Scene Analysis in Movie Alien 1979 Term Paper

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Alien Chestburster Scene Analysis

Analysis of the Chestburster Sequence in Alien

Ridley Scott's Alien (1979) is one of the most riveting and horrifying sci-fi film of the 20th century. While the film's title points to an unknown alien creature, the audience is not introduced to this threat until approximately 52-minutes into the narrative during the infamous, and one of the most recognizable sci-fi scenes of the film -- the chestburster scene. Despite lasting less than two-minutes, this scene is one of the most terrifyingly recognizable scenes in Alien (1979) due to its mise-en-scene, composition, editing, sound, and action.

The chestburster scene takes place in the Nostromo's canteen -- the spaceship's dining hall -- where the crew, is enjoying one last meal together before being put into hypersleep in order to return to Earth. The ship's crew is limited in size and is made up of Lambert, the Nostromo's navigator; Ash, the ship's science officer who is later revealed to be an android; Kane, the ship's executive officer; Parker, the chief engineer; Dallas, ship's captain; Brett, the ship's engineering technician; and Ripley, the warrant officer. The entire crew is present during this final meal before they are scheduled to go into hypersleep and go back to Earth. In the events leading up to this dinner scene, Kane had been attacked by an unidentified alien creature that attached itself to his face during the excavation of a seemingly abandoned alien spacecraft. It is only when the face hugging creature voluntarily detaches itself from Kane's face -- and he seemingly returns to his former self -- that the crew decide to continue with their Earth-bound preparations and, in the process, grant's Kane's request for a final meal.

The mise-en-scene of the chestburster scene is minimally stylized, which allows the viewer to focus on Kane and the alien attempting to make its way through his chest. The dining hall is mostly white, which gives the scene an almost sterile look and feel. Likewise, the crewmembers are wearing predominantly white clothes with hints of neutral colors such as blue and a washed-out green.

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Kane's white clothing thus provides the perfect canvas for the violent and bloody action of the scene. In a way, the color of these costumes is symbolic of purity and innocence. Up until the point where Kane's chest is torn apart by the alien, the crew was oblivious to the danger they had put themselves into after letting Kane return to the Nostromo with the alien attached to his face, a clear violation of their quarantine regulations. These costumes are not futuristic, but rather are simple and timeless. At the center of the room, and of the action, is an apparently round table. Even though the table is round, the different characters are not evenly space around it; sitting on the right are Ash, Brett, and Ripley, and on the other side are Parker, Kane, Dallas, and Lambert. On the table are various food items in tall receptacles that, unfortunately, obstruct some of the view. Hanging above the dining table is a round, bulbous light -- brighter than the fluorescent lighting around the room. This overhanging light draws the viewers' attention to the center of the screen and will also help to illuminate the ensuing action. The majority of the lighting in this scene is low key and clearly artificial, which further emphasizes the confined ambiance of the space ship. Artificial lighting allows the viewer to understand that there is a lack of natural light because the Nostromo is navigating unknown recesses of space.

The most effective prop used in these sequence is the chestburster alien itself. The alien itself is menacing in its own right. While it may, in any other context, appear to be less harmful due to its size, which is probably no more than six to eight inches tall -- excluding its tail which possibly adds another two feet, it is evident that it is a powerful creature because of its violent introduction into the world. The chestburster is looks realistic -- as far as aliens go -- and its movements and puppetry further force the audience to a suspension of disbelief.

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