Alien (1979) (Movie Review)

  There are movies I love from the moment I first see them, and then there's the movies in which my feelings for them gradually develop over time. The 1979 Sci-Fi classic "Alien" is one of those cases in which it played the long game for me to really appreciate and admire the film for its qualities. I first saw this movie during my care-free teenage years, and at the time, I thought the film was just average, and not on par with its famous reputation. I was also riding the high of viewing it's 1986 sequel "Aliens", which is personally one of my favorite movies, and it just made the first movie feel disposable by comparison. However, the original still stuck with me, and after several viewings over many years, the film just got better and better, to the point where I finally saw why it's still regarded as one of the best of either the Sci-Fi or Horror genera. Two years off the heels of “Star Wars”, “Alien” was the next important chapter in elevating the status of Sci-Fi cinema, and is considered the gold standard for merging the wonder of outer space with the tension and suspense of a horrifying slasher picture.  

  A small group of people are alone in a giant spaceship called the Nostromo, which is a mining vessel, and on its way home. A mysterious warning signal from a barren moon puts a stop to their travels, and leads to the discovery of a crashed alien ship on the surface. Things get ugly when a crew member comes into contact with a mysterious life-form, and after departing the planet, the remaining crew members begin to drop like flies at the hands of an uninvited passenger that’s determined to see everyone dead. In the end, only our female lead named Rippley is strong enough and lucky enough to escape and defeat the monster. In a nutshell, it's a fairly straight forward formula picture, with a small band of people isolated and alone, at the mercy of a monstruous threat ... but even with all its recognizable tropes, the execution is unforgettable, with a presentation, personality and mood that's all it's own. Even the concept of astronauts battling a single alien invader on a ship had been done before in movies like "It: The Terror from Beyond Space", but just like "Star Wars" before it, "Alien" took old ideas, made something iconic out of it. 

 The ingenuity behind the Alien creature is the driving force of the film, but the experience is something that will be subject to personal taste. This movie is all about atmosphere and mood, as opposed to wall-to-wall monster action. While I'm generally partial to Sci-Fi laced with action, I'm also fond of suspense and atmosphere, and this film is rich with it. right from the lengthy opening credits, which slowly spells out the title, this film sets and tone and mood that hooks me right in. The whole first act is a perfect example of slow burning, but never boring, because even without the creature present, this film is permeated with a sense of mysterious dread, like some ugly secret is lurking in the shadows of this tight spaced ship. I remember back in my teenage years, I found myself fidgeting through all this build-up, but as an adult, I actually find the set-up in the first act a little more exciting than the payoff with the monster.  

  That being said, I don't want to undermine just how original and intriguing the alien creature, especially in how it goes through various stages before taking its final form. Instead of just hatching from an egg, it first releases a small creature that latches onto a victim's face, then lays an egg in its body, which then latter hatches by bursting out of the victim's chest, and after a fast growth rate, it finally takes on its terrifying and iconic form. The creature would have been spooky enough, but the thought of it needing to grow in a person's stomach first is a whole other level of shocking. Of course when it finally happens, it leads to one of the most famous death scenes in film history. The unfortunate victim that ultimately has a small alien bursting out of his chest was played by the late John Hurt, who was one of the best actors of his generation. In the 1987 Mel Brooks comedy “Spaceballs”, John Hurt makes a cameo in a scene that parody’s “Alien”. The creature bursts from his chest, to which John Hurt responds by saying “Oh No, Not Again!”

  While never directly mentioned in the movie, the creatures have come to be known as Xenomorph's, and the design by H. R. Giger is fantastic, arguably one of the most original and imposing depictions of a hostile outer space creature that I’ve ever seen. Like the best monster movies, the film shows off the creature sparingly, and it works in the film, although I will admit, I wish the monster had a little more of a presence even when off screen. In comparison to the 1987 classic “Predator”, the monster isn't seen until the end, but it was still present as an invisible entity, with its silhouette on display, and we even saw things from the creatures POV, which gave it far more of a presence, even when we didn't see it. Still, that's only a minor complaint, as the mood and tone in "Alien" is consistent, to the point where everything feels imposing, and doesn't need to rely on the physical presence of the Xenomorph to be exciting. 

