Just watched a video about creating good villains and this young lad makes the mistake of saying the Xenomorph is the villain of Aliens.
It isn't.
The villain is the corporation, and the agent of that is Ash.
It isn't.
The villain is the corporation, and the agent of that is Ash.
Alien. Not aliens.
The alien itself is, essentially, the repercussions of the machinations of the corporation.
Ash lets the infected in, he allows it to develop and hatch, he tries to murder Ripley to cover up the corporation's instructions.
Ash lets the infected in, he allows it to develop and hatch, he tries to murder Ripley to cover up the corporation's instructions.
But he isn't human- he doesn't choose to do these things, he is a machine. Like the ship. Like the corporation. And, ultimately, like the alien.
The biomechanic motif of alien is humanity, life, vs inhumanity, the machine.
The biomechanic motif of alien is humanity, life, vs inhumanity, the machine.
This is especially true of our situation right now. The virus isn't the villain- it just is. The villains are those who allow it to spread, for greed, for their arrogance, for their beliefs, for profit.
The villain in Alien is capitalism.
The villain in Alien is capitalism.
Ripley represents (at least in the good movies) life. She holds life sacred. She makes the hard calls again and again to save people.
She refuses to let the away team on board- to protect the people on board- which is the right call.
She goes back for the cat.
She refuses to let the away team on board- to protect the people on board- which is the right call.
She goes back for the cat.
She constantly risks herself to save life in Aliens.
She goes back to lv436.
She drives the apc into the building to rescue the marines.
She nurtures a traumatised Newt.
She rescues hicks.
She goes back for Newt.
She goes back for Newt again with the loader.
She goes back to lv436.
She drives the apc into the building to rescue the marines.
She nurtures a traumatised Newt.
She rescues hicks.
She goes back for Newt.
She goes back for Newt again with the loader.
Ripley holds life dear, and makes decisions that put life above profit or things.
She blows up trillions and trillions of dollars of ships, cargo and colonies to save people.
The villains are always profit focused.
She blows up trillions and trillions of dollars of ships, cargo and colonies to save people.
The villains are always profit focused.
In aliens, Cameron flips the script on Ash- he writes Bishop as a machine that protects life and Burke as the monster- a human, making evil decisions for the company. This is a strong message that humans make corporations.
You can see this when Bishop places his hand over Gormans in r
The knife trick. Even though he must follow the instructions to play the game, he protects Gorman with his hand- and he cuts himself as a result.
Burke, however, talks sweet but chooses profit over life.
The knife trick. Even though he must follow the instructions to play the game, he protects Gorman with his hand- and he cuts himself as a result.
Burke, however, talks sweet but chooses profit over life.
The xenomorph isn't the villain of Alien. The queen isn't the villain in Aliens.
Got that?
We are.
Got that?
We are.
I think that is why Alien 3 fails. It does not have a villain per se- it is just a bunch of dudes and Ripley trying to stop an Alien pooch. She is doomed and everyone is doomed and none of them represent life. It is just one depressing note.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
