Critique: Film> Articles.

If ever there were a heroine that dared to stand alone with the eusociality of an extraterrestrial life form, then it would have to be Ellen Ripley. The Xenomorph, whose disturbing life form involves the offspring violently erupting from human hosts, undoubtedly was (and still is) one of the most frightening recurring races ever created through Science-Fiction. Ripley’s seminal role, which began in the 1979 movie Alien, not only had the tenacity to thwart the erotic propagation of the Xenomorph, but presented a human angle to the discovery of their species in space, as well as challenging the stereotypes associated with gender within our society.

Whilst choosing to disregard anything to do with the “Newborn” creature and “Ripley #8” in Alien Resurrection as being a worthy addition to the franchise, I prefer to investigate the connection between antagonist and protagonist beginning with the first movie.

H.R. Giger’s refinement of the surreal Necronom IV  lithograph, with the help of director Ridley Scott, portrayed the beauty and sexual overtones of the creature within the first film. It’s loud hissing, provocative grin, and drooling fluids, had significant cultural impact upon its human predecessors.

Ripley’s personal encounters with the alien, particularly towards the climax of the first movie, are almost erotic in places. As the viewer sees the protagonist strip down to her underwear, it is at that moment that the seemingly neglected alien creature springs out of hiding to intimidate Ripley further. The slow building tension between the female human and Xenomorph during this scene are evident when Ripley’s respiratory levels increase, and her violent screams result from the advancement of the alien towards her.

The alien's combination of sexually evocative physical and behavioural characteristics are guilty of being seductive when in the presence of the human being. Indeed, much of the Alien’s looks and life cycle can be seen as a perverse sexual metaphor. The snapping metallic teeth are almost like the castrating vagina dentata , according to critic Ximena Gallardo, and are deliberate in design for creating an organic killing machine.

During the famous scene, where the chestburster explodes through Kane’s ribcage on Nostromo, there is a distinct connection between sex and death. On first contact with the species, Kane had been subdued and made pregnant by the facehugger from the egg, and later on the embryo had developed and escaped via its host. It is a nightmare for the viewer to see the male gender decimated via the birth of another species in such a fashion. Indeed, when the ovomorph succeeded in planting the embryo, it was via the method of sexual assault.

Undoubtedly, there is a blurring of human sexual dichotomy here. At the time Alien was released, Sigourney Weaver, who played Ripley, was a little known actress, and it was somewhat surprising for a film audience to see such a horrifying plot develop, with Ripley being the last remaining (female) character. Contrasting to Dallas, who was the more familiar lead role of the film, yet becomes one of the early captures of the Xenomorph along with Kane; then is later seen cocooned and helpless, being used as a host for the implantation process within the nest of the alien .

In this sense Ripley’s role is challenging the ideology of gender stereotypes: she is the only (female) survivor of the Nostromo crew, and overhauls the threat of the Xenomorph and its propagation, ultimately by herself.

The breakthrough feminist themes about women in combat made Sigourney Weaver a cinematic icon. The “Female Action Hero” was a rare title given to actresses in the days of Alien, and it wasn’t till the reprisal of Sarah Connor in Terminator 2, that Ellen Ripley had any serious (human) competition. The Iconic lone figure with a flame-thrower has been accepted and celebrated as pure cinematic magic, where Ripley, the heroine, triumphs over the alien species. Her strength and will to carry on through the suffering of her deceased crew makes her worthwhile to the female gender, yet truly iconic to the human race.

Furthermore, Ripley’s character role is made significant by challenging the ideals of science with a human angle: it is her common sense, emotion, and will to survive that relates her to the best of us.

If only the crew would’ve listened to Ripley citing quarantine protocol, there would have been no knowledge of the extraterrestrial life form, and humanity would be safe from its threat (at least for that first space adventure). Her attempts at persuading Science Officers Ash and Dallas to get rid of the facehugger were also blatantly ignored.

The casting of Jones, the cat, is notable for influencing further Ripley’s personality on screen. Despite being stalked by the alien, and with the self-destruct sequence of Nostromo rapidly counting down, Ripley is still desperate to get Jones out of there, under her wing, safely, after the crew has been completely diminished.

It is such characteristics that allow Ripley’s role to overshadow even that of the alien, which is quite extraordinary, especially given that the title of the movie refers to the antagonist. Although the alien is most certainly billed as the “Perfect Organism”, which leaves the audience intrigued to find out more about this highly aggressive, unfamiliar, extraterrestrial life form, it is the story of Ellen Ripley that keeps faith in human existence, and inspires further installments of the franchise.

Admittedly, I’ve had numerous nightmares of the chestburster ripping through my own rib cage, and I remain quite cynical when I hear about humanity’s attempts to explore other species in space. I’m not paranoid (much), but you have to remember that “Science-Fiction” is an oxymoron; a contradiction within itself.

Giger’s obscene, insectoid form was not a result of evolution, but deliberate design. The vaguely human features of the Xenomorph, with its skeletal, biomechanical appearance, may well be the most perfectly formed organism we’ve have ever seen. Its erotic nature of reproduction -"an interspecies rape", according to O'Bannon ('Alien Evolution', in the Alien Quadrilogy box set)- has haunted audiences for years; whilst the term "we are not alone" has rung through many of our minds.

Ripley not only installs pride within women, but gives faith to the whole of humanity’s explorations, on film. In fact, it isn’t 'til the third instalment in the franchise that we learn Ripley has finally been “caught”, and impregnated by the aliens; even then she was asleep when the attack took place.

Ripley fully deserves her rank as the 8th greatest hero in American Cinema History (AFI's 100 Years…100 Heroes and Villains), at the very least; while Scott’s Alien masterpiece must remain as one of the most significant sci-fi films of all time. And, of course, the award for the most grotesque surrealist artist goes to H.R. Giger. Undoubtedly.

(C) Andy Carrington, 2008.