Alien is a film that oozes with ambition and somehow in equal measure confidence. The world is so lived in, not just with the immaculate set of rust and practicality, but in its worldbuilding. The characters know this world, so they don't stop to dump exposition about it. We learn what we need to, and it allows us to focus on the things that matter. Like Ripley, revealing she was the hero all along because of how she balances her heart and her head. Weaver displays both wonderfully. There's Lambert's hidden heart of gold, with Kotto radiating charisma. There's Ash, masterfully portrayed in all his deceptive layers by Ian Holm.
And most of all, of course, is the alien and the fear it brings. A predator hunting prey, the costume looks fantastic, and all the better for how the lighting and angles obscure it until the right moments. The alien and Ash portray two opposite spectrums of horror. The alien being this primal natural animalistic thing that will use you for its circle of life without a thought or care because it’s an animal. And Ash is this highly unnatural construct that is just as unfeeling and will use you for its own means, but it’s not even survival or instinct, it’s greed and obedience. The chestburster scene is iconic for good reason, a surprise disruption of a casual scene thought to be safe. But I found Ash's reveal and his decapitation almost as unnerving, and his insides are portrayed as just inhuman as the alien's is. The parallel between these two scenes tie a bow over the movie, I think. The alien a fear of the unknown and primal. Ash, and Weyland-Yutani by extension, a fear of ourselves, of the learned and known greed in us overtaking us where we become just as alien and unfeeling as any other predator. It's the combination of the two that can tear us apart.
Review by JCVIP 4BlockedParentSpoilers2021-10-12T11:44:27Z
Alien is a film that oozes with ambition and somehow in equal measure confidence. The world is so lived in, not just with the immaculate set of rust and practicality, but in its worldbuilding. The characters know this world, so they don't stop to dump exposition about it. We learn what we need to, and it allows us to focus on the things that matter. Like Ripley, revealing she was the hero all along because of how she balances her heart and her head. Weaver displays both wonderfully. There's Lambert's hidden heart of gold, with Kotto radiating charisma. There's Ash, masterfully portrayed in all his deceptive layers by Ian Holm.
And most of all, of course, is the alien and the fear it brings. A predator hunting prey, the costume looks fantastic, and all the better for how the lighting and angles obscure it until the right moments. The alien and Ash portray two opposite spectrums of horror. The alien being this primal natural animalistic thing that will use you for its circle of life without a thought or care because it’s an animal. And Ash is this highly unnatural construct that is just as unfeeling and will use you for its own means, but it’s not even survival or instinct, it’s greed and obedience. The chestburster scene is iconic for good reason, a surprise disruption of a casual scene thought to be safe. But I found Ash's reveal and his decapitation almost as unnerving, and his insides are portrayed as just inhuman as the alien's is. The parallel between these two scenes tie a bow over the movie, I think. The alien a fear of the unknown and primal. Ash, and Weyland-Yutani by extension, a fear of ourselves, of the learned and known greed in us overtaking us where we become just as alien and unfeeling as any other predator. It's the combination of the two that can tear us apart.