45 years since the release of Alien, the film that changed the horror genre forever

For Ridley Scott, the idea of ​​an alien hiding on a ship and planning to attack was not new. He had imagined it for most of his life and even explored it on paper before bringing it to the big screen. He wasn’t too interested in that either. What really attracted him was the opportunity to create a horror film in a completely new setting.

Alien – Eighth Passenger (1979), destined to become a classic, began as a profound discussion about the future. So director and screenwriter Dan O’Bannon used every reference they had. From Thing from another world (1951), Forbidden Planet (1956) to second-rate classics such as Terror in space (1965). The idea was to embrace the fear of the unknown with a new face.

But beyond that, what’s really important for the British director is that his story was deeper than just a bunch of slick practical effects. He hoped that the xenoform creature that attacked the group of unsuspecting crew members was “thriller exciting and unpretentious,” he explained Los Angeles Times. At the same time, this is a production that could use horror cinema tropes in new ways.

Terror has a new face

45 years after its release, it is difficult to imagine genre cinema without the contribution that Scott’s great experiment made to the industry. The way the British imagined a futuristic gothic tale is still surprising in its boldness. But much more for his ability to add all sorts of nuance to a cinematic scene. wild monster phallic in appearance and meant to be a virtually invincible female heroine to make history.

The truth is Alien – Eighth Passenger, is a combination of good ideas, the ability to use the visual aspect as a capsule of pure fear and a tense story. The result is a survival epic doomed to fail. Especially in a pessimistic dystopia, in which ships and Space travel has become industrialized and part of the unfortunate phenomenon of control.

The action takes place in the same universe as the events blade runnerAs Scott later clarified, the film is not about sending moral messages or creating atypical characters. The story of a failed expedition that ended in a bloody massacre on board USCSS Nostromo, captivates with its precise simplicity. Despite its multi-level nature – from corporate dilemmas to bioethics – The plot centers on what happens when an unnamed creature comes on board.

A new kind of terror

So, what begins as a series of bad decisions ends in a chase and carnage that no horror story can match. However, in addition to bodily horror and the memories of the then newborn slasherinteresting thing about Alien – Eighth Passenger , it is their intention to scare. For Scott, the central point of the plot is not the ethical questions, the memories of double readings on Freud, or the fear turned into a script. In reality, it was about creating an implacable enemy who was destined to persist and win despite the crew’s best efforts..

And for this he created a separate world. One who has moved away from idealism star Warsor an adventurous look Star Trek . In contrast, the universe of the Alien saga is defined by its utilitarian theme. Ships are built to be used, more than once, by technical teams unrelated to the brilliant or epic teams. In fact, the small group of six team members seem more tired than excited. With a hostile job that makes them feel closer to a worker than an astronaut.

What’s even more interesting is that the alien itself is not a complex being with philosophical thoughts or any reasoning beyond killing. The alien has a vital process that involves inoculating eggs through its proboscis, which is a type of physical aggression so close to sexual that it is uncomfortable. Much more than that, the birth of a creature that pierces and destroys its host turns the creature into an unstoppable, sophisticated and unprecedented beast. Without eyes and with an elongated phallic skull, there is ample evidence of its pathetic symbolism. But what’s really scary is its reliable destructive ability.

A monster that made history

Of course, the xenoform design was one of the most amazing elements of the time. Created by H.R. Giger, who also teamed with artist Ron Cobb to plan the set, it was the type of monster rarely seen in film. Giger, who became famous for his work related to biopunk and cyberpunk even before participating in the film, gave his creature a skeletal bone structure. But overall it was a creature that did not adhere to the usual anthropomorphic design.

The fact that the monster in question had its own cycle of breeding, feeding, and killing was frightening. But even more so, it was a cranial appendage that had no indication of an ocular cavity or anything like that. For Giger, the idea of ​​a monster that no one could understand was essential. What made this entity different from any other created so far.

Scott took the general idea of ​​the xenomorph and incorporated it into the design of the ship and all the technology shown in the film. So the atmosphere was ominous, claustrophobic and drawn out. Far from the elegant ships, from the shining spaces filled with technology that should have existed, Nostromo It was little more than a used car. It’s full of nooks and crannies. An ideal place to hunt a secretive creature.

An icon named Ellen Ripley

However, one of Scott’s most innovative approaches was the adaptation of the codes slasherto his ship, doomed to disaster. Which included last girlwho survived despite titanic efforts and the worst conditions. Sigourney Weaver played Ellen Ripley, an unprecedented woman in science fiction cinema.

Perhaps the closest reference is Carrie Fisher’s combative and determined Leia. But Scott, who knew the backstory, imagined a character who would have to bear the burden of survival on his shoulders. Not out of a sense of duty, obligation or hope, but out of a desperate desire to win. A landmark in sci-fi cinema, Ripley has the same fierce need for life as Laurie Strode in Halloween . But while John Carpenter made her character a damsel in distress who ultimately defeats the monster,Ripley is a fighter fully prepared for any eventuality. Only when it comes does it surpass it.

Asexual, with all the responsibility of her position, a valuable member of her team, Ripley is not a lady, but a minor figure who needs to be saved. She is essentially the leader in a chaotic moment and the one who, in the end, if not wins, then at least escapes the slimy jaws of the xenomorph. And although in the rest of the saga his figure was exploited to the point of exaggeration, f It was his first appearance, which surprised and set the tone for his character from that point on.

A classic that ages well

With forty-five years on my back, Alien – Eighth PassengerIt is a collector’s item and a piece of film history. For horror and sci-fi fans alike. But especially for those who find themselves in a dystopia – andThis story, in all its glorious dark and decrepit beauty, is a way to understand fear.

As Federico Alvarez is set to release a new chapter, it is clear that the saga is more alive than ever. Good time to celebrate –and consider the importance of your original film over time.