Summary
Director Ridley Scott’s reason for making his classic science fiction filmAlienonly makes me appreciate it even more.Alienhas been an absolute classic sci-fi movie ever since it debuted in 1979. Since then, it’s only become more popular, as it spawned an entire franchise, including the recentbox office hitAlien: Romulusand some otherupcomingAlienshows and movies.Alienhas come a long way since Ridley Scott directed the first film, but the reason he decided to make it in the first place makes me appreciate the originalAlieneven more.
Ridley Scott is a veritable legend of science fiction. In addition toAlienand its various sequels likePrometheus,Scott has directed dozens of great films, and many of them have become staples of the genre. FromBlade RunnertoThe Martian, he’s made quite a name for himself, but even legends get their inspiration from somewhere. For Ridley Scott, that inspiration came from a very common place, but his reason for makingAlienstill makes the film even better.
Every Alien Movie In The Franchise, Ranked Worst To Best
Ridley Scott’s Alien marked a shift in the sci-fi genre and kicked off a space horror franchise, but there’s definitely a worst and best Alien movie.
Ridley Scott’s Alien Was His Response To Star Wars
While promotingAlien: Romulus,Ridley Scott revealed his top four favorite movies. One of those four was the originalStar Wars, and Scott went on to explain that watching that movie made him turn down the film he was then planning to make and begin working onAlien.
As Scott mentioned, the main reason he took the job of directingAlienwas because he was inspired to drop his movie at the time,Tristan and Isolde, after watching the originalStar Wars. That decision, combined with a bit of luck to be offered the director job so quickly after, meant thatStar Warschanged the trajectory of Scott’s career, and it also changed the face of science fiction for the better by indirectly helping to makeAlien. Ridley Scott’s decision is an interesting bit of trivia, but it also made me appreciateAlienfor what it is: a dark reflection ofStar Wars.
Alien Was The Opposite Of Star Wars In Many Ways
It’s fairly clear that Ridley Scott wantedAliento be almost the exact opposite ofStar Wars, even though they have some surface-level similarities.WhereStar Warsdeals with lightsabers, legendary heroes, and the mystical nature of the Force,Alienconcerns acid, ordinary crew members, and the existential terror of hostile alien life. The most prominent alien inStar Warsis a giant dog and co-pilot, but the xenomorph inAlienis a vicious predator. The only thingsAlienandStar Warsmatch each other in are their worn-down esthetics and their deep space settings.
Every Type Of Xenomorph In The Alien Franchise Explained
The Xenomorph is one of the most iconic creatures in Science Fiction, which has led to several variations of the alien throughout various media.
There are a few great distinctions betweenAlienandStar Warsthat I’ve found helpful to show how different they are. One is their original taglines:Alien’s reads “In space, no one can hear you scream,” whileStar Wars' reads “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.“Another is their endings: both Ellen Ripley and Luke Skywalker were victorious, but Luke’s story ended with a party, while Ripley’s ended with the vacuum of space. Those details perfectly distill the differences between the films: one views space as a void filled with nothing but terror, while the other views it as a fantasy brimming with adventure.
Those details perfectly distill the differences between the films: Alien views space as a void filled with nothing but terror, while Star Wars views it as a fantasy brimming with adventure.
The wayAlienapproaches sci-fi from essentially the exact opposite viewpoint ofStar Warsis exactly why I appreciate it so much. I loveStar Wars, and I love that it tells a story of hope and goodness. I also enjoy movies that are willing to tell darker and more uncomfortable - but just as necessary - stories.Alienfills that niche: it’s the darkness toStar Wars' light and the perfect complement. It’s becauseAlienbrought terrifying sci-fi stories into the mainstream that the genre was allowed to tell as many varied and unique stories as it does today, a fact I’m extremely grateful for.
Both Star Wars & Alien Changed Science Fiction Forever
Even though they’re wildly different, bothAlienandStar Warsaffected science fiction in ways that simply can’t be overstated. Every sci-fi movie that has followed them has taken inspiration from them in some way.Icons of sci-fi horror fromThe ThingtoA Quiet Placewouldn’t have been possible without the body horror and xenomorphs ofAlien. Likewise, soaring space adventures likeThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to the GalaxyandGuardians of the Galaxywould be little more than dreams withoutStar Wars. Those films expanded the idea of what sci-fi could be in a way few movies ever have or ever will.
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Cast
Star Wars is a seminal science fiction film released in 1977 that follows the quest of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo to rescue Princess Leia from the oppressive Imperial forces. They are aided by the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, as they strive to restore peace to the galaxy.
Alienwouldn’t have been the massive success it is without Ridley Scott. The fact thatStar Warsinspired him to make the film is interesting enough in its own right, but it also really highlights something about sci-fi in general. Science fiction is a massive genre, and there’s more than enough room for horror movies likeAlienand space operas likeStar Wars. I find it really poetic that Scott proved that fact because of how much he enjoyed a story of hope and light.Star Wars' impact on Ridley Scott andAlienis proof that sci-fi has something for everyone, and I’m extremely glad he was able to show that.
Alien
Alien, directed by Ridley Scott, is a science fiction horror film that follows the crew of the commercial spacecraft Nostromo. Upon investigating a distress signal on a distant moon, they discover a deadly extraterrestrial lifeform. The film stars Sigourney Weaver as Ripley and became a seminal work in both the sci-fi and horror genres, known for its atmospheric tension and groundbreaking visual effects.
