A quick look back at the classic slasher in space seeing its 40th anniversary 4K restoration…
By Oliver Thomas
“In space no one can hear you scream…”
Following the global success of Star Wars, in 1979 20th Century Fox released Alien, offering less space opera and more, as director Ridley Scott termed it, “the Texas Chainsaw Massacre of science fiction films”. It reflects little of the sanguine swashbuckling adventures of Star Wars, instead presenting a darker and pessimistic view of what waits around the corner. The supernatural monster that slowly picks-off the pack was epitomised by Michael Myers in the seminal slasher Halloween and later on in Friday the 13th and The Thing. This high-concept can be attributed to co-writer Dan O Bannon who was influenced by monster movies from the ‘50s like Forbidden Planet and Creature from the Black Lagoon, as well as the sensibility of co-writer and co-producer Walter Hill notable for his screenplays for such B-Movies like The Getaway and The Driver. It is, therefore, the synergy of influence, merging different film genres and styles, that gives Alien its unique angle.
British director Ridley Scott had only previously made one film, The Duellists, a picturesque costume drama starring Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine. The film’s visual artistry and cinematic precision convinced producer David Giler that Scott could capture the sense of realism required to produce an alien film both believable and terrifying. In fact, it was his experience in graphic design and advertising that equipped Scott with the specificity of building a convincing and unnerving futuristic world. Countering Stanley Kubrick’s pristine and clinical vision of space travel in 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien depicts a used-future fixating on the clutter and detritus of a desperate crew far away from home. The opening sequence presents a montage of generic iconography as the camera slowly and eerily tracks through the space tug Nostromo. With space pods, metal ducting, and dark stretching corridors, Scott establishes an enclosed space that will become central to the cat and mouse slasher narrative.
In the same way that it is hard to view First Blood, a fantastic stripped-down action film, outside of the context of Rambo’s various sequels with Sly Stallone’s grunts and bulging biceps, similarly the saga that is the Alien franchise is tainted by the multitude of instalments both in film and in gaming that have an emphasis on action. As consequence, it is often forgotten how slow Alien actually is, concerned less with blood and guts, though there is plenty of that, and more invested in prolonged suspense that arises out of genuine character investment and the meticulously constructed build-up of tension. In fact, it is the slowness of Alien that fiercely punctuates the abruptness of its violence. So, when the film arrives at that scene with the violent eruption that introduces our alien inhabitant, its effectiveness is coerced through an unexpected tonal shift.
This is not to negate the spectacular sequel Aliens directed by James Cameron, that has the tagline “This time it’s war”, but only to note how they both exemplify differing hybrids within the science fiction genre – one leaning more toward a thriller and the other an action film. Alien’s success lies in its simple plot and lack of exposition following the conventions of the slasher genre. The narrative rigor is created by the film’s adherence to the theme of the fear of the unknown. Gleaning from Hitchcock, it is what you see and what you don’t see that creates suspense. We see the xenomorph in glimpses: a pincered tail, a smooth cylindrical skull, and a drooling smirk with an extending jaw. This design was created by Swiss artist H. R. Giger known for his nightmarish, surrealist and monochromatic artwork, and when paired with Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score makes for a terrifying experience 40 years on.
Alien is also instrumental in establishing Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, the protagonist of the Nostromo ensemble, and a genuine action heroine who, despite being second in command, displays the common sense of a fearless and courageous leader. With various narrative twists and turns, paralleling the labyrinthine design of the Nostromo, Alien keeps audiences enthralled to its closing sequence.
Seeing Alien’s landmark 40th anniversary and its recent 4K restoration prompts an apposite opportunity to revisit this sci-fi chiller.
Showing this week at the BFI Southbank as a Member Exclusive: https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=alien2019&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id=
Showing this week at The Prince Charles Cinema:
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