Alien 1979 film analysis. Movie Analysis of Alien (1979) Cinematography 2022-10-21

Alien 1979 film analysis Rating: 9,2/10 1291 reviews

Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, and John Hurt. The film follows the crew of the commercial space tug Nostromo as they encounter a deadly alien creature while on a return trip to Earth.

One of the most striking aspects of Alien is its visual aesthetic. The film's production design, by Swiss artist H.R. Giger, is nothing short of breathtaking. Giger's designs, which incorporate organic, biomechanical elements, give the film a distinctive and unsettling look that has been imitated, but never quite matched, in subsequent films and media. The alien itself, a towering, phallic creature with razor-sharp teeth and a second mouth that emerges from its chest, is a design masterpiece and remains one of the most iconic monsters in cinema history.

Another standout element of Alien is its atmosphere of tension and dread. The film's slow, methodical pacing allows for a sense of mounting unease as the crew members of the Nostromo are picked off one by one by the alien. The film's use of sound is also effective in creating a sense of unease, with the alien's haunting, hissing noises adding to the film's overall sense of terror.

One of the most enduring aspects of Alien is the strong character arc of its lead character, Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver. Ripley starts the film as a competent but somewhat unassuming member of the Nostromo's crew, but as the film progresses, she becomes the de facto leader of the group and ultimately emerges as the hero of the film. Ripley's transformation into a capable, resourceful survivor is one of the film's most enduring elements and has made her one of the most iconic female characters in science fiction.

Overall, Alien is a classic of science fiction and horror cinema, and its influence on the genre is undeniable. Its unique visual aesthetic, atmosphere of tension and dread, and strong character arc make it a film that continues to be admired and studied by fans and filmmakers alike.

Scene Analysis for Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979) — Sam Wrote It.

alien 1979 film analysis

The Nostromo approaches the planet, which is close to one enormous ringed planet and two smaller ones. Back to the technology of Mother, this entire space ship feels clunky. The majority of the film involves the villain alien on ship, and the fight to get rid of it. The technological advancements from the beginning as a single stick excel to practically computerized DNA, which in return creates a dehumanized man and… Blade Runner Film Analysis Cinema is a set of landscapes accompanied by a story. Retrieved September 6, 2008. The planet where the Alien resides, most of the ship, and even the escape pod is shot using low key lighting. As the acting senior officer, Ripley refuses to let them aboard, citing quarantine regulations, but Ash overrides her decision and lets them inside.

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A Level Film Studies: Alien (1979)

alien 1979 film analysis

Parker is unable to get a clear shot at it with the flamethrower without risking harm to Lambert, as it is hulking over her. That being said, the DC does fill in a plot hole. Second of all, it kind of messes with the length of time it takes for her to run back and forth across sections of the ship, from the self-destruct room to the escape shuttle area. But does Ripley learn anything about herself? Ever been in an office that may have been in an alternate dimension where everything is in grayscale? Ripley admits she doesn't trust Ash, but Dallas responds that he doesn't trust anybody. The second birth scene is when the crew discover the alien.

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Alien 1979 Film Analysis

alien 1979 film analysis

The sets are very dark and the camera shots create confined corners with very close images of the characters as they communicate and travel through the ship itself. Alien was Alien was funded by North Americans, but made by 20th Century-Fox's British production subsidiary. A The "facehugger" and its The design of the "chestburster" was inspired by For the filming of the chestburster scene, the cast members knew that the creature would be bursting out of Hurt, and had seen the chestburster puppet, but they had not been told that fake blood would also be bursting out in every direction from high-pressure pumps and The real-life surprise of the actors gave the scene an intense sense of realism and made it one of the film's most memorable moments. Retrieved May 7, 2019. Parker, Brett and Lambert observe through a window. This scene, by the way, was cut but can be found on DVD editions. The only personalization put in place by the crew are a bunch of pornographic photos on the wall.

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Movie Analysis of Alien (1979) Cinematography

alien 1979 film analysis

Pros and cons to both. I find it interesting to note that though Brett is very quiet and seems to lack personality, he blamed the company and is the only one wearing something other than the company-provided clothes: A Hawaiian shirt he probably got from a gift shop along the way. Retrieved June 23, 2019. But of course we don't even know if the pilot is of the same race as his cargo of leathery eggs. Indeed, that is the overriding narrative of the franchise.

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Alien (1979) analysis

alien 1979 film analysis

Ridley Scott: A Biography. This was a powerful message to send, especially in 1979. Slick camera-work and special effects, a suspenseful and chilling plot, a decent amount of drama. It is the creature, now a six-foot scaly monster with four limbs, an elongated head, and rising to its full height behind the engineer. We can begin to see how this is possible, when we consider films like Solaris or if you heard my Labyrinth, Time Bandits and The Hole.

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Movie Analysis: Alien (1979) — Beware the Nightmare

alien 1979 film analysis

Although which is not actually underwater look blue. The most important thing in a film of this type is not what you see, but the effect of what you think you saw. THE CORPORATION The corporation who owns Mother has written some code into the ship which prioritises scientific progress over individual human lives. For brief instances, before the crew awakens, we can see two of those drinking bird toys on a table, and a dancing egg a few moments later. No year is given to explain how far in the future this is, which makes it seem less removed from our time. Star Wars, Nostromo 's crew exploring the alien planet for praise, calling the scene "inspired," said that it showed "real imagination" and claimed that it transcended the rest of the film.


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Alien movie review & film summary (1979)

alien 1979 film analysis

The alien slams the container against a wall. It allows silences the majestic opening shots are underscored by A recent version of this story would have hurtled toward the part where the alien jumps on the crew members. This can be seen in Blade Runner by Ridley Scott, THX 1138 by George Lucas, and Children of Men by Alfonso Cuaron, as the landscapes help develop the complexity of the story. A short time later, the creatures detaches itself from Kane and dies. The story was created by Ronald Shusett, also known for Total Recall.

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Analysis of ‘Alien’

alien 1979 film analysis

The film also features an all star cast that includes, Bolaji Badejo as the alien, Veronica Cartwright as Lambert, Ian Holm as Ash, John Hurt as Kane, Yaphet Kotto as Parker, Tom Skerritt as Dallas, and Harry Dean Stanton as Brett. Had the film been released a few years earlier, audiences might not have accepted such a tough female protagonist, or it would have overwhelmed the rest of the film. The audience could thus project their own fears into imagining what the rest of the creature might look like. She signs off as Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, and gets into hypersleep. This allows the audience to understand what is happening without having to explain how the technology works or what it does.

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