The Perfect Organism - Part 2

Continuing on from Part 1...

So rarely does a film reach so far into the viewer’s consciousness as does Alien. It invades our thoughts like the creature invades the ship, and then the crew. Alien gives new meaning to invasion in the sci-fi sense. In the past, invasion had been depicted through alien species landing on the planet and taking over, or any such plots, but Alien goes beyond that. The xenomorph firstly invades Kane (and even before that, the deserted ship and the space jockey), using this as a means to invade the Nostromo, and then to invade the rest of the crew. Body horror is such a shocking subject, that screen depictions are often very memorable. But the creature’s rather sexual nature evokes rape and pregnancy, but in a previously-unseen, graphic manner. This plays on some very human fears, making our empathy with the crew much easier. The crew themselves are very human, very realistic. Achieving such a down-to-earth, relatable cast of characters in a film seemingly set so distant from the real world is quite a feat in itself.

Of course, the filmmakers’ contributions to this milestone in cinema go beyond just the story and the genre and the title. Every inch of the film is so well detailed. The cinematography, the score, the art design. HR Giger designed not just the alien, but several other aspects as well, including the planet surface, the derelict ship, and all other forms of the alien, and his excellence was recognised by AMPAS with an Academy Award for Visual Effects. Jerry Goldsmith (famed for the scores of Planet of the Apes, Chinatown, The Omen, and Star Trek, among others) provided a subtle, eerie score that reflects the film’s atmosphere, the isolation of space, and the unfamiliar locales. The camera work was provided by Derek Vanlint, whose choices range from large-scale wide shots, like that of the space jockey, dead in its chair, to jarring close-ups, like that of the ship’s resident feline, Jones. Together, all of these elements create an incredibly tight, well-sculpted, flawless film.

Alien doesn’t drop a single note. Every aspect works in conjunction with the rest. Even after so many viewings, I cannot pick any holes in Scott’s magnum opus. The fact that the film wasn’t even nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for its year (won by Oscar-bait Kramer vs. Kramer) is a disappointment. In my opinion, it is perfect. And this brings me back to the title. As science officer/evil android Ash says of the xenomorph, it is “the perfect organism”. In a further reflection of the title’s aptness at describing the film, by relating the creature and the film through the name, one can also describe the film as a perfect organism.

It is perfect. A faultless piece of art, of science fiction, of horror. Transcendent of genre – blending these two well-established archetypes into a new, disturbing hybrid. Transcendent of time – offering visual effects that have not dated after over 30 years, and themes that are still relevant today.

It is an organism. Terror and suspense that live on in our minds as nightmare and nostalgia. Body shocks that reach out into the consciousness of the audience. A believable crew, setting and situation, even as distant into space and time as it is.

It is indescribable. It is horrifying. It is Alien.