As 'Prometheus' debuts, why 'Alien' remains a cinematic icon 33 years later
鈥淚n space, no one can hear you scream.鈥�
It鈥檚 one of the most famous taglines in film history, even more recognizable than 鈥淧lay it again, Sam鈥� or 鈥�Houston, we have a problem鈥� 鈥� and it鈥檚 only one of many that appeared on 鈥淎lien鈥� posters in 1979.
鈥淥nce again something has come from space and this time, it鈥檚 not a friend,鈥� one said. 鈥淧repare yourself,鈥� warned another.
In a post-鈥淛aws鈥� and 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� world, the demand for big-budget thriller and science-fiction movies was high. Ridley Scott, who won the Best Debut Film award in 1977 for his historical drama 鈥淭he Duellists,鈥� accepted an offer to direct a film about a team of astronauts picked off one by one by a hostile space organism. Thus, the birth of 鈥淎lien鈥� 鈥� which Scott has revisited 33 years later in the form of a prequel, 鈥淧rometheus.鈥�
The enormous hype surrounding the $120-130 million 鈥淧rometheus,鈥� which revisits the mysterious 鈥渟pace jockey鈥� in 鈥淎lien,鈥� suggests the cultural power of the latter. Not only did the Nostromo crew鈥檚 battle against the alien astound and alarm audiences in 1979, it established a new genre of female action hero and it has remained a topic of conversation in Hollywood boardrooms and around kitchen tables.
鈥溾赌�Alien鈥� was an acid-burned anecdote to the dewy-eyed optimism of 鈥楥lose Encounters鈥� and 鈥楽tar Wars,鈥�" one says. 鈥淭his was future fantasy with razor-sharp fangs, a groundbreaking genre classic which gave nightmarish fall to unspeakable anxieties.鈥�
Intent on making 鈥淎lien鈥� better than a B-rated movie, co-writers Dan O鈥橞annon and Ron Shusett were unsure what the hostile organism should look like, or how it would get aboard Nostromo. All they knew is that it needed to be 鈥渉orrific and visceral.鈥� One night, Shusett woke up with the inspiration he needed 鈥� the facehugger, which plants an alien embryo inside Executive Officer Kane (John Hurt).
Upon realizing Kane has been contaminated, warrant officer Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) refuses to let him aboard Nostromo. This proves to be the first of many instances in which Ripley displays better judgment than her superiors. She is the only survivor at the end of 鈥淎lien鈥� and has since become the face of the franchise, rated No. 1 on Total Film鈥檚 list of the 100 Greatest Female Characters.
Eventually, the alien inside Kane bursts from his chest and begins its murderous rampage. Unlike films of the time like 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� 鈥� although similar to 鈥淛aws鈥� 鈥� the man-versus-monster battle takes place in a confined area with no way out. And as the great white shark did for 鈥淛aws,鈥� fear of the unknown (and of silence) catapulted 鈥淎lien鈥� to big box office numbers and critical acclaim.
鈥淥ne of the great strengths of 鈥楢lien鈥� is its pacing,鈥� film critic Roger Ebert said in a review of the director鈥檚 cut of the film, which was released in 2003. 鈥淚t takes its time. It waits. It allows silences鈥 recent version of this story would have hurtled toward the part where the alien jumps on the crew members.鈥�
Scott鈥檚 directing style influenced subsequent horror films such as 鈥�Halloween,鈥� which relied on slow and pacing and eerie soundtracks to create an anticipatory effect in viewers. Aside from the end of 鈥淎lien,鈥� when Ripley blows the monster out of the shuttle into space, the tall, metallic-looking creature makes only minor appearances. The rest of the film follows the Nostromo crew as they navigate around the ship鈥檚 dark corners, often in silence or accompanied by the violin creaks of Jerry Goldsmith鈥檚 score, building up the fear of the unknown.
Likewise, O鈥橞annon and his team鈥檚 cynicism regarding space exploration (specifically, the idea that corporations in space would be as corrupt as they are on Earth) further helped legitimized the science fiction and horror genres in their exploration of political and societal problems. In the film, the android and science officer Ash tries to prevent Ripley and the crew from killing the alien based on orders from the corporation that owns Nostromo, a plot point that continues in 鈥�Aliens鈥� (1986).
Even years after the release of 鈥淎lien,鈥� some cast members have spoken out about the continued historical and symbolic importance of the film, as have those involved with 鈥淧rometheus.鈥�
鈥淚t was so different,鈥� Veronica Cartwright, otherwise known as Chief Navigator Lambert in 鈥淎lien,鈥� said in . 鈥滻t wasn鈥檛 like any other monster movie that had ever been made.鈥�
Noomi Rapace, who plays the lead role of archaeologist Elizabeth Scott in 鈥淧rometheus,鈥� said in an Empire interview that Scott鈥檚 first film of the franchise 鈥渂lew [her] away completely.鈥�
鈥淚t was the first time I was shocked by a whole movie, and the first time I saw a woman doing things that men have always done before,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t changed a lot of things in me.鈥�
Did 鈥淧rometheus鈥� live up to the hype? See film critic Peter Rainer鈥檚 review here.
Megan Riesz is a Monitor contributor.
