Retrospective Review: 'Alien'

Today I'm introducing a new form of review called a Retrospective Review. The basic idea is to provide another opportunity for me to review older films aside from Throwback Thursday Reviews as these reviews won't always tie into a corresponding release. However, the first couple Retrospective Reviews are all coming this week as an excuse for me to review the Alien Anthology, seeing as my Throwback Thursday Review schedule didn't have enough room built into it to review any of the Alien films. This week I'm reviewing all four Alien films' theatrical cuts and will save my thoughts on the respective Director's Cuts for another review down the line so be on the lookout for an Aliens review soon. Also, there will be some spoilers in the review considering the film's age and popularity.

'Alien' Review

Nominated For: Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects.
Won: Best Visual Effects.

Alien escorts the crew of commercial space-vessel Nostromo as they are awakened from cryo-sleep to investigate an intergalactic SOS. The crew board the alien starship and stumble across a nest of eggs when suddenly a parasitic organism leaps out, attaching itself to one of the crew members. The crew return to the ship and are able to remove the face-hugger, only to discover the creature spawned offspring when a little alien bursts out of Kane's chest and retreats into the ship's depths. The crew are left to fight for their lives as they're picked off one-by-one by the ever-evolving extraterrestrial.

Alien is widely regarded to be one of the best sci-fi horror outings ever created, considered a true hallmark of the science fiction/horror genre. Alien was directed by Ridley Scott, an unproved directorial commodity at the time who has since more than made his mark on science fiction. Scott understood that the task at hand didn't simply call upon him to make a "scary" movie but to authenticate tension over the course of two hours. The tense atmosphere of Alien is one that slowly creeps up on you, not unlike the titular Xenomorph, building and building for a quick release only to further escalate that foundation. The sense of uneasiness derives from a concoction of every technical element on display; the remarkable visual effects, the grungy production design, the vacant score, and the smart screenplay.

The special effects in Alien are timeless, it's been 38 years since Alien was first released yet the aesthetic still works. The creature design remains creepy as ever, the filthy set design projects the guise the ship's been lived in, and the production design, editing, and cinematography meld seamlessly enhancing the claustrophobic nature of the Nostromo. Jerry Goldsmith's spacial score mimicks the vacuum of space with a void sound at the film's start, steadily crescendoing to communicate a sense of unease in the film's more precarious moments. Goldsmith's compositions effectively transition between conveying a sense of comfort and urgency instantaneously, and the steady build of suspense allows for successful scares and a swelling of anxiety throughout the two hour runtime.

Screenwriters Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett set the stage for a slow burn but as I've already attested to, the build pays off exceptionally well. O'Bannon and Shusett also cleverly wrote the proceedings so that you're not quite sure who the true protagonist is for a large portion of the plot proceedings. While that's grown increasingly more common amidst the horror genre, I thought it worked even better than usual in Alien. The writing duo do an admirable job crafting the crew as the dynamic between them adds further authenticity to their individual roles onboard the ship and the bond they share.

The crew's chemistry works no only thanks to the script but the powerful performances on display. Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, and Yaphet Kotto make up the company of the Nostromo and each provides a unique role in the story and an innate likability so you feel for these characters.

Weaver in particular stands out as Ripley, in-large part because she survives the whole she-bang but also because Ripley's such a fantastic female character. It's not too often that franchise bolster a female lead and even when they do, they typically succumb to tropes of a poorly written female character. However, Ripley's a strong female character that's not an annoyance or sex appeal. Ripley's an everyday woman placed in a scary situation but maintains a clear head throughout, following protocol at every turn. Weaver brings a levelheaded nature and a sense of relatable paranoia to her character that sucks you into the ongoing events.

Other actors who deserve an additional shoutout include Ian Holm's eerie portrayal of an analytical android Ash, Tom Skerritt's charming Captain Dallas, and Bolaji Badejo for making a menacing movie monster of the Xenomorph. In summary, Alien has truly stood the test of time. After thirty eight years Alien still chills and thrills, cementing its status as a magnum opus of sci-fi horror.

Film Assessment: A+