First: R.I.P H.R Giger.
Upon first glance at the technology presented in the film, aside from the time it was made, gives a sense of crude yet advanced technology. The ship doesn't quite compare to the ships used in other science-fiction settings. That aside, the crude technology adds a certain amount of tension with the several malfunctions during the film. Couple that with extreme isolation (space) and there's an easy recipe for disaster.
Speaking of disaster: character. The range of character was great. Ripley (Weaver) played a rather strict yet resourceful woman, something her male counterpart Dallas (Skerritt) didn't seem to take well to. The concerns about payment is brought up several times. The dynamic in characterization extends into professional and personal behavior, which considering the long isolation these characters endure, even in the company of the rest, their own traits give them depth and a sense of realism.
In a Lovecraftian lens, this certainly does have the "tentacles" about it. The devil is certainly in the details: the ship is by far more advanced that the ship used my the main characters. This odes to Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness: the human trait of curiosity, things far more ancient than human endeavor could hope to understand, and genetic engineering right out of theory and Science Fiction.
The monster was a monstrous monster and not just due to its appearance and strength, the acidic blood is a major obstacle in challenging it in any meaningful way. Even should it die, it would do severe damage to who or what engaged it in combat. The alien is eerily similar to Rawhead Rex, Clive Barkers monster: both possess incredible strength and are older than the human mind could even conceive. Both monsters are creatures from a place where time is subjective, if not useless.
Rating: 5/5
I thoroughly enjoyed that rustic and malfunctioning atmosphere. That space doesn't always have to be shiny and metallic. The only thing I could find with the characters is they seemed to enjoy there company more so than in other movies where crews are about to rip into each other from spending too much time around each other. Maybe that's why they sleep? Hmm.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned the characterization, and I have to agree: Ripley's character arc during the film is one of the best. It's a believable arc in that she starts out tough, but we don't expect her to be bad-ass tough. She's faced with a lot (from keeping Kane out of the ship to seeing her crew being destroyed one-by-one), and she evolves accordingly. She uses her strengths and overcomes her weaknesses to win the day.
ReplyDeleteI would completely agree with the Lovecraftian comment. This is a terrifying monster and yet we see so little of it. That's all we need though, isn't it? And it even looks/feels Lovecraftian. Keeping your monster in the shadows, for me, is an effecting way to hold the tension throughout the film/story.
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