--Ash, Alien
"This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off."
--Ellen Ripley, Alien
Alien deserves its reputation as an iconic science fiction horror tale due to the quality of its acting and pacing. The first half revels in its slow burn drama, while the second half focuses on the horror elements that the plot forces into the spotlight. Alien is practically a science fiction slasher film. It's very appropriate that the movie emphasizes the isolation of its characters from earth, since Alien is entirely self-contained, having no inherent need for the sequels that followed in order to convey its whole story. In this regard, its story stands out quite plainly from the style of storytelling that is so prevalent and popular in cinema today.
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Production Values
Alien relies on a steady development of tension for its horror elements, not on the rapid jump scares that so many contemporary horror movies do. The alien itself only rarely appears onscreen, though its appearances are used to great effect, since the anticipation of what might happen next is what provides the suspense. Considering that Alien is a product of 1979, the titular creature looks phenomenal! The practical effects for the alien still look great. The sets (particularly when lights are fluctuating) have a look that alienates them--I had to use that word--from the modern era, but they accomplish everything they need to. As for the acting, Sigourney Weaver proved an excellent choice for Ellen Ripley. The nature of the script does not allow for significant emotional changes in the characters, but Weaver has opportunities to display firmness, ingenuity, vulnerability, and resolve, and she nails all of them. Fittingly, the final 20 minutes of the movie belong to her. Though Alien is certainly Ripley's movie, the other cast members also bring realistic performances, complementing Weaver's own acting.
Story
(Spoilers!)
The seven crew members of a commercial ship called the Nostromo wake up from stasis sleep on a voyage to earth, the ship's computer (called Mother) stirring them because it received a transmission. The Nostromo is still months from earth, and if the crew neglects to investigate the source of the message, it might forfeit all of its pay. The group decides to search the region the signal originated from, three of its members entering a seemingly abandoned alien vessel on a foreign planet.
Kane, one of the three who ventured out onto the planet, is attacked by an organism that attaches itself to his face for a prolonged period of time, even after he is returned to the interior of the Nostromo. The facehugger releases itself and dies, but a new creature erupts out of Kane's torso, scurrying away almost immediately. It rapidly grows into a large, malevolent being.
During the following period of uncertainty and panic, the science officer, Ash, attacks fellow crew member Ellen Ripley. Ash is overpowered and killed, but turns out to be an android sent by the ship's company. Ripley plans to activate the Nostromo's self-destruct system and escape in a smaller craft, and she does manage to leave. However, the alien boarded her escape vessel. Without any other plan to defeat the creature, Ripley dons a spacesuit, slowly straps herself into a chair, and opens the air lock. The alien is pulled out into space, but the scene is not the last time that the species would make an appearance in cinema.
Intellectual Content
Alien, unlike some of its siblings (such as Prometheus), does not have any particular conceptual themes at the forefront of the story. It falls to the most recent series entries to illuminate the philosophical ideas at the heart of the franchise's general plot.
Conclusion
For modern moviegoers, Alien offers a self-sufficient narrative that particularly stands out in an age of cinematic universes. While Alien did spawn a rather extensive franchise that includes a two-part crossover with the Predator series, it stands on its own, unique and complete. This is one of the aspects of it that I admire the most! It will almost certainly appeal to those who enjoy horror films that do not rush to show the monster, explain every detail of the story, or have the objective of setting up sequels.
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Content:
1. Violence: While the violence is mostly kept at a minimum, there are scenes with relatively graphic moments. In one, the titular alien erupts out of a man's chest, and in another an android is torn open.
2. Profanity: Ripley uses variations of "fuck."
3. Nudity: Part of Ripley's buttocks are visible in one scene.
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