As a film buff there are a lot of films that have shaped my understanding of the world. There are films that have made me question what it means to be human, what it means to be a woman, and what it means just to be. Of all the films that I’ve seen there are a few that I will always come back to watch year after year and one of those happens to be Ridley Scott’s scifi/horror classic “Alien.”
Of course, I wasn’t alive when the 1979 film came out but I remembered first seeing images of the alien when I was in my early double digits. The creep factor was at a high and this was a time when I was starting to devour work by Dean Koontz and Stephen King. I was sixteen the first time I watched the film in its entirety. On a small screen as well - in my parents room watching on the second television. I tried to watch the entire film with the lights out but, as an imaginative child, I still has a soft glow from the hall light which, in retrospect, added to the dark atmosphere.
It is now the film that I teach to my seniors. We watch the film and then deconstruct the film. We analyse it and try to understand why this film, over so many others, stands the test of time. Admittedly, I enjoy watching the students reactions to the special effects and the minor jump scares. I love it when they pick up on the non diegetic heartbeat, yell at the screen when Ripley drops the cat and hightails it, and have an awkward laugh when they realise that the alien has a decidedly phallic look to it.
“Alien” is one of Scott’s best works and one of many that drew me into the world inhabited by aliens that weren’t searching for home nor overthrowing a rebellion. These aliens were deadly and perfect in their actions. The world on the ship was dark, scary, and claustrophobic. You had to watch closely in case you missed something hidden in the darkness of the Nostromo. All of this served to build the atmosphere but, most importantly, it was the casting of Sigourney Weaver as Ripley that made this film iconic.
Ripley quickly became the prototype of the tough science fiction action chick. She was no nonsense, stood her ground, and tried to do what was right. It was this nature that my students picked up on and actually complained about until they got wrapped up in the narrative. They highlighted how she was appeared cold and standoffish until the final third of the film. Ripley paved the way for Sarah Connor, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and even Katniss Everdeen. All of these iconic women from science fiction can thank Ridley Scott for casting Sigourney Weaver as our beloved Ripley.
Image from "Alien" Source
Although the film is set in space there is a grounded quality to the narrative. As I tell my students, think of it as truckers in space. The crew are not trained to deal with anything of this nature. They are there for the job and they represent the concept of the blue collar worker. Even within the crew we see the class segregation with Brett and Parker being on the bottom rung of the pay scale. There is the usual dissent between classes and even the smallest sense of power comes with a sense of entitlement. When you throw the titular alien into the mix we finally see the destruction of the class system because the alien doesn’t care whether you’re a captain or a mechanic.
The alien itself is possibly one of the most terrifying creatures that I've ever seen. Especially when you start looking into the mythos that is the xenomorph. I have had several nightmares which involve running and trying to hide from this horrifying creation. H.R. Giger sure knows how to play on people's innate fears of the unknown and macabre.
I could go on about this film, dissecting Scott’s use of sound, lighting, and setting or about the decidedly Freudian undertones of the film. Instead, I will just leave you with the knowledge that this singular film has spawned many sequels, video games, comics, novels, and more. We have crossovers and parodies and if that doesn’t tell you that the film is important I don’t know what will.
Have you seen “Alien”? What did you think? What film changed your worldview?
XJaime