For those in love with Space, Terror and Cats

Rating: Null/10 (25 April 2019)

In a seemingly abandoned spaceship, the silence is interrupted by an incoming signal. An automatic program wakes the crew up from hibernation. Disoriented, they assume they're close to home: earth. But no, they're still only halfway there. The signal that was picked up by the ship comes from an unknown origin on an unknown planet and they, the unprepared crew of a simple cargo ship, must go out to investigate. And nothing can prepare them for what they will encounter...
This slow burn horror masterpiece gives you the chills, even today, and will keep doing it for years to come. It works because of the practical effects, because of the brilliant directing because of the acting, because of the music, because of the set pieces... should I continue?
The futuristic universe 'Alien' takes place in is put before us and is compellingly realistic. With several winks at Kubric's '2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968) in the design of the ship and the momentary hint of classical music, it creates a sense of familiarity, yet in the ships' largely industrial-gothic appearance it puts us on guard as well. Their technology is being explained, but only when the characters absolutely need to mention it. The rest stays unsaid, but is made clear by other aspects of the movie than dialogue.
If that alone is not enough to prove that Ridley Scott is a cinematic genius, we'll talk a bit more about him. He delivered his vision of a movie that's 'Jaws in space' the way he wanted it and the way we needed it. Scott makes movies the way no one has ever seen one: visually renewing, with a whole new believable world to tell a story in (also take a look at 'Blade Runner' (1982), 'Gladiator' (2000), 'The Martian' (2017) ...). This one in particular is one of my favourites in terms of style.
Take the design of the hostile Alien creature (the Xenomorph). When shown the work of Swiss artist H.G. Giger by screenwriter O'Bannon, he saw the potential it possessed and had Giger design the creature. The result is as terrifying as it is artful. Appearing as vaguely human, but out of this world in all its aspects.
The characters in the first drafts of the script were unisex and could be filled in by both men and women. The studio bosses, all white old males at the time, off course demanded the leading role to be an man. But, Scott said no. In his vision, the main character was a woman, simple as that. And let's be honest, without Sigourney Weaver, this movie would never have been as good as it is. She (the whole cast to be honest, but especially her) had me gasping for breath again and again. Her panic and determination are compelling.
All this, and the way he ingeniously builds scenes where the tension gets unbearable and the way he added and cut scenes in order to tell the full story without interrupting the flow of the film, prove that he is one heck of a film maker.
This is also a feminist movie, although many will argue that it was never intended to be. But the result is a feminist movie nonetheless. Not only is the main character a woman, outstandingly brought to life by Sigourney Weaver, the underlying themes of the movie are feminist as well. Because actually, this is a movie about rape. And here, it's not only the women that can fear unwanted penetration, but also the men. This rape-theme, executed by the so-called 'Face-Huggers', is unsettling for all viewers. Also notice the phallus-like design of the Alien creatures.
The tension is guided by the subtle score of Jerry Goldsmith. The panting flutes, the wailing violins, the assaulting brass section and the beautiful main theme. It is a composition that is unmatched in the horror genre. And where modern scores for scary movies, mean nothing more than a scary addition to the film, this modernist score truly tells a story on its own.
'Alien' is, all snobbish intellectual analyses put aside, in the first place one of the best horror films ever made. It gives everyone the creeps, it lingers and it's pure art. And come on: there is a cat! How can you not like this movie? But what makes it truly great, is the fact that when you look a bit closer, there's more to it than meets the eye at first.
And remember, if you ever get to journey through our solar system or beyond...
In space, no one can hear you scream.