Alien (1979, R)

By the time I first saw this movie a few years ago, it had long since entered the pop culture lexicon, and going in, I already knew what was what (in fact, I actually saw Alien:  Resurrection first, back during my initial run through Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s filmography in the mid-2000s.)  Although part of me wonders what it must have been like to see the infamous “John Hurt scene” without knowing what was going to happen, it’s still an absolute bang-up sci-fi/horror film with atmosphere for days and superb design.

The crew of the Nostromo, a deep-space freighter, is awakened from their sleep pods early when the ship’s computer encounters what appears to be a distress call emanating from a small planetoid.  However, when a small party ventures onto the planetoid to investigate, one of the crew is beset by a highly-dangerous alien creature – until they bring their injured shipmate aboard to try and help him, the others have no idea just how dangerous.  As the ship continues on its way back to Earth, the crew is forced to fight for their lives against the deadly force they’ve let onboard.

Of the tetrad, I think Aliens probably has the more cinematic story, but you can’t beat the original Alien for suspense, creativity, and good old-fashioned style.  Ridley Scott’s direction is perfect, filming at times with claustrophobic frenzy, at others with a stark, almost cavernous feel.  Everything looks incredible, from the Nostromo’s interior to the alien ship the crew explores on the planetoid (it feels more like an ancient temple than a spaceship – that description seems weird, but that’s the feeling I get when I see it.)  And it goes without saying that the alien looks amazing.  Its design at every stage of its life cycle is as visually-arresting as it is unsettling, and Scott’s deft camera work makes sure it always feels menacing despite the limits in the effects of the day.

The actual characters themselves feel a little like generic Base Under Seige types, for the most part thinly-filled-in figures to fight against being picked off one at a time by the alien.  That said, I like the casual, lived-in feel of their dynamics at the beginning of the film; it feels very genuine, which helps grounded the extreme drama of the alien horror story.  The main standouts are the actors I recognize, since they also have the most important roles.  There’s John Hurt, of course – while Kane doesn’t do a whole lot, his position as the first one to come across the alien is essential to the film, and “that scene” is rightfully one for the ages.  Ian Hart plays Ash, the ship’s science guy who is more fascinated by the alien than is strictly prudent.  This put him in conflict with Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley, third on the chain of command.  Obviously, this is our first look at Ripley, and Weaver does a great job of making her tough and smart but still what she is:  the third-ranking crewmate on a merchant vessel who is nowhere near ready to handle something this insane, dangerous, and unknown.  I like that she’s not an instant Superwoman badass with all the answers, that she’s supremely freaked-out and traumatized by everything that’s happening, and that she keeps going based on her smarts and her desperate refusal to die.

Warnings

Graphic violence, disturbing images, language, and thematic elements.