Introduction
Ridley Scott’s science fiction film, Alien: Covenant, was released in 2017 and serves both as a sequel to Prometheus (2012) and as a prequel to the original Alien (1979). Actually, the film continues trying to answer the ever-skipped questions of human existence origins, what comes with creation, and how does curiosity take us to the both find out and the risk.
So, Alien: Covenant, even though it is part of a franchise that is renowned for suspense and thrill, is still a film that tries to provoke thought about what does the human species truly seek and the possible consequences of unchecked ambition, and how delicate is creation and responsibility.
Synopsis
The film is set in the year 2104 where a colony ship, Covenant, is on a mission to set a human colony in a planet a far distance from the planet Earth. It is said that the ship carries thousands of colonists in sleep and embryos in cold storage.
After an accident which was said to have happened due to an android named Walter, the crew starts to repair the ship. While in the process of fixing the ship, a curious planet is spotted with water and what seems to have a breathable atmosphere.
Encouraged by the hope of a fresh start, the crew alters their heading to investigate. The planet looks, at first, to be a wild untouched paradise. Later, however, the crew comes across the land to the remains of a lost civilization which, more profoundly, is where the android David, first introduced in Prometheus, has chosen to dwell in solitude.
Through David, the crew learns of a more complicated obsession with creation, revealing the many exploits in which David has engaged. David has taken his ideas to the literal level. Gradually, the crew comes to the realization that the particular choice of the planet to land on has more intricacies than guidance. The crew’s aim changes from exploring the new land to surviving. This is where one of the crew’s members, also known as Daniels, and the devoted android, Walter, must pair up to fulfill the colony’s destiny.
Cast & Crew
Michael Fassbender as Walter / David
With David and Walter both being androids, Fassbender is assigned the role of both. The Walter David split is indicative of Walter’s loyalty and service as opposed to David who is ambitious and creative. The film probes deeply into the duality of their characters.
Katherine Waterston as Daniels
Daniels is a brave member of the crew who, despite the odds, manages to show leaps in her leadership qualities.
Billy Crudup as Oram
Oram is a character who assumes the role of the acting captain of the Covenant. His character is an avatar who portrays realistic leadership and the decision making that is contingent to critical thinking that one must undergo under a range of dramatic and dynamic circumstances.
McBride as Tennessee
McBride’s versatile ability to add both soul and comic relief to the group interaction is clearly displayed during his performance as the pilot of the ship.
Supporting Cast
The diverse portrayals of human response to exploration and uncertainty from Carmen Ejogo, Demian Bichir, Jussie Smollett, and others enhance the ensemble from a multitude of angles.
Ridley Scott (Director)
Scott’s ability to interpose profoundly intimate, philosophical inquiries with captivating, large-scale landscapes is one of his long-standing traditions of blending spectacle mentality with visually deeper meaning.
Along with John Logan, Dante Harper, and composer Jed Kurzel who’s music matched visuals with wondrous yet tense shifts, crafted the screenplay.
Themes and Messages
- Creation and Responsibility
One of the film’s strongest themes is creation. Through David’s experiments and Walter’s loyalty, the film dives into the act of creating and the heavy burden that comes along with such power.
- Leadership and Decision Making
The Captain Oram’s character is an embodiment of the heavy burden that comes with making choices that many lives hinge on, which showcases the weight of leadership and the consequences that follow the decisions made during uncertainty.
- Curiosity and Discovery
The story illustrates both the risks and beauty that comes with being a Captain of a ship.
- Alkaid & Enceladus: Fusionism
Walther and David illustrate opposing elements of creation: the chain versus the solo, the parent versus the child. They highlight how progress can correlate to both greatness and great risk at the same time.
- Courage And Possibility
Courage and possibility is symbolized through Daniels. At the very mist of conflict, she persists and reminds us of how exhibitors are capable of advancing.
Style and Visuals
Scott has ambitiously directed Alien: Covenant to the point where it is not just a movie, but a piece of art. The every single landscape: the mountains, the forests, and the ruins, are beautifully and meticulously illustrated to give a sense of awe for theuser.
The visual part of the movie is like a piece of art as if every single slide is specially made to fascinate the user. The spaceship, the androids as well as other pieces of technology are made and designed in a creative manner, like the the whole movie, balances both real and imaginary elements. The cinemtoaphy of the movie, balances wide breathtaking scenes with intimate close distance views to give the perfect balance of macro and micro to the user.
The haunting and soft tones, as masterfully directed by Jed Kurzel’s, balances the whole movie’s feeling of wonder with caution, just as the rest of the visual storytelling.
Reception
Both the critics and audiences had mixed reactions to the film. While Katherine Waterston’s was applauded for her strong and engaging lead role, myoghie Fassbender’s performance alongside her was also recognized, as he captured the duality of both Walter and David in a single role.
The landscapes and production design caught the attention of the viewers and they particularly appreciated the visual richness of the film. Some viewers pointed out that it integrated the thoughtful aspects of Prometheus with the more suspenseful components of the earlier Alien films. Others appreciated the questions it brought to the surface even if they considered the tempo of the film to be slow.
In any case, the audiences considered the film to be an ambitious installment to the ongoing franchise, providing spectacle that was both exciting and thoughtful.
Cultural Relevance
Perhaps the most apparent of themes Alien: Covenant tackles is that of science and it’s relation to the present and the future, was the case of Walter and David and the artificial intelligence. The film serves to comment that the absence of curiosity is a great void that the human nature possesses, and in turn, it is also a void that is lacking from the Alien: Covenant film. The franchise’s custom of using science fiction to reflect on profound human issues is carried on in the film with questions of Alien: Covenant with respect to creation, leadership, and self preservation.
Conclusion
The film Alien: Covenant, is more than just a science fiction thriller, it also explores the ideas of creation as well as identity, and the choices that we make which define us. The film is a great spectacle as the actors put on mesmerizing performances and the themes presented in the film encourages audiences to reflect on the ideas presented, whilst being entertained.
Ridley Scott continues to explore and answer questions left over from the previous encounter the audience had with the Engineer in the slightly later Prometheus on the time line in the series, along with questions of his own , and because of this revisits elements of mystery and philosophy, along with the spectacle. This blend of elements makes it stand out within the Alien series. Not only Scott, but also the audience, are left and burdened with questions relating to the problems of humanity from curiosity to accountability, and the personal attributes and character of people.
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