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October 31, 2003
By Veronica Mixon
The release of Ridley Scott's Alien: The Director's Cut
has only one crucial scene that wasn't
in the original 1979 version and fans
of the Alien franchise will recognize
it's connection to the sequel that followed
in 1984. Nevertheless, Ridley Scott's
film was considered a breakthrough at
the time because it combined classic
sci-fi horror with art house art direction
and special effects. The abandoned planet
where a dead alien's warning beamed
out into space was an awesome sight.
It also was the first time that a woman
emerged as the "hero."
With a largely unknown cast of actors
- Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright,
Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm,
Yaphet Kotto and Sigourney Weaver, who
made her motion picture debut - Scott
crafted a beautiful but terrifying tale
of unknown horror in outer space. This
edge-of-your-seat thriller pitched a
clever monster that was an excellent
survivor in almost any environment against
a crafty crew of a salvage vessel. Personalities
and loyalties are tested, as terrified
crew must race to destroy the monster
and head home after their initial confrontation
with the creature. Additional scenes
reveal heighten tension between the
two women (Cartwright and Weaver) and
add to the terror as the alien hunts
the crew. In the end, a brilliant woman
(Ripley) against the alien is still
the high point of the film.
"Alien"
made Sigourney Weaver a star and her
unconscious performance of a capable
woman signals the change in women on
the big screen and the world at large.
She was the first 'female warrior' on
the big screen followed by heroines
in "The Terminator"
and contemporary films and TV series
like Alias, Dark Angel,
and Charlie's Angels. Ridley
Scott's vision also includes the conflict
with androids, the class-consciousness
in the work place and ordinary greed.
Like his previous films, The Duelists
and Blade Runner,
Scott proved that a good story could
engage audiences when done correctly
and improve the culture of film.
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