When beginning to watch the film Alien, the viewer is automatically forced to think of the limitless possibilities that the plot of the film will take. The vertical line strokes, along with the diagonal line strokes, eventually turn into the work ALIEN, but it creates curiosity from the viewer wondering what its going to turn into, just like the plot of the film. As the beginning of the film continues, the camera shows the stillness throughout the mechanically enhanced ship, with no human interaction or movement. "it is mechanical, devoid of human significance" (Mulhall 14). Not until later do you see the first flicker of human movement when the crew of seven people are awaken by "mother" from their sleeping pods. "The crew appears to be undergoing a kind of rebirth. They emerge like seeds from a pod, as if extruded by the ship itself, almost as naked as the day they were born" (Mulhall 16). This makes human life seem unimportant from the very beginning, since the humans are hardly exerting themselves at all, it seems as though all of the technology on board is doing the work.The beginning of the film also depicts how you later find out that the humans were insignificant and disposable for this journey and mission. They seem like very important roles in the mission they are trying to accomplish, but in the end, they are only there to carry out the task that the company intended them to. "The subsequent goals [the crew] conceives- finding the source of the transmission, getting rid of the alien- are thrust upon them rather than initiated by the crew members" (Scott 287). The crew are disposable elements in the whole process of getting the other life form back to planet earth.
Another part of the movie which is discussed in the article, is the scene where the alien bursts out from Kane's stomach after everyone thought he was better after the species detached from his face and throat. The scene is very chaotic at the time, with everyone screaming and trying to hold him down, but as soon as the alien bursts out from his stomach, everyone stands still, quiet. The article expresses its understanding of the scene with being a type of sexual intercourse, pregnancy, and then birth process. This idea is something I had not really noticed while viewing the film, but after reading their theory, it makes good sense and it seems to possibility be the reason for the symbolism. "The monster itself is the incarnation of masculinity, understood as penetrative sexual violence; but as such, it threatens the human race as a whole with the monstrous fate of feminization, forcing our species to occupy the sexual role that women are imagined to occupy in relation to men" (Mulhall 20). This to me also explains how the women in the film were overpowered by the men. When Ripley says to not open the air chamber, but the men overrule her and do it anyways. Also, when the other women is out searching around the unknown planet and she continuously says how they should go back and get out of here, but they continue searching against her suggestion. This film has a variety of hidden messages in it, with the use of many different forms of symbolism.Scott, Ridley, dir. Alien. 1979. Twentieth Century Fox, 2009.
Mulhall, Stephen. "Kane's Son, Cain's Daughter." On Film. London: Routledge, 202. 12-32. Print.
Thompson, Kristin. "Alien." Storytelling in the New Hollywood. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1999. 283-306. Print.
I agree with your comment about curiosity. It's interesting how even though you can have a pretty predictable movie but yet the director can still make you curious as to what is going to happen. I didn't like the part in the movie that symbolized the sexual intercourse either. It's so weird to think that a man got rapped and then impregnated. What an interesting movie.
ReplyDeleteI think you chose very interesting quotes to go along with what you were saying about the film and you did a great job at giving details about your analysis of the film. I like how you noticed that from the very beginning, the films symbolizes how the humans are not even important or really needed in the mission. I also was glad you mentioned the rebirth of the alien from the stomach. I did not read the entire article and had not gotten to that part yet, but I think its interesting symbolism. I did not notice it while watching the film, but looking back it makes sense.
ReplyDeleteI never really noticed the representation of masculinity and feminism in this film until I read the article either. I thought it was good that you gave a very good examples from the movie to connect to the readings. The only thing I would think about changing is how you start a quote. You may want to write the authors name and setup what he said.
ReplyDeleteI like how you discuss how the female voices are overpowered by men and how the alien represents male force and aggression. Only Ripley survives, so what do you make of that choice of Scott's? How is Ripley repeatedly ignored or not taken seriously? What is the consequence of not taking other perspectives into consideration? How does this reflect upon scientific pursuit and question it?
ReplyDeleteI also like your points about how the humans on the ship are little more than instruments of the Yakutani Corporation. I think this is one of the main themes that Scott was going for.
Finally, I think you need to read over your post for errors and typos and try loading images that are fuller resolution (as opposed to the thumbnail images you have up.