Creature Feature: Alien
Ellen Ripley dealing with mansplaining and xenomorphs in Alien.
In space, no one can hear you scream (or explain protocol, if you’re a woman).
What’s Alien About?
When the commercial spaceship Nostromo catches a distress call, the ship’s computer wakes its crew from stasis pods and gives them a mission. They’re required to check out any potential distress calls by their employer, so the Nostromo crew sets out to find the source of the transmission.
The crew comes back from their investigation with an extra passenger — a creature that has grafted itself to executive officer Kane’s (John Hurt) face.
The team is desperate to get Kane inside and to the medical bay, but Warrant Officer Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) refuses them entry, citing the quarantine policies when they contact alien life. She’s overridden, and Kane is ushered into the medical bay.
Within a few days, Kane is dead and a creature is unleashed on the Nostromo, hunting the remaining crew. Can the crew find the alien and stop it? More importantly, can Ripley resist saying “I told you so”?
Is the Creature Cool?
The creature isn’t cool, it’s iconic.
Alien writer Dan O’Bannon suggested that director Ridley Scott look at the artwork of H. R. Giger for inspiration on the design of the alien. Though the studio was afraid Giger’s work was too extreme and disturbing for audiences, Scott and O’Bannon pushed for the Swiss artist to design the creature.
They were right. Giger not only created the face hugger and xenomorph which have become legendary horror movie creatures, but he was also contracted to work on production design for the entire film. The results were a brilliant and cohesive look to Alien that is so singular even people who’ve never seen an Alien movie can recognize Giger’s cinematic work.
What Makes Alien Good?
Alien is the perfect storm of atmosphere, storytelling, and performance. Scott managed to cobble together a brilliant horror film that has transcended the genre and is considered a cinematic classic. The movie was so beloved it even earned a slot in the family-friendly The Great Movie Ride in Disney World. And you know Mickey wouldn’t give a Xenomorph the time of day if it wasn’t profitable.
Scott’s film is a cultural touchstone because it’s an example of just how powerful filmmaking can be. Scott is an excellent director, who loves to build worlds and characters. Giger helped Scott craft a world that’s genuinely memorable with sets that are vaguely sexual and threatening all in one breath.
As for the characters, Scott efficiently establishes the characters, giving the audience a sense of who they are and the dynamic of the crew. It’s also an interesting take on space travel – taking the marvel from it and making it feel…mundane. The crew of the Nostromo aren’t intrepid explorers, they’re space truckers, and they’re pissed when they’re woken from stasis to deal with some random transmission.
By making space travel ordinary, Scott emphasizes the threat that the alien poses. If this crew, who barely blink when performing spacewalks, is terrified, the xenomorph and face huggers must be a real threat. Scott also builds tension via the setting. A spaceship is, by definition, a closed location. You can’t run out the door to hide. It’s the perfect haunted house. Scott also keeps eagle-eyed viewers on their toes by having the xenomorph visible in the background of certain shots. The next time you watch, keep your eyes peeled — those backgrounds are scarier than you may have first thought.
The other reason Alien is a stone-cold classic is the character of Ellen Ripley. Scott, and Weaver, offer up one of the most singular and competent final girls ever put to film. Ripley is tough, resourceful, and would have likely saved the whole crew if anyone had listened to her when she refused to let Kane onto the ship.
But even when the threat is present, Ripley has a plan. She keeps a cool head, offers up a plan, and is ready to fight when she needs to. There’s a reason Ripley is the centerpiece of the franchise, let alone a great symbol for female heroes in pop culture. Plus, she goes back to save the cat, and we all know anyone who saves the pet in a horror movie is an absolute legend.
Verdict
It’s unlikely that you haven’t seen Alien, but if you haven’t — what on earth are you waiting for? It’s a creepy classic with an unbeatable monster.
