Classic 70s Movie: “Alien”
September is Classic 70s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Jacob Holmes-Brown.
Movie Title: Alien
Year: 1979
Writers: Officially: Dan O’Bannon (Screenplay) & Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett (Story). Unofficially: Walter Hill and David Giler (Screenplay) & Dan O’Bannon (Story)
Lead Actors: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt,
Director: Ridley Scott
IMDB Plot Summary: The commercial vessel Nostromo receives a distress call from an unexplored planet. After searching for survivors, the crew head home only to realise that a deadly bioform has joined them.
Why I Think This Is A Classic 70s Movie: Whilst I would have difficulty pointing to anything particularly “70’s” about the movie, Alien, is an obvious classic; watching the film 35 years later and it has barely aged. It’s influence on sci-fi since is obvious.
Instead of waxing lyrical about how Alien is Ridley Scott at the top of his game, I’d rather talk about how it feels to experience the film.
The film opens quietly and free of humans, we see the vastness of space and then the enormous exterior of the Nostromo before cutting inside to a maze-like, artificial environment, made up of interface screens and flashing lights. We are alone out here, protected only by a computer and our own ingenuity. The sense of unease builds from the eerie opening moments of the slow reveal of the title and only intensifies at each stage. There is an incredible sense of foreboding as the crew discover the abandoned alien ship, in Kane’s attack by the face hugger and the subsequent infection of the ship. Even when the “action” begins in hunting for the alien aboard the Nostromo characters become isolated and we are forced to slowly navigate the darkness with them, accompanied only by that terrifying beeping signal indicating the proximity of the alien.
From a screenwriting perspective Alien is an interesting case study. The alien presence is not given any indication or screen time until almost the half and hour mark. Similarly Ripley spend the majority of the first half with no more screen time than any other character. Yet, this restraint is what allows Alien to really work in my opinion. We are allowed the time to see how the crew interact, their hierarchies and the functions of the ship, so that when the real horror begins (with the unleashing of the alien on board the Nostromo) we know exactly where we stand, or more accurately, just how damned we are.
My Favorite Moment In The Movie: One of my favourite moments of the film is in the initial exploration of “SOS” signal, when the crew come across the alien ship. Scott plays beautifully with scale, so tiny are our crew against the enormity of the downed craft that all we see are tiny lights moving up a path. This scale also comes into play in the interior:
I love how Alien just piles mysteries on top of mysteries. The actual plot of the film only centres on the survival of the crew against the alien creature but beyond that the world is so rich.
This scene is a perfect example of how much information is given and yet how little of this is relevant to the plot. The hole in the ‘space jockey’s’ chest is foreshadowing of the chest burster scene to come but nothing else will impact the film or indeed be explained (until Prometheus came along). It does contribute something very eerie to the film though. That these ‘space jockey’s’ were twice the size of us humans and still overcome by the alien. That through our hubris the cycle will repeat itself and that maybe it would be the Nostromo to one day be discovered on a deserted planet.
This is, I believe, part of the reason why Alien has become such a seminal film: it has invited constant re-exploration.
My Favorite Dialogue In the Movie: Early on Ripley starts to distinguish herself from the rest of the crew by providing a voice of dissent. I also love how sinister Ash is right from the beginning, the reasons for his detachment only revealed later in the film.
Ripley: Ash, that transmission… Mother’s deciphered part of it. It doesn’t look like an S.O.S.
Ash: What is it, then?
Ripley: Well, I… it looks like a warning. I’m gonna go out after them.
Ash: What’s the point? I mean by the, the time it takes to get there, you’ll… they’ll know if it’s a warning or not, yes?
Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie: How subtly Ripley takes charge of the situation. She provides the most astute suggestions and asks the most pertinent questions. It is by very small increments that we focus on her and rely on her as our greatest hope for making it out alive.
On the aural front, just listen to Jerry Goldsmith’s fantastic score and the amazing sound design and see just how much it is contributing to that horrible feeling and ever present sense of unease.
Is Alien a horror film or a sci-fi?
At the core of the film is a classic science fiction concept: the hubris of man and the willingness to sacrifice humanity for scientific gain and power. However, I would suggest that whilst these bring an additional layer to the film, Alien, is essentially a “monster in the house” story: a group or character must survive and vanquish a creature. I feel that the film relies much more on the atmosphere and sense of dread that arise (as characteristic of a horror) rather than a philosophical examination of the above theme. But it is a fun discussion and a good case could be made for either (or both!).
Thanks, Jacob! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!
We already have a set of 80s Movies and 90s Movies. This month, we’re working on 70s Movies.
Thanks to all of you for your participation in this project, creating a resource for writers, movies we should all watch to help learn the craft of screenwriting!
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