biggie himself: a kid with style who wanted to be a rapper like Dana Dane and Big Daddy Kane. But in this alternate reality, Biggie stayed in the crack game and was eventually murdered. (Crack head Lorraine probably set him up but we’ll never know for sure.) That version of Biggie left no legacy to remember – people forgot his name. He would only be remembered as another young black male (“Darkskin Jermaine”) murdered on the street.

In the chorus, Biggie sings “You’re nobody, ’til somebody, kills you” which would make one think he meant you become “somebody” after if you are killed. But dying during the pursuit of money won’t make you somebody – it will make you dead.  Once you are dead, there is nothing to show for your life other than money and vague memories of the stuff you owned. Christopher Wallace created the Notorious B.I.G. character but he never became that person. He rejected the criminal life, pursued art, and became somebody worth remembering.

Scene: Louie is going on a date. He arrives at her apartment ready for an evening out.

What it means:  Louie desires a relationship but the women in Louie’s life expect him to have a real plan. Louie has no plans, only ideas about his next move in life.

Scene: As Louie waits for his date, an elderly neighbor who heard Louie screaming, opens her door. She demands that he stop screaming in the apartment hallway.  She is nude and hearing a man scream nearby makes her feel vulnerable.

What it means: Eventually Louie’s female date, along with all his future partners, will become old ladies.  Physical beauty is fleeting. The elderly woman gives Louie a preview of what will happen to his date’s body. At first this old woman’s odd coquettish behavior empowers Louie. But as he looks at this old lady’s body, he feels vulnerable. He is being judged by her. This is his fear that women are repulsed by his advances. This is why the old lady call him “pig” in different voices. Each voice represents a different woman that would reject Louie.

Scene: Louie’s date finally appears and two leave for a night out. The couple rides the subway to their destination. There is no chemistry between the two. Louie’s awkwardness begins to annoy his date. 

What it means: The two represent a married couple riding through life together. Boredom can seep into any marriage. She is bored with the way Louie looks exactly the same similar to how a wife may become bored with her husband looks. She is dissatisfied but there is nothing Louie can do. He can’t stop smiling in the same way because that’s the way he looks.

Scene: Louie offers some ideas for the night but is date isn’t satisfied with his decisions.

What it means: Louie’s partner or wife isn’t satisfied with the life he built. She wants more. She is hungry for something better than life in the village.

Scene: The couple arrives at the restaurant. The line is out the door – it would take hours to get a table. She decides to ditch the line and grab some pizza slices. The two talk about Louie’s daughters.

What it means: Louie’s entire life is about his children. This woman, however, can only appreciate Louie’s children on a superficial level. She doesn’t want to know the real details; nor does she have the same emotional connection to his daughters. Louie will always have this barrier between him and any future partner.

Scene: After dinner the two take a walk to the waterfront. Louie is still struggling to make conversation and his date is fully annoyed.

What it means: Louie understands the absurdity of courtship. But he can’t help but be attracted to women. These desires won’t lead him to happiness. His daughters give his life purpose but he must accept life without adult companionship, left alone in the world wearing a suit made for a funeral.

The Scottie Pippen to Lebron’s Michael Jordan

The Robin to Lebron’s Batman

The DJ Spinderella to Lebron’s Salt-N-Pepa