 

  One other element I've always had mixed feelings about are the characters, who with two exceptions are fine, but no-one really leaves a memorable impression. There is at least a nice group dynamic, in that everyone feels real, but I'm not really attached to the crew either, which has always been something of a minor set-back. Thankfully, the two characters who are important work very well, and manage to carry the film. Our lead heroine Ripley, played by the always enduring Sigourney Weaver, would go on to become one of the great characters in Science Fiction cinema, but that status came more from the sequel. In this first movie, she's good enough to care for, easy to cheer on as she battles the monster, and it's nice to see the early stages of the character before she grows into her more iconic status.  

  The last and most intriguing character of the film is the shady crew member named Ash, who’s later revealed to be an android. He goes through something of a “HAL 9000” phase, in which he wants to preserve the creature at the cost of the crew’s life. When he gets destroyed, it leads to more awesome gross-out effects. This is personally my favorite part of the film, as it was completely unexpected, and the performance by Ian Holm suddenly has more layers upon repeat viewings. I’ve always been a fan of tales revolving around artificial intelligence, and the dangers that may come with it. It’s almost too good for this movie, as I find this subplot revolving around an evil android more interesting, and subsequently more frightening than the main story with the alien monster. However, even with my praises for the villain established, this movie still has one more ace up its sleave. 

  

  The absolute best thing about this movie by far is its setting, and the production-design is a work of art to say the least. It’s all so detailed, and effective that it becomes a character in of itself. Being stuck on this claustrophobic Spaceship, with no-one around to help you is genuinely intense. However, it does so much more than simply add to the mood of the film, as it's still a marvel to look at all these years later. In my opinion, this will go down in history along with “Star Wars” as one of the best visual achievements in Sci-Fi cinema, and is unaffected by the passing of time. It genuinely looks like something that could be released today, and I never once get the feeling like these characters are on a Hollywood set. Every room has its own personality, with detailed consoles, and even the outer design of the spaceship is interesting. It doesn’t even look like a spaceship, it actually looks like a big floating castle, which further characterizes this as a horror movie set in space. Naturally the film won the Oscar for best effects, and also received a nomination for best art design. The music was done by the always fantastic Jerry Goldsmith, and even though this score is small and quiet, it really works for establishing the films eerie atmosphere.  
 

  The final confrontation with the creature is fine, although, I always felt the lead-up to the climax with Ripley running through the ship before it explodes could have been trimmed down a little. Once it's just her and the Xenomorph on the shuttle, it's all very simple, but satisfying, and leaves me with chills all over. I should note that there's an extended Directors Cut of the film, which adds some details that are effectively chilling but don't rely add-up to the lore of the series moving forward. For example, in the sequel "Aliens", we see Ripley rescue a girl from a cocoon before a face-hugger latches on to her, and thus, there's no physical damage. The extended cut of the first "Alien" however has a sequence in which Ripley finds the bodies of her missing crew members, and their cocoon bondage seems to be mutating them without the need of a face hugger. It's all up to personal preference on which is better, and while I prefer the logic of the cocoons simply being a means of holding the victims, the scene is still quiet chilling on its own.  

  When all is said and done, the 1979 movie “Alien” has more than earned the right to be called a motion picture classic. I still have more fondness for other monster themed classics like “Jurassic Park”, “Jaws”, “Predator” and the previously mentioned 1986 sequel “Aliens” ... but with all that said, I just can't dismiss the original classic that started it all. Unlike those other films, "Alien" has the distinction of feeling different on each viewing, as I just found myself appreciating it more and more, and it's cool to say I've gone on this little journey with my feelings for a film going through all these different peaks and valleys. If you had a similar experience as I did with this film, I encourage you to give it another watch, as it might be better than you remember. It may not be one of my absolute favorites, but a winning classic all the same, and well worth seeing if you haven't yet.     

Thanks for reading my review of the 1979 Sci-Fi classic “Alien” ... and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!