ALIEN
1979

Creatures from outer space are questionably monsters – how do you feel about E.T. (definitely)? Aliens, however, being unknown things easily constitute “the other” which is something generally fearful and hence may easily fit into the concept of “monsters”.

Science fiction films are often noted for their emphasis on technology and gadgetry although a number of such films (like The Thing) are virtually devoid of any of that. Alien is on the other hand a technological film. In its set and sound design the film extreme interesting.

At the same time it is important to remember that horror films often share a great deal of overlapping turf with science fiction. Science fiction films are often held to involve some great threat to humanity as in War of the Worlds (1953) (not the inane – I am being kind here - 2005 film which is a threat to the sanity of the people of the world in general). In many cases, like this one, and to some extent The Thing from Another World, the actual threat is rather restricted to a closed group of people giving it something in common with a certain kind of murder mystery (And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, etc,). Horror films generally deal with the eruption of something repressed and is far more person an individual than world wide. Never the less, the two often cross into each others “turf” and several people have told me they think of Alien as a horror film rather than science fiction (a neat solution might be to put it neatly in the category/genre of “monster movie!”

The creature is designed by Swiss surrealist Hans. Rudi. Giger (pronounced gee - ger first syllable rhymes with "see"), for which he shared the 1980 Oscar for Best Effects, Visual Effects. He is known for his book Necronomicon. His work often has a “nightmare-ish quality about it.

Without a doubt, Alien owes a debt to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) which has been readily admitted to by Ridley Scott, the director. What is not generally acknowledged is the films debt to a relatively unknown film called It the Terror from Beyond Space (1958). in which a space ship returns from outer space with only the captain left alive, all of the crew having been killed by an alien which has snuck on board. People do not believe the captain’s story. The parallels with Alien and the films that followed: Aliens (1986), Aliens3 (1992) and Alien Resurrection (1997) (enough already!) are clear – or will be.

With this film as we pick up the track of the “monsters from outer space”, it becomes necessary we re-think the question of what the Alien represents. In the past communism and foreigners were good choices but by 1979 they were not all that interesting any more. One suspects that one may have to look elsewhere for the “referent” for the alien.

AFTER THE FILM

The opening titles suggested intelligence to Ridley Scott. He felt they were sort of hieroglyphic and hence implied intelligence. Be that as it may, the opening establishing shots of a space ship going through the vast void of space, establish both the place and mood of the film – rather empty and desolate an isolated.

The “close ups” of the huge ship (reminiscent certainly of 2001 give a sense of scale to the viewer. Despite the tag line “no one can hear you scream in space”, we certainly can hear the engines.

We are introduced to the crew as the members wake, relatively undressed, in their “pods” very much like a birth sequence. The crew rouses itself and goes and eats.

Dalls goes and talks to the computer whom one addresses as “Mother” (not HAL). (compare James Bond)

The Alien films of the 50’s are generally analyzed relative to their time with the idea that the Aliens represent the communist menace.

What are the possibilities here – some are clearly on a textual level.

Alien however, brings about a change in this and the monster is now tied to two different concepts – the first is to approach capitalism (big business) as the bad guy (but not really the monster). Just what it is that the monster represents is more subtextual.

The idea of “The Corporation” as “The Ultimate Evil” is evident and obvious – too obvious to be considered sub-textual. People can be sacrificed for profits (ho-hum) and a super duper robot represents “The Corportation” and its interests.

The Corporation also seems almost militaristic in the idea that the alien could be a weapon (see Outbreak)

Sexuality.

The sets and sounds of the film have an organic feel to them. The ship itself with pipes and ducts (like varies body canals) parallel nicely the body and it is dangerous.

The Creature itself appears phallic and ruptures out of Kane as a great indication of the eruption of the repressed, so that the question which appears almost immediately has to do with gender and sex.

Although 28 years have passed since The Thing from Another World arrived at the North Pole, people are still having sex and worrying about it.. The concepts of sex and gender are forming up – sex tending to be biological, while gender is cultural. Sex might be defined by the possession of certain genitalia, while gender is a set of behaviors associated with the status male or female. The growing feeling that biology is not destiny was (and is) growing although there are many arguments from scientists that things are not as simple as they seem and it isn’t just a percentage of this and a percentage of that.

The set of relationships

male	man	masculinity	virility
female	woman	feminity	?

begin to indicate some of the deconstructionist and constructionist approaches to the problem. Do some/all cultures define masculinity in terms of virility?

Keep in mind that this is only one way to analyze films: we have looked at constructionist and decronstructionist appraoches as well as structural analysis (binarary oppositions) and hermeneutic approaches using signs, symbols and images to arive at a conclusion.

The film certain deals with a woman (Ellen Ripley (believe it or not?)) a strong by the book officer on a space ship captained by a man named Dallas (sometimes a woman’s name bit also associated with Texas, oil – and for some cattle and cowboys).

In what ways do the set and sound design enhance this? The sets make the mechanical close to the bady with tubs, canals and irising eyelike doorways, The planet is simlarly body like.

Like The Thing, Reproduction is unemotional. The idea of insertion into the body and down the throat (non reproductive sex usually) Note also the phallic appearance of the alien.

. Notice Ripley’s change from “by the book” don’t let Kane back in without quarantining him to very emotional running to save the cat (Compare Blade Runner where cyborgs develop some sense of humanity in not killing the protagonost).

In a peculiar sense the body as the locus or site of horror. The latter seems connected with the reassertion of STDs – namely AIDS, but it seems clear that many films now are interested in people’s bodies being destroyed and demolished in most graphic ways which was not previously the case. In some sense, the body in dangerous – it can become ill, it can be wounded and in some sense is involved in the biological determination of roles, while the culture is dutifully rejecting that idea. In a sense the body is rejected or seen as something which is restrictive. It is interesting that it is at this same time there is an increase in tattooing, scarification, and other forms of body modification/mutilations.