Great Scene: “Alien”
Scenes that totally surprise a viewer — those can be great scenes. And memorable. I still remember when I watched Alien in a theater, leaping out of my seat when I first experienced this scene. I’ve included the preceding bit of business to warm you up.
INT. MESS
The entire crew is seated.
Hungrily swallowing huge portions of artificial food.
The cat eats from a dish on the table.
KANE
First thing I’m going to do when
we get back is eat some decent
food.
PARKER
I’ve had worse than this, but
I’ve had better too, if you know
what I mean.
LAMBERT
Christ, you’re pounding down this
stuff like there’s no tomorrow.
Pause.
PARKER
I mean I like it.
KANE
No kidding.
PARKER
Yeah. It grows on you.
KANE
It should. You know what they
make this stuff out of…
PARKER
I know what they make it out of.
So what. It’s food now. You’re
eating it.
Suddenly Kane grimaces.
RIPLEY
What’s wrong.
Kane’s voice strains.
LAMBERT
What’s the matter.
KANE
I don’t know… I’m getting cramps.
The others stare at him in alarm.
Suddenly he makes a loud groaning noise.
Clutches the edge of the table with his hands.
Knuckles whitening.
ASH
Breathe deeply.
Kane screams.
KANE
Oh God, it hurts so bad.
It hurts. It hurts.
(stands up)
Ooooooh.
BRETT
What is it. What hurts.
Kane’s face screws into a mask of agony.
He falls back into his chair.
KANE
Ohmygooaaaahh.
A red stain.
Then a smear of blood blossoms on his chest.
The fabric of his shirt is ripped apart.
A small head the size of a man’s fist pushes out.
The crew shouts in panic.
Leap back from the table.
The cat spits, bolts away.
The tiny head lunges forward.
Comes spurting out of Kane’s chest trailing a thick body.
Splatters fluids and blood in its wake.
Lands in the middle of the dishes and food.
Wriggles away while the crew scatters.
Then the Alien being disappears from sight.
Kane lies slumped in his chair.
Very dead.
A huge hole in his chest.
The dishes are scattered.
Food covered with blood.
LAMBERT
No, no, no, no, no.
BRETT
What was that. What the Christ
was that.
PARKER
It was growing in him the whole
time and he didn’t even know it.
ASH
It used him for an incubator.
RIPLEY
That means we’ve got another
one.
DALLAS
Yeah. And it’s loose on the
ship.
Slowly they gather around Kane’s gutted corpse.
Then they all look at one another.
Then at Kane.
Dead on the table.
We’ve noted the writing style of Walter Hill here, here, and here. Although the movie’s official writing credits are “screenplay by Dan O’Bannon, story by Dan O’Bannon and Ron Shusett,” David Giler and Walter Hill contributed to the script and they both received a producer credit. Hill’s writing style is unmistakable and it’s in evidence here.
Just to be clear, while the above version of the scene’s writing style (scene description) may reflect something of Walter Hill’s influence, the scene’s concept and content originate from Dan O’Bannon’s initial draft of the script. That is made abundantly clear when you compare to O’Bannon’s version here:
INTERIOR — MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM
The entire crew is seated around the table, eating huge portions
greedily. The cat eats from a dish on the table.
HUNTER
Boy do I feel a lot better. It’s a
straight shot back to the Colonies,
and then we can start taking bids on
the paydirt. Any bets on the top
bid?
FAUST
(chewing)
Well, we should at least be able to
each buy our own planet.
They all CHUCKLE.
MELKONIS
I’m going to write a book about this
expedition. I’m going to call it
“The Snark Log.”
STANDARD
(stiffly)
The commander normally has first
publication rights.
MELKONIS
Maybe we could write it together.
ROBY
First thing I’m going to do when we
get back is eat some biological
food.
MELKONIS
What’s the matter, you don’t like
this stuff?
ROBY
Tastes like something you’d feed a
chicken to make it lay more eggs.
STANDARD
Oh it’s okay. I’ve had better cag
than this, but I’ve had worse too,
if you know what I mean.
FAUST
I kind of like it.
ROBY
You like this shit?
FAUST
It grows on you.
ROBY
You know what they make this stuff
out of?
FAUST
(annoyed)
Yes, I know what they make it out
of, so what? It’s food now. You’re
eating it.
ROBY
I didn’t say it was bad for you,
it’s just kind of sickening, that’s
all.
HUNTER
Do we have to talk about this kind
of crap at the dinner table?
Suddenly, unexpectedly, BROUSSARD GRIMACES AND GROANS.
STANDARD
What’s wrong?
BROUSSARD
(his voice straining)
I don’t know… I’m getting these
CRAMPS!
The others stare at him in alarm. Another GROAN is torn from his lips.
He clutches the edge of the table with his hands, his knuckles
whitening.
STANDARD
Breathe deeply.
BROUSSARD
(screaming)
OH GOD IT HURTS SO BAD!
ROBY
What Dell — what?
Broussard’s face is screwed up into a mask of agony, and he is
trembling violently from head to foot.
BROUSSARD
(incoherent shriek)
OhmygooaaAAAHHHHH!!!
A RED SMEAR OF BLOOD BLOSSOMS ON THE CHEST OF BROUSSARD’S TUNIC.
THEIR EYES ARE ALL RIVETTED TO BROUSSARD’S CHEST AS THE FABRIC OF HIS
TUNIC IS RIPPED OPEN, AND A HORRIBLE NASTY LITTLE HEAD THE SIZE OF A
MAN’S FIST PUSHES OUT.
Everybody SCREAMS and leaps back from the table. The cat spits and
bolts.
The disgusting little head lunges, comes spurting out of Broussard’s
chest trailing a thick, wormlike tail — splattering fluids and blood
— lands in the middle of the dishes and food on the table — and
scurries away while the men are stampeding for safe ground.
When they finally regain control of themselves, it has escaped.
Broussard lies slumped in his chair, a huge hole in his chest,
spouting blood. The dishes are scattered and the food is covered with
blood and slime.
HUNTER
Oh, no. Oh, no.
FAUST
What was that? What the Christ was
that?
MELKONIS
It was growing in him the whole time
and he didn’t even know it!
Slowly, they gather around Broussard’s gutted corpse.
ROBY
That thing used him for an
incubator!
Here is the movie version of the scene: