Alien (1979)

Alien (1979)

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt.

Directed By: Ridley Scott

Plot: It's the year 2122 and the commercial spacecraft Nostromo is on its way back to Earth.  Things seem to be going smoothly, when the crew suddenly wakes up from stasis midway through the trip.  According to the ship's computer, there is a distress signal coming from a nearby planet, and company regulations state that they are required to investigate it.  When they land, the crew finds an ancient alien ship full of eggs.  But before they can investigate further, one of the crew members is attacked by the contents of one of the eggs, and they immediately bring him back to the ship.  However, they soon realize that they've brought an unknown alien creature onto their ship that immediately starts to terrorize them.  Can the crew stop this seemingly unstoppable threat,  or will they all become alien chow?

The Nostromo

Characters: This film has a great cast of characters, all with unique personalities and characteristics.  They all have great chemistry with each other and the audience grows to care about them as time goes on.  It was a great idea using mostly small time actors as the main cast, since not knowing who's going to die next adds an extra layer of suspense to the film.  If they cast someone who was very famous, it would've been obvious that they wouldn't be killed.  

The crew

Tom Skerritt is very convincing as Captain Dallas.  He pulls off the loyal and hardworking nature of the character, taking command when he has to, but also listens to other people's ideas.  He wasn't the most interesting character, however, and the film could've dived a bit more into his complexities.  

"Well, I don't trust anybody."

Another notable character came from Ian Holm as Ash, the science officer.  As the most experienced member of the cast, he brings a lot of gravitas to the role, and his performance alone makes the character much more interesting.  He always has a calm and cool demeanor to his actions, and its his confidence that makes him entertaining to watch.  As soon as he's on screen, there's no doubt that he's the smartest person in the room, and he knows it.  

"I can't lie to you about your chances, but... you have my sympathies."

Finally, there's the actress who got the most attention after this film (and for good reason), Sigourney Weaver as Ripley.  At first, the audience doesn't see her as the hero, but as the film goes on, she begins to grow into her own as a character and take more responsibility.  It's great to see a strong female character in a sci-fi movie, especially one that's nearly forty years old.  She's smart, reliable, and doesn't take any crap from anybody.  It's no wonder this character became a staple of the franchise.

"You are my lucky star."

Writing: One of the things that I like about this film is that it moves at a much slower pace than other sci-fi films, such as Star Wars.  It gives the audience time to reflect on what's happening, as well as appreciate the visuals, instead of quickly jumping from scene to scene.  However, it's not so slow that it becomes boring.  The suspense, especially in the second half, makes the slower pace of the film essential.  Half of the terror that comes from every scene is knowing that the alien will show up, but not when.  The audience is at the edge of its seat for long periods of time, waiting for the inevitable moment when the unlucky crew member meets his/her fate.  It's horror at its finest.  

"Jones?"

The dialogue is also very well done, with each character sounding like a real person.  They interrupt each other, they discuss how crappy the food is, and they make small quips at each others expense.  While these moments are small and are rarely focused on, they help the characters feel more fleshed out and relatable.    

"The food ain't that bad!"

Production: If there's one thing to take away from this film, it's that it looks gorgeous.  The set design alone is beautiful to look at to say the least.  The set of the old alien ship is hauntingly magnificent, with its black curves and grooves contrasting with the white corpse.  It feels very gothic and surreal, which adds to the mysterious and organic nature of the scene.  

The alien ship

The Nostromo, on the other hand, looks very different, with a more mechanical vibe overall.  All the machines look like they were made in the 1970's, which does make the film look pretty dated nowadays, especially the computer room.  However, it also makes the ship look more practical and realistic (for the time), instead of attempting to make a future that looked too silly.  

The Nostromo interior

The look of the alien needs no introduction, as it's become even more iconic than the movie itself.  It's really fascinating to watch its life cycle throughout the film, from an egg to when it's fully grown.  Unlike some movie aliens, H.R. Giger's designs can't be classified under the categories that audiences are used to seeing.  We know the Gorn are reptiles, and we know Wookies are mammals, but the alien in this movie is unique enough to stand out in a crowd.  The suit used to capture the essence of the creaure was great, but at times it moved a bit too much like a human.  It doesn't happen often, since it's shot mostly in darkness (which really helps with the suspense), but it is very noticeable when it's more visible.  

The alien

The music is pretty good, and it does help set up the mysterious tone of the film, but it's the moments where there's no music that are really effective.  The ambient sounds in the background instead of music makes the suspense more heightened, leaving the audience waiting for the alien to suddenly pop out.     

Trivia:

• The blue lasers used in the egg chamber were borrowed from the band The Who, who were testing them next door.
• All of the names of the main characters are gender neutral, so if there was a casting change, they could use someone of a different gender without issue, though it was never considered at first to make Ripley a female.
• During the scenes with the dead alien, they filmed Ridley Scott's kids in space suits to make the prop seem bigger.
• Bolaji Badejo, who portrayed the ailen, was found in a pub by the casting directors.  At 7 feet tall, he was the perfect size for the suit, and he had to learn Tai Chi and miming in order to control his slow movements.

Final Verdict: Despite a few very minor hiccups, Alien was a masterpiece to experience.  It has memorable characters, fantastic effects, and phenomenal suspense.  It's not just a great horror movie, it's also a great science fiction movie.  By using minimalism and common horror techniques, it becomes a great fusion of the two styles.  I would highly recommend that you watch this film if your a fan of either genre, or if you're interested in film history.  Because this film deserves to be remembered as one of the great additions to cinema. 

Next time, after a tragic accident, a girl must decide whether she should stay in her incomplete life, or move on to a whole new one.

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