ALIEN TAKE TWO
WORDS Katie Kasperson
A rriving at the crux of space- based science fiction, Alien ’s success rode, in part, on its timing. Star Wars (later deemed Episode IV ) had premiered two years prior, and Alien ’s creators pitched it as ‘ Jaws in space’. But crediting the enduring appeal to its release date alone would be misguided; it’s a fundamental lesson in sci-fi filmmaking, from its attention to detail to its art direction to its dimly lit, dread-inducing imagery. Alien largely takes place in the dark – they are in outer space, after all – with the most well-lit locations being the Nostromo’s hospital unit and dining area. This general lack of lighting contributes to the film’s subtle terror, making the audience wonder what’s lurking in the spaceship’s shadows (or air ducts). We don’t actually see the titular alien in full until Ripley (Sigourney Weaver, in her first film role) expels it from the ship, making it clear that the threat lies in what’s unseen or unknown. Director Ridley Scott favoured a ‘natural approach to lighting for the sake of realism’ (as he writes in American Cinematographer ), a practice employed in Alien to heighten the sense of dread and keep the viewer on edge. Lighting the set was a daunting, time-consuming task, with Scott opting to light each scene separately to maintain directionality and mood, which he described as ‘gloomy, melancholy and depressing’.
In time for its 45th anniversary, we revisit this genre-defining classic, paying special attention to its lighting – or lack thereof
Alien is as much about what’s out of frame as what’s in it. To that end, the film frequently uses shadows – a trademark of low-key lighting – and silhouettes (backlighting), resulting in ominous, three-dimensional visuals. This is an especially effective technique
when introducing the alien spaceship, an intimidating yet bewitching object that allures the Nostromo’s captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt), executive officer Kane (John Hurt) and navigator Lambert (Veronica Cartwright). Alien also relies on practical lighting, such as the two torches that Dallas carries while hunting for the alien by crawling through the ducts. In these shots, the viewer can only see what’s illuminated by the torches, which is practically nothing. This mimics what Dallas himself would be seeing, adding to the realism Scott wanted to uphold. In one of the film’s few jump scares, the alien abruptly emerges from darkness – a classic horror trope. Because of the film’s limited funding, Scott and his crew had to get creative with other light sources. They borrowed lasers from The Who, who were on the soundstage next door, and used slit- scan photography – a process most famously associated with 2001: A Space Odyssey – to illustrate the Nostromo’s explosion. On a B-movie budget, the Alien team elevated the film to A status, where it remains to this day.
IN THE SHADOWS Limiting the use of light invokes a sense of unease throughout the film
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