Oram says he had seen the Devil

Phallic Jaw

before, when speaking to Div'Ed...what did he mean exactly? Was it a figure of speech, or what?  Just seemed really weird.

Roger55

I found more information about it from an interview to Billy Crudup, he is talking about it at 1:41

https://youtu.be/swP7OAKMDGk

Phallic Jaw

Thanks.  Very weird.  The audience would never figure that out.  It's a pointless back story that has nothing to do with anything.  So he was beaten as a child, big deal.  It's not the same as "meeting the devil", at least not literally.  Even so, for that character to see that beast and David's behavior and to draw comparisons is a little odd.  But so is much of the movie.

Tonehound

I know for a fact that any adult who was beaten and abused as a child would know exactly what the devil looks like. He does indeed come in many forms …

A big deal? I'd say so.

joylitt

Oram is a very contradictory character in the way he is depicted by the screenplay. The way he voices out his own defence when he finds opposition is very confusing.

Phallic Jaw

Sorry Tonehound I didn't mean to seem insensitive.  Of course I am not advocating child abuse in general, I meant in the context of the movie and the character of Oram.  I don't really care if that's what was said by Billy Crudup during that interview as it wasn't alluded to at all during the movie so it is of little importance.  I wouldn't have put that line in the movie to begin with as it doesn't further anything and it is totally unnecessary.  But then again I would have changed a lot of things about Oran's stupid behaviors.

hox

Phallic Jaw, I figured this out and I haven't even checked the youtube link above. I find it to be a fascinating matter. Where does evil actually come from? Oram believes it is a tangible agent (The Devil) who takes many forms. An old (religious) idea.

Can Walter do evil? I say no, regardless of any action he takes, because he was designed not to have free will. Unlike David.

SailorSaturn

I just assumed that line was placed to further connect the film to Milton's Paradise Lost and Lucifer being represented by David.

Also, I find it interesting to compare Oram and Shaw as both are believers but Shaw was credited by Weyland for it ("my father is a superstitious man") while Oram was overlooked ("they passed over me for command of this ship for being a man of faith"). 

joylitt

SailorSaturn Shaw was valued by Weyland for her faith on the Engineers, not for her faith on God.

zeppo

I found the depiction of faith to be very interesting. Shaw seemed to be very vocal about hers and really didn't get and back lash for it. But Oram got treated as if he's second class for it, being passed over for promotion etc.. so that would tie into religion being something that is looked down upon in the Alien universe.  Now i know that Alien 3 is not a ridley scott movie but the convicts all clung to their faiths as it is all they had left. Maybe something they would never do when they where free men. 

Of course we now know who created us and it wasn't god, and we created David, who thinks he's god, and david created the devil.  a very interesting philosophy to ponder.

SailorSaturn

I figured it was her faith in God, considering the "superstitious" comment. It would tie better with all the religious symbolism and would be all the more ironic if you trust that David serves as a representation of Lucifer, the "fallen angel" that yearned for love from his creator, was rejected, and sought to create on his own.