Alien Analysis...
This science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott was released in 1979. Following a crew on on ship which is quickly being destroyed by the agonist a mysterious evil Alien creature.
The first scene that I am analysing,is the ever famous , chest burster scene,having received an Academy Award for best Visual Effects,this scene has a lot to live up to.
The scene begins with a wide shot of the whole crew having a meal . We can see that the structure of the room is mainly white , following the sci-fi convention of having a futuristic look , however we can see the culture of objects on the table, this could represent the human side of the crew, they are human and therefore make a mess like any of us. We can see that their uniform is not matching, they each have their own individual look which could show that they are not fully a team. The mis en scene of a messy table and un co-ordinated uniform ,could foreshadow that chaos is to come and clearly the team are not prepared showing that they are venerable, this makes me feel frustrated as being in the audience we know something is coming. This also follows a horror convention as something disastrous always comes when the characters least expect it. Also the use of the spotlight in the center could show that this is the central place of happenings.
Throughout the whole of the scene we see shallow focus when in a shot of a character they are in focus yet the back ground is not. i think this is used to emphasize the characters emotion. The un focus in the background could also show that they are unclear as to what is happening. Also particularly in the shot, the background showing a door is out of focus , this could reflect their isolation and the fact that anything beyond those four walls is unknown. This is using a horror convention , the theme of isolation and seclusion is used.
John Hurt provides an excellent performance of convulsions and pure agony.Non- diegetic sounds of screeching ,gasping and shouting,kept me more involved in the scene ,with no music to enhance the scene,we purely focus on every breath ,gasp and shout that is made making us feel as if we are there,it is a raw scene that is brutal and honest with no music to mask any unwanted noises, ironically to the situation,only non- diegetic sounds make the scene seem more natural and realistic.
Whilst Kane is on the table a high angle shot is used, this could show that Kane is overpowered by the disease and is extremely vulnerable to the situation .Through mis en scene a bright light, hanging above the table is used over Kane,to direct view to him , it could also show that the pain is harsh and overwhelming.In this shot we can see that a white T shirt is used,this emphasizes the blood, if a black T- Shirt were to be used it would not be visible and therefore not have the same effect.
Towards the end of the scene we see the Alien run across the table, this is meant to have an effect of shock,yet as a modern viewer i felt that the effects were old fashioned,which therefore took away the shock factor and added a element of humor as i was laughing at the effects which made it look unrealistic and therefore unbelievable.
Here we see a mid close up shot of Ash at eye level contemplating the event. Placed on the right of the shot and although being out of focus the blood stained white door is still imminent within the shot.This could show that now the ship is blood stained,it will continue to be. Also it shows by focusing on Ash that he is somehow responsible for the bloodstain caused on the ship,which is foreshadowing what will come.
This next scene is the Here Kitty scene.Foolish Brett is going to find the ships cat.
In this scene low key lighting is used ,to distort visibility , immediately making it a dangerous place to be.This wide shot is taken at a low angle to show the large dark mysterious room , we can see that Brett is a lot smaller in comparison to the room which makes it more imposing and makes Brett seem more vulnerable.
Mis en scene is used to create water drops and chains chinking from the celling ,creating non - diegetic sounds. Although indoors the water drops can be seen as pathetic fallacy ,which is another convention of horror ,when the weather is bad , something is bound to go wrong. Water dripping on board a ship is unusual, i think that this is a sign of a faulty ship which makes me feel even more uneasy about the situation.
The cutting of shots is fairly quick throughout this scene, they almost take on the pace of breathing,which can show the significance of life, we can tell a life is about to be killed by a new life that is breathing somewhere near. When Brett turns to be confronted by the Alien , he is attacked and the shots are cut very quickly to show the chaos and panic!It leads to a sudden end and left me shell shocked. Shock is a theme used in thrillers and horrors.
