Alien

Analyze that: 1. For this assignment, think about some of the **thematic**, and **stylistic** motifs that you've seen in the four previous films by the director that you've watched. What do you notice in this film that fits in with this director's body of work?

Ridley Scott is a very experimental director, and his films are either revered or flamed by critics. His works have a recurring theme of the cycle of life (birth to death). This theme is shown through the birth of the alien inside the egg. Also, when the “face hugger” impregnated it’s host, Kane. He also deals with creation, in the character Ash. The theme of creation is very prominent in the film Blade Runner as well, it is actually the main theme. Ridley Scott also has a unique style. In terms of special effects, his movies are exceptional. Alien and Prometheus both had some of the best special effects of their time. Ridley Scott often has strong female leads, for example in Blade Runner and Alien. This was fairly unique considering the time period they were released. In Alien, there is a lot of suspense, which is a big part of Ridley Scott’s style, apparent in all of his other films.

2. What are some of the most iconic director's choices that you've seen in any of the five films you've watched? What directors choices stood out the most to you? These examples don't necessarily need to be repeated in multiple films, but have helped define the director's image. For example, Kubrick might be known for the iconic scene of Danny riding his bike in one continuous steady-cam shot, or the most famous match cut of all time in//2001: A Space Odyssey// (which we will talk about later). Both of these examples are inherently 'Kubrick' moments, even though they don't have 'echoes' in his other films.

Alien-
 * The scene where the “chestburster” comes out of Kane. This served the purpose of adding an element of horror, as well as relating to the theme of Birth. It is also very convincing, the special effects are impeccable. Like many of Scott’s major scenes, it is very graphic. The Counselor and Gladiator also have very graphic elements; this is a major aspect of Ridley Scott’s style. Some viewers dismiss the graphic content as simple violence, however Ridley Scott has a purpose behind the gruesome scenes.
 * One choice i found interesting is towards the end where Ripley is in the shuttle and she begins to take off her clothes. At first I thought it was unnecessary, but when I thought about it I realized that it was meant to show that while she appeared to be very vulnerable without clothing, but in fact she was very capable, which was shown in how she killed the alien. Ridley Scott was trying to get the viewer to stop objectifying women. In prometheus, there was also a women who stayed alive, and was also shown in similar apparel.

The Counselor-
 * Laura's dresses during the days before she was captured were consistently white, although on the day she was caught she was wearing a vibrant red dress with a white coat on. The white represented her innocence. To the Counselor, she was wholly pure, perfect for him, so much so that he was willing to make a drug deal simply to live with her for the rest of his life. When we first see them they are under the covers surrounded in white. The red symbolized her blood and foreshadowed her demise. The way she was so perfect made her death that much more jarring and harsh, how the mistakes of one man broke something so innocent in such a horrific fashion.
 * This film has many deaths, but most murders are done with beheadings. Both beheadings are orchestrated by Malkina. Both times she could have easily used a much more simple method of killing, but instead she cuts off their heads. Westray and the Counselor actually have a discussion about the ruthlessness of people in the drug business and talk about beheadings. Ironically, Westray is warning him about the danger but he himself is beheaded. The beheadings are a symbol of not only the power of evil but the audacity, how far they will go even when it seems like they don't need to. One thing that Ridley Scott did was he had someone set up a line across a road, and before that that man measured the height of a motorcycle at a dealership. It seems obvious but I actually did not know what it was for. But while he was setting it up I kept thinking through what it could mean. This film was more than just mindless action, it was thought-provoking. The close up of the wire foreshadowed the death of the motorcyclist.

Blade Runner-
 * I found where Batty meets his maker, and kills him, very interesting. This hostility between creators and creations is also apparent in the movie Prometheus, where the person who was supposed to be their creator ended up killing the humans. When I first thought about it, I guess I always assumed that creators would love their creations. This is a popular christian belief, but Ridley takes that and says what if they literally kill each other?
 * In the last battle, where Deckard and Batty are fighting, a storm is raging on. There is a lot of thunder noises. This represents the chaos that is going on, how everything is indefinite. It adds to the sense of unease in the film, making the viewer nervous, wondering wether or not Deckard will die. As Batty stands above Deckard, a light radiates behind him. This light makes him seem very powerful. It shows how strong he is, due to the advancements in technology, which is scary becuase we know it would be incredibly easy for him to kill Deckard.