The Power of Atmosphere Triumphs

Rating: 10/10 (25 August 2005)

I recently read a review here on IMDb and was astounded to hear that the reviewer thought this a mediocre film and I'm sorry to say that the people who do not find this a sci-fi horror classic are stupid and/or have no vision of what makes a good film. As I see it a good film is comprised of a few static elements.
First of all a good film is based on a good story and Alien has a very gripping albeit slow paced story that ultimately is as gripping as stories where the story is faster paced (e.g. Starwars). The story by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusset is innovative and as previously stated gripping and this combined with a brilliant flow makes the two hours the film lasts seem like much less. The story also contains one of the most memorable scenes in modern film history: the chest burster scene and the little twist with Ian Holm at the end of the movie is pure genius.
The second thing a good film needs is good acting and the acting in Alien is still top notch. Even though I'm not a big fan of Sigourney Weaver I admit that she does very well in this film and judging from her acting in this film its certainly understandable why she went on to become an icon in the movie business. Secondly we have Tom Skerrit also not one of my favorite actors but his sequence in the ventilation system truly shows the depth of his talent. He actually seems genuinely scared. The secondary characters played by Harry Dean Stanton, Veronica Cartwright John Hurt and Yaphet Kotto also do very well. Of these especially John Hurt does very well. The best actor in the film and also one of the best actors ever is of course Ian Holm. The way he plays a android or robot is brilliant. His coolness throughout the film has actually been a clever sign of his robotic nature.
The directing is the third and final component of making a very good film. Ridley Scott really shows his talent in this early film and it is obvious to see why he has gone on to become such a prominent figure in the film world. The only film he has made that has bested this breathtaking experience is Blade Runner The way he directed the film gave it a look which the following Alien films tried to replicate but failed. He also succeeds in giving the film atmosphere through elaborate sets and decent effects both sound and visual.
Put all this in a mix together and you've got a master piece
9/10