1979 in Film: Alien

I was probably 10 or 11 years old when I first had an interaction with the Alien franchise. I was at my Dad’s house when I watched Paul W.S. Anderson’s Alien vs Predator (2004) for the first time. At the time I remember thinking that the film was not that good because it wasn’t scary enough and didn’t make any sense whatsoever. I also remember the ending vividly, when it’s soon discovered that (SPOILERS!) the Predator is pregnant with an Alien (or a mutation of both?), and I thought: “Oh, there’s gonna be another one? Whatever.” To be honest, I’m surprised with my apathy towards that film back then because I wasn’t into film like I am now and I merely saw them only as a form of entertainment.

Fast-forward to 8 years later, I have become an adult and my new obsession is movies, but not only for its entertaining value, its artistic value too. By that time I realized watching 500+ movie for my lifetime wasn’t enough, so I decided that my next milestone should be to watch a 1,000 films. As the rookie I was, and with no guidance from any adult (no one in my family liked movies that much), I decided that the IMDb’s Top 250 Films list was the perfect way to start this journey.

I soon discovered that the film I watched 8 years ago had a beginning. I mean, my Dad mentioned something when we watched it, but his comments were so casual that I didn’t paid any attention (sorry Dad!). Since Alien was very high in the list and had a good rating, I decided to watch it, just out of curiosity.

“Alien was the first horror film that helped me understand that the genre is more than being intentionally scary.”

While watching it for the first time, the thing that stood out for me instantly was how serious this was compared to whatever Alien vs Predator was. Characters felt more real, the conflict was simple and well developed, and the antagonist, the big one, oh my…

Alien was the first horror film that helped me understand that the genre is more than being intentionally scary. By itself, the xenomorph, the alien creature from this film, is horrific and almost invincible, like most villains in the subsequent horror films from the 80s, or Michael Myers the year before. From the very first scene it appears (as a face-hugger) to the very last one (in full-form), the xenomorph is always in control. That’s horrible, how do you fight something that always has the upper hand just for being itself?

If you add the fact that no human has fought against this type of creature before, we have a recipe for disaster. The monster was also good at hiding, so at any moment it could appear out of nowhere and eat you out. That sense of paranoia is one of the best storytelling aspects this film has, since it’s so effectively used from the moment the xenomorph bursts out. It plays with your mind because you really don’t know what to expect.

This paranoia sensation is better put to effect three years later in John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982), but Alien did it first. This psychological terror instantly makes Alien a different horror film than most. It also uses the simple fact that humans fear the unknown by nature, and that aspect is perfectly put to use in this film.

Watch Video: Where does Alien land in our Best 50 Films of 1979?

To think that this was only Ridley Scott’s second feature film makes the film more special. A sophomore director, who’s only experience before-hand was making ads, did this incredible film. That it’s still talked about until this day and it’s considered one of the classics of the horror sci-fi genre (and both genres by themselves).

This also marked one of the first roles of the heroine of this story, Sigourney Weaver, whose Ellen Ripley is an essential part of pop culture. Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Yaphet Kotto, Ian Holm, and the greats Harry Dean Stanton and John Hurt complete this cast. They made us care for a crew that we barely knew at the beginning of the film.

The premise of this story is so simple: a space crew is returning home after a mission but are interrupted by a distress signal from unknown origin. When they went to check what happened, they ended up with more than they were bargaining. It’s a typical case of curiosity killed the cat, but later we learned this wasn’t accidental at all, giving the story the complexity it lacked from such a simple premise.

Ian Holm’s Ash is the glue that puts both parts together. Even though it was Mother (the ship’s operative system) who follows the real order from the crew’s company, Ash is the one responsible of letting the xenomorph into the ship, bringing chaos to the team. Which arises the question, who’s the real villain here? The xenomorph? Ash? The Company?

Also from 1979: Steven Spielberg’s 1941

It is in that kind of thinking process that lies the brilliance of this film. It’s not only a horror film to scare you, it’s a horror film because it makes you think of the intentions of these characters. The more you think about them, the more you realize how awful they are. There’s nothing more frightening than accepting that the truth is not beautiful.

The movie also deals with a lot of symbolism. By itself, the xenomorph represents so many aspects of real life, the most obvious one being that it represents rape. If you have the time, you can go to YouTube and find lots of great analyses from this film which aboard this theme in detail. Dan O’Bannon, who wrote the story and the screenplay for this film, has said himself that the xenomorph represents that in some way. It’s also no exclusive to sexual rape, it could also be another kind of rape, like possessing something by force without the consent of those who own it. Regardless, a burn to all rapists and abusive men everywhere has never been more obvious than in this film.

Alien also had the difficulty of following the steps of a film released two years earlier, a film many know as Star Wars (1977), which was also set in space. Unlike Star Wars though, this film was far from being a family-friendly intergalactic adventure. The only aspect these two films had in common was the setting, and for that Scott searched for the best artists out there that could emulate the realism of being in space without being there. It’s no coincidence most of the art direction crew and set decorators from both films are almost identical, since in that moment those teams were the best doing galactic settings.

“It also makes you think in the human complexity of how we react in moments of conflict.”

What Alien had that Star Wars didn’t was that dark, gothic-like aesthetic that makes Scott’s film characteristic. This part was fulfilled thanks to artist H.R. Giger, who also created the design of the xenomorph, a creature that will forever be immortalized in the Monster’s Hall of Fame (if it exists). Star Wars had John Williams creating the epic anthems that would represent a franchise forever. But Alien had Jerry Goldsmith, and he too gave us a subtle, but effective tune that will always be associated with this franchise.

Till this day, Alien has remained as one of my favorite films from all-time since I first watched it. With each re-watch my love for it keeps growing. I think I like it so much because of its complex simplicity in the story. It’s very easy to follow, but at the same time it makes you think this could happen in a near future, not necessarily with a monster like the xenomorph, but with a disease or warfare. It also makes you think in the human complexity of how we react in moments of conflict.

One thing I love from Ripley’s character is how she’s the only one of the crew that cares to follow instructions. Some people might call her a snob or even a teacher’s pet, but have everyone heard her the first time, nothing bad would have happened, except Kane’s death. As a person that’s been continuously mocked for following protocol when it’s needed, I identify myself with Ripley so much. It was very satisfying to watch that of all the characters she’s the one that survives, because she is the example that, in this kind of situations, who thinks better without being despaired, survives. For me that’s a great message and one that I will always carry with me. Like many classics before it, Alien will always be a film that will be forever remembered for generations to come.