Alien Values

Last updated: Sat Aug 10 2024

I recently rewatched Alien for the first time since I was in high school.

Alien is a still a masterpiece after almost four decades. The production design is so stellar that it still holds up even in 4k. Watching Ripley sing “you are my lucky star…” is just as tense today as it must have been in 1979. No surprise it generated such a long-running franchise — did you know there’s a new TV series coming out next year?

Which is why it’s interesting to read the original, decidedly mixed reviews on release. A number of critics thought Alien was not particularly imaginative or complex; apparently, Gene Siskel rated it positively, but thought it was just a haunted house film in space!

But Siskel is right. Although the actors are impeccable, none of the characters they portray have much more personality than “the guy that complains about his shares.” If you’ve seen Alien, can you even remember all the crew members, let alone name them? Although Alien uses motifs of capitalism-run-amok and gender relations, it’s hard to say these rise to the level of theme. What, after all, is Alien really saying about society? That capitalism, as a system, doesn’t value the lives of the workers that make it work? Perhaps — but then there’s dozens of films that make the same point in greater detail and ferocity. I wonder how many viewers walked out of Alien with a newfound commitment to their local teamsters union.

Then why do I still consider Alien a masterpiece?

Partly it’s a matter of goals. Alien sets out to tell a spooky campfire story about an alien hunting hapless humans, and it succeeds at that as well or better than any other film that’s tried.

More broadly, though, there’s a question about storytelling. What should the goals of a story be? Should a good story say something about the world, or is it enough to be entertained?

While I will admit a preference for the literary, I’m not sure that’s a prerequisite for good storytelling. Perhaps being entertained is enough. As folklorists would remind us, traditional folktales of the sort collected by the Brothers Grimm were not intended as moral fables for children; they were just fun stories told to pass the time while chopping firewood or spinning thread.

Perhaps that’s all a story owes us; perhaps that’s all a story should be judged by. Did it help us pass the time on the way from the cradle to the grave?

See you in a week or two,
Russell

P.S. Apologies for missing last week. I tested positive for Covid and I have to say this time round was much worse; I had the worst congestion of my life, and I could still feel it in my forehead despite nasal decongestant and a couple Advils. Instead of doing anything productive, I huddled under a blanket and watched The Acolyte (so mediocre it almost feels like a fever dream) and Atlanta (fantastic, if not always exactly my vibe).

P.P.S. I started my new role at Descript this week! If anybody is looking to try it out, I get a 50% off family-and-friends discount 😉