This is clearly not a giant step to say. Ridley Scott Extraterrestrial is a masterpiece. It has been a simple factual statement since the day it opened. But as we prepare for the next one Extraterrestrial the film will be released in theaters This summer we decided return to the franchise to see if we could go a little further. Find something new, or at least try. Here’s what we found.
Nowadays we consider Extraterrestrial to be both one of the best science fiction and perhaps even horror films of all time. Which is clearly the case. But I also think it should be considered one of the greatest mysteries of all time. Mystery and intrigue are the driving forces of the film, long before an alien emerges from a man’s torso and wreaks bloody havoc.
The whole film moves and is built around creating questions. Questions that are then answered with answers that lead to more questions. It begins when we see the crew of the Nostromo waking up. We wonder why they wake up, what life is like on the ship, and more. These questions are answered when it is revealed that a mysterious message has been detected and they have been tasked with investigating. Who sent this message? Why did they send it? Once they arrive on the mysterious planet, the crew discovers a massive alien spaceship. Obviously, it is the one that sent the message, but what is this ship? Where did it come from? Who is on board?
Things take a whole new dimension once the crew boards the ship. They encounter a giant skeleton sitting on a combination chair and weapon that fans later call the Pilot. Who is this creature? How long has it been there? What was it doing? How did it die? These questions, unlike most others, are never answered as things quickly take a different turn when Kane (John Hurt) encounters these equally fascinating eggs, cracks one open and, well, we know what happens from there.
Scott’s emphasis on mystery extends to the filmmaking techniques as well. The film opens with his camera slowly exploring the Nostromoalmost like a person sneaking around looking for something specific. This camera movement is copied again after the Facehugger drops Kane and Ash (Ian Holm) dissects him. The sets themselves are also created like a maze, with multiple levels, tunnels, nooks and crannies everywhere, each piquing curiosity in a unique way. Characters are often seen in shadow, the music is always moody and contemplative, everything is slow and deliberate.
Once the alien emerges from Kane’s chest, the film certainly changes, but it still retains its identity. The narrative mysteries are simply replaced by the structure of a typical detective story, as the creature kills each member of the crew one by one, like in an Agatha Christie novel. Is this a traditional detective story structure? No, especially since we know who the killer is and what he looks like. But it’s just a unique way to give it a new approach while increasing the tension and anticipation.
Finally, the film sets up one last major mystery to be solved, namely how and why the Nostromo The creature was found in the first place. We learn that the Company, later revealed to be Weyland-Yutani, has ordered the android Ash to find it and bring it back, even at the cost of the crew’s lives. The revelation is painful and shocking for the remaining characters, but delicious for the audience. It’s such a ruthless directive that we hate everything about it, but we also simply need to know more. What does the Company think of this creature? How did they discover it? And what do they expect will happen if the mission is successful?
Scott’s film isn’t interested in those answers. Instead, like so many great science fiction films of the era, it leaves them to the imagination in favor of the characters and the story. Which, of course, Extraterrestrial a in every frame. That’s why it’s a masterpiece. But watching it again, thinking about the new movie coming out, we couldn’t help but marvel at the specific ways Extraterrestrial has attracted us and never let go for more than four decades.
Watch Extraterrestrial now on Hulu. The new film, Alien: Romulusopens on August 16.
Correction 2:15 p.m.: In our original article, we called the skeleton “the engineer,” which is a Prometheus term, not an Alien term. This has been updated.
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