Summary
- Even after 45 years and various sequels, Ridley Scott’s original Alien not only remains the best of the franchise, but also one of the best sci-fi horror movies of all-time.
- The movie’s pace remains superb as it steadily builds tension by leaving the xenomorph off the screen for most of the film and instead focuses on the growing fear of its characters.
- Scott’s dedication to practical effects combined with some haunting designs by H.R. Giger also makes for some unforgettably haunting visuals.
Long before he explored the world of the Roman Empire or chronicled the unbelievable true story of J. Paul Getty’s grandson’s kidnapping, Ridley Scott made arguably his biggest splash onscreen with 1979’s Alien. Based on a story concept by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett, the sci-fi horror film focuses on the crew of the Nostromo, seven people aboard a commercial spaceship who are awakened from cryosleep to investigate a distress call in the middle of nowhere. The group subsequently discover alien eggs, leading to the birth of the deadly xenomorph, which hunts them down one by one aboard the ship.
Led by Sigourney Weaver in her breakthrough role as Nostromo‘s warrant officer Ellen Ripley, Alien may not have been acclaimed at the time, but has since gone on to be considered a classic of the genre. Its financial success also launched a whole franchise of sequels, prequels and two crossovers with the Predator franchise. With the latest installment in the franchise, Alien: Romulus, now released, I found myself drawn to revisit Scott’s original and, even after 45 years, it proves to endure as a timeless classic of the genre.
Alien’s Story May Be Simple, But Remains Effective As Ever
While it may have since gone on to become a convoluted mess of intersecting timelines and multiple species, the original Alien‘s story takes a very minimalist, straightforward approach to its characters and future world. The first third of the film nicely takes its time to introduce us to the movie’s unique cast of characters, properly balancing all seven characters to establish an emotional connection to them before they’re faced with the terrors to come.
Where Alien stands apart from its genre compatriots, though, is in its steadily growing approach to its terror and worldbuilding.
At the time, the horror genre was not only enjoying a resurgence, but also seeing a variety of approaches to story structures, whether it was the similarly straightforward Halloween or the more thought-provoking The Exorcist. Where Alien stands apart from its genre compatriots, though, is in its steadily growing approach to its terror and worldbuilding. With a far-future setting, it could have been easy for O’Bannon and Shusett to get bogged down with explaining the technology to us. They instead find an interesting balance between the technology of the time and their vision of the future.
Another major story element that still holds up after years of revisits is the reveal of Ian Holm’s Ash being a synthetic human who turns on Ripley in an attempt to follow his orders and return the xenomorph to Weyland-Yutani on Earth. Unlike many other depictions of artificial humans, Holm infuses plenty of life and personality into Ash so that this twist properly feels like it comes out of left field, raising the stakes for Ripley and her friends. It also nicely layers in subtle themes of corporate greed, evidenced by Parker and Brett’s frequent concerns about not being paid.
Alien’s Dedication To Practical Effects Is Still Haunting
With the same budget size as Star Wars, Ridley Scott, with the recommendation of O’Bannon, teamed up with Swiss artist H.R. Giger, concept artists Ron Cobb and Chris Foss to craft the unique look and feel of the world of Alien, and so much of it not only holds up, but also looks better than many other modern movies. The actual designs of every set feel so thoroughly thought-out and intricate, establishing meaningful functions for every setting and device that truly immerses us in the isolated setting of the far-future.
The design of the xenomorph, in particular, is part of why Alien remains such a beautiful film to watch.
More importantly, Alien‘s practical effects hold up remarkably well after 45 years, even without any actual CGI updates with subsequent releases. Where George Lucas infamously updated his original Star Wars trilogy with modern visual effects (to the dismay of fans), Scott has left the practical effects of the original movie intact over the years, clearly having faith in how they hold the test of time — and for good reason. The iconic scene of Kane’s chestburster is still haunting to watch, thanks both to John Hurt’s committed performance and the effects themselves.
The design of the xenomorph, in particular, is part of why Alien remains such a beautiful film to watch. Also created by Giger with Italian special effects designer Carlo Rambaldi, audiences may only get rare glimpses of the xenomorph, but its slick design proves effective for hiding it throughout the Nostromo, leading to some of the movie’s more exciting shocks, namely when it surprises Ripley during her escape.
Ridley Scott Smartly Follows The Rule Of Less Is More
While the xenomorph may be a fascinating entity to look at, Scott ultimately stuck to one of the best rules of storytelling in that less is more, and keeps the titular creature offscreen for much of Alien. In a similar vein to Steven Spielberg’s Jaws earlier that year, Scott instead sought to create fear with the feeling of the unknown and tension through the unseen. By leaving the xenomorph offscreen for most of the film, it invites curiosity as to its actual appearance, and a wonder as to where it’s hiding and who may be its next victim.
The sequels may ultimately vary in quality and tone, with James Cameron’s Aliens taking a more action-driven approach to its story, but Scott’s Alien arguably remains the standout winner of the franchise. Between the steadily rising tension, haunting visual and creature designs, some excellent performances from its cast, especially Weaver, and a subtle-yet-chilling score from Jerry Goldsmith, the sci-fi horror film certainly holds the test of time after 45 years. With Alien: Romulus bringing the franchise back to its roots, one can hope future filmmakers continue to learn the right lessons from Scott’s original.
5.0
Alien, directed by Ridley Scott, is a science fiction horror film that follows the crew of the commercial spacecraft Nostromo. Upon investigating a distress signal on a distant moon, they discover a deadly extraterrestrial lifeform. The film stars Sigourney Weaver as Ripley and became a seminal work in both the sci-fi and horror genres, known for its atmospheric tension and groundbreaking visual effects.
- The worldbuilding is intricate yet meted out effectively in small chunks.
- Sigourney Weaver delivers an absolute powerhouse performance in her breakthrough role.
- Ridley Scott’s direction is both beautiful and haunting.
- Keeping the xenomorph offscreen not only builds tension, but also makes its appearances all the more terrifying.