Narrative technique · used in 1 film

Nested Creator Hierarchy

Stacking layers of makers and made, such as gods, humans and machines, so each creation questions the one above it. The film asks what a maker owes what it makes.

Examples

Where you can see it

  1. Prometheus (2012) poster

    Prometheus

    Ridley Scott · 2012

    An Engineer sacrifices itself to seed life, humans find the Engineers, and humans have built David in their own image. Each group wants answers from the one above it. Weyland wants the Engineers to fix his age, and David watches his makers with little respect. Scott compared the Engineers to the fallen angels of Paradise Lost.

    Where to see it: The waking Engineer: David speaks to the surviving Engineer in Proto-Indo-European and explains Weyland's request. The Engineer kills Weyland and his companions.

Questions

Quick answers

What is nested creator hierarchy in film?
Stacking layers of makers and made, such as gods, humans and machines, so each creation questions the one above it. The film asks what a maker owes what it makes.
Which films use nested creator hierarchy?
Prometheus (2012).
What kind of technique is nested creator hierarchy?
It is a narrative technique. Related narrative techniques include Machine Learning as Arc, Symbolic Object, Observational Restraint.

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