Alien (1979)

Alien (1979)

Ridley Scott directs this sci-fi thriller set in a distant star system, which follows seven crew members of the Nostromo spacecraft as they fight against a murderous stowaway alien. This film is like watching two different television episodes back-to-back. The first half consisting of a slow build-up and a mysterious tone and the second half turning into an all-out pulse pounding thriller. 

This film starts off with an interesting title sequence which slowly shows us the film’s title while brilliantly setting up the film’s tone and the silence of space. The camera takes the viewer through the various rooms of the spacecraft that will later be used as a pseudo haunted house. The computer system, called Mother, running the craft awakens the crew who have been in a sort of hibernation to endure the long trip between galaxies. 

It’s here that the film really showcases some of it’s brilliance. The crew seems very realistic and the interactions are very believable. They are not dressed in flawless white spacesuits but more dark, dirty suits that have seen wear. The story does not revolve around any of the characters more than the others. There is no clear cut hero and everyone is shown to have flaws. This makes the second half more intense as anyone is subject to be killed. Parker (Yaphet Kotto) and Brett (Harry Dean Stanton) are engineers and are concerned with money. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) seems to be standoffish and untrusting of the others. Lambert (Veronice Cartwright) keeps to herself and is short with the others. Ash (Ian Holm) is the newest member of the crew and is not trusted as it seems he does not have the crew’s best interests in mind. Kane (John Hurt) seems to be the least flawed but are not given as much screen time to justify himself as a hero. If a main character had to be picked, it would be Dallas (Tom Skerritt), the ship’s captain, who is in direct contact with Mother. 

After intercepting a signal from an unknown origin, the crew is contractually obligated to investigate the source. After landing on an unknown planet, an alien gets aboard the spacecraft and starts killing off members of the crew. With no chance of making contact with Earth for years, the crew of the Nostromo have to fend for themselves against an alien who is seemingly unbeatable. 

The tone is really set up with the lighting. The spacecraft is well light in the first quarter of the film, while the crew is safe and preparing to investigate the signal. The planet, which is the setting for most of the second quarter of the film, is plagued by harsh winds, mist, and darkness. This adds to the mystery of the planet and the signal itself. The second half takes place on the spacecraft again but the lights are not as bright and the same halls seem much more unsettling. A sequence toward the end of the film uses a flashing emergency light to set up the panic in the situation. Ridley Scott uses the slow movement of the camera, seemingly in Steadi-Cam, in the first half to suggest the calm safe nature of the hallways in the first half. Then in the second half switches toward a handheld camera to illustrate a more frantic tone. 

The actors do a phenomenal job of setting up a frightening tone. The alien is rarely seen, and this adds to the paranoia perfectly illustrated by the actors. While some characters are heroic, others are terrified, and other try to calm the crew down. This makes the entire film seem very realistic even though it is set in outer space. Because of this realism and the low number of characters, each death seems to have more weight.

One of the things that create a sense of wonder and mystery in this film, is the sequence on the planet from which the signal came. The design of the planet and the alien itself are extremely unique. H.R. Giger designed all of this and it seems very realistic. The things the crew sees on the planet are never fully explained and this makes the tension even better. The crew never knows if the signal is an SOS or a warning. The alien itself is insanely menacing and creeps along the ship like an extraterrestrial Michael Myers.

One of the best things about this film is it’s score, or lack thereof. The quiet calm nature seems soothing, until an unstoppable alien is hiding on the spacecraft. Then the quiet nature turns into a tense, maddening silence which makes every sound a plot twist. 

This film’s slow build, pays off with a thrilling second half. The acting, directing, and cinematography keep the audience interested in the beginning and on the edge of their seat at the end. This film is a testament to not only how great sci-fi  or horror films can be but to how great films can be.