Alien
Rating: 5/5
By: Nathaniel Simpson
Aliens and other extraterrestrial life forms have been a major talk amongst the world for years now, with millions of people wondering if we are truly alone in this world. While there have been many debates about if aliens exist or not, they have spent decades terrifying people on the silver screen, showing how these life forms may be more dangerous than we have ever imagined. Perhaps one of the best, and definitely one of the most famous, depictions of these alien life forms occurs in Ridley Scott's 1979 film Alien, one that helps change the landscape of sci-fi horror forever.
The film follows the crew of the ship Nostromo - Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt), Executive Officer Kane (John Hurt), Warrant Officer Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), Navigator Lambert (Veronica Cartwright), Science Officer Ash (Ian Holm), and engineers Parker (Yaphet Kotto) and Brett (Harry Dean Stanton). They are awoken from their hypersleep by a signal sent to them from a nearby moon, which they have to check out according to their company policy. What they find is some sort of alien life form, with a large hole in its torso. What they don't expect is for one of the foreign life forms to board their ship, and won't stop until they have eliminated everyone on board the Nostromo.
Aliens and life forms from space have scared audiences years prior to the release of Scott's film, but I think this is the movie that really shook audiences to their core. Not only is the Xenomorph absolutely terrifying when he graces the screen, but the fact that Scott shoots this entire film in the small space of the ship gives it a more claustrophobic and helpless feel for the viewer. I mean, our heroes are trapped in this small ship with a deadly alien that can pop out at any second, and the viewer is on the edge of their seat, with their fingers over their eyes waiting for it.
I think this is evident in the truly fantastic scene involving the chestburster. Now, it's an iconic scene that has been parodied and done multiple times since the release of this film. But, for the moviegoers seeing it for the very first time in the dark cinema, I'm sure it was absolutely terrifying and a great shock to those watching. Who would've expected a small alien to break out of someone's chest, killing him instantly? I think this is part of the genius that Scott exhibits on this film, subverting the audience's expectations and then surprising them when they least expect it; that's what makes this film work so well, and allows it to hold up over time.
For 1979, the graphics and cinematography is done very well, relying on more prosthetics and practical effects than CGI to make these aliens look real. They didn't really have the graphics or effects available at the time, so they had to figure out how to make this such a terrifying film without it looking cheesy; I think they did a fantastic job. Some of the shots from this film are still terrifying to this day, and look better than some of the CGI filmmakers are using in their films. Scott really crafted this film to feel very real and haunt the dreams of those who watch it. If he was trying to make the viewer absolutely terrified of space and the unknown, he definitely succeeded.
The acting from the ensemble cast is great as well, especially that of Weaver. I mean, come on, she plays Ripley, one of the most famous, badass female sci-fi protagonists. She shows why she is considered one of the best here, and gives such a damn good performance going up against this terrifying alien. At the same time, I think the rest of the cast really does a good job of showing how terrified they are when the alien boards the ship, as well as having great chemistry with Weaver. Some of the tense moments between the crew members feel painfully real, and not like something that is being acted out. I especially want to mention Holm's incredible performance as Ash, as his character takes a real turn in the latter half of the movie. I don't want to spoil anything in case you haven't seen this sci-fi masterpiece, but he is truly incredible in the scenes he is prominent in.
It's amazing when films from decades ago still hold up today, and Alien is a major example of that. I wish I lived during the time this movie came out because I would have loved to see this terrifying film in the theaters for the first time, and observer the reactions of the audience around me. Scott opened the door for more sci-fi horror films, and Alien is one of the best movies to represent this sub-genre as a whole.
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