Was there any ambiguity in Alien tc or dc ?

[oduodu]

Was there any ambiguity in the original Alien movie?  Director or theatrical cut?

[The Old One]

Yes, the entire Derelict, Space Jockey, the Alien's reproduction. Amongst other things.

[Elmazalman]

Plenty. More so in the theatrical cut (Dallas' final fate is left unexplained, etc).

[oduodu]

Yes, the entire Derelict, Space Jockey, the Alien's reproduction. Amongst other things.

so the space jockey chest busted and a acid hole in the floor - more than one interpretation as to how that happened ie the sequence of events that might explain that

the derelict egg chamber seeming considerably bigger than derelict looked from the outside or somehow space warped

that alien was moulting or maybe dying in the narcissis?

is this what you mean?

[The Old One]

Indeed it is.

[Samhain13]

When I watch Alien I feel there is a lot of ambiguity in regards to the Alien creature, how its mind works. It's the least animal like interpretation of the creature, it looked more humanoid than any of the others, and the human like posture makes it more creepier than the raptor like ones from the sequels.

Like in the novelization Ash tells the others to try to communicate with it, as it could be actually be smart enough to understand them and when asked if he tried to talk with it, he doesn't answer. Whatever the Alien is a smart conscious being or just an animal following its instincts is up for the viewer to decide.

As far as fan theories go, some said the Alien had inherited Kane's mind and memories, being as smart as a person and yet choosing to kill the crew merely for curiosity. Same thing with what many fans believe it did to Lambert, how it raped her with its tail. Knowing she was a female, it tried to perform the male part just for curiosity, wondering if it could work with it or if it could get something out of it, aware of human sex due to Kane's memories.

Also something that was in some earlier drafts of the script: Its only acting violent because its alone and young, without other members of its kind to civilize it. Like a feral human born in the wild without anyone to learn morality from.

Then there is the "dying in the narcissis" thing you mentioned, if the eggs were used as weapons to clean up life off planets, it would be quite useful if the aliens naturally died after killing all its inhabitants, having short lifecycle. Leaving the planet free to the ones that bombed it with eggs to colonize it.

Its mainly due to this ambiguity of the creature that the first movie is my favorite. It is truly an Alien creature to us. We have no idea of what it is on its mind.



Ridley had an idea of having the Alien talk at the end. Here is some interesting thoughts of members here about how it could be done:

There's variations on the Alien delivering dialogue at the end of the movie.  Some sources say it mimicked Ripley; others say it was to mimic Dallas.  It certainly had plenty of time on its own with Dallas while it had him fastened to a wall.  Hell.  That's a creepy thought, while Dallas was being eggmorphed, it was constantly learning from him, including how to talk.

-Windebieste.

Doubtful, or else it would've used a voice to lure Ripley, and then it's cliche.

But the idea of learning the stuff is frightening.

I imagine it stabbing him with a long and pointed finger to make him scream, then imitating the scream along with him. Well off key at first, but perfecting it within a few seconds. Probing the wound to keep him screaming, until it's identical. Two forms screaming in the dark, but one voice. Face to face in the black. Hearing his own voice spouted back at him from his tormentor. It climbs down and slithers away, mimicking his words. A hissing chorus of names and things it doesn't need to understand. It was merely curious. It dashes up a shaft in the distance, and leaves the secretion to its work.

Very unsettling.

[Oasis Nadrama]

Thank you Samhain, you've sumed up things well.

I'll add some people noticed the Alien really does look a lot like its environment, and may be only biomechanical because the Nostromo is mechanical. It makes sense thematics-wise in my opinion, but it could also have an intradiegetic explanation, maybe its appearance develops according to its environment, for camouflage for example.

That's one of the multiple sins of AlienS, when you have multiple copies of the creature and they all look like Kane's son (minus the dome), there's no mystery left.

[SiL]

Scott said it was biomechanical because the Jockey was, not because of the ship.

[oduodu]

When I watch Alien I feel there is a lot of ambiguity in regards to the Alien creature, how its mind works. It's the least animal like interpretation of the creature, it looked more humanoid than any of the others, and the human like posture makes it more creepier than the raptor like ones from the sequels.

Like in the novelization Ash tells the others to try to communicate with it, as it could be actually be smart enough to understand them and when asked if he tried to talk with it, he doesn't answer. Whatever the Alien is a smart conscious being or just an animal following its instincts is up for the viewer to decide.

As far as fan theories go, some said the Alien had inherited Kane's mind and memories, being as smart as a person and yet choosing to kill the crew merely for curiosity. Same thing with what many fans believe it did to Lambert, how it raped her with its tail. Knowing she was a female, it tried to perform the male part just for curiosity, wondering if it could work with it or if it could get something out of it, aware of human sex due to Kane's memories.

Also something that was in some earlier drafts of the script: Its only acting violent because its alone and young, without other members of its kind to civilize it. Like a feral human born in the wild without anyone to learn morality from.

Then there is the "dying in the narcissis" thing you mentioned, if the eggs were used as weapons to clean up life off planets, it would be quite useful if the aliens naturally died after killing all its inhabitants, having short lifecycle. Leaving the planet free to the ones that bombed it with eggs to colonize it.

Its mainly due to this ambiguity of the creature that the first movie is my favorite. It is truly an Alien creature to us. We have no idea of what it is on its mind.



Ridley had an idea of having the Alien talk at the end. Here is some interesting thoughts of members here about how it could be done:

There's variations on the Alien delivering dialogue at the end of the movie.  Some sources say it mimicked Ripley; others say it was to mimic Dallas.  It certainly had plenty of time on its own with Dallas while it had him fastened to a wall.  Hell.  That's a creepy thought, while Dallas was being eggmorphed, it was constantly learning from him, including how to talk.

-Windebieste.

Doubtful, or else it would've used a voice to lure Ripley, and then it's cliche.

But the idea of learning the stuff is frightening.

I imagine it stabbing him with a long and pointed finger to make him scream, then imitating the scream along with him. Well off key at first, but perfecting it within a few seconds. Probing the wound to keep him screaming, until it's identical. Two forms screaming in the dark, but one voice. Face to face in the black. Hearing his own voice spouted back at him from his tormentor. It climbs down and slithers away, mimicking his words. A hissing chorus of names and things it doesn't need to understand. It was merely curious. It dashes up a shaft in the distance, and leaves the secretion to its work.

Very unsettling.

ah lambert's death . yes we dont know exactly what the alien did to her.

[Elmazalman]

This outtake (Lambert's POV) presents a possible method of execution. What happens before death is (best) left to the viewer's imagination.

Spoiler

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[P-Rock]

Ambiguity? Well, the alien's head is shaped like a giant penis which wants to penetrate people. I think you can fill in the ambiguity for yourself.

[Oasis Nadrama]

Scott said it was biomechanical because the Jockey was, not because of the ship.

Scott also repeats bioweapon bioweapon bioweapon these days, yet this part is left ambiguous in the movie.

[The Old One]

It's a weapon alright though, intentionally or unintentionally.

[SiL]

Scott also repeats bioweapon bioweapon bioweapon these days, yet this part is left ambiguous in the movie.

Sure, but it's kind of dumb to say Aliens sinned by ruling out an option that was never actually considered an option.

Not that Aliens even does that -- Hadley's Hope is mechanical, as is the atmosphere processor where the Aliens build their home. Aliens arguably supports the idea.

[Huggs]

Ridley had an idea of having the Alien talk at the end. Here is some interesting thoughts of members here about how it could be done:

There's variations on the Alien delivering dialogue at the end of the movie.  Some sources say it mimicked Ripley; others say it was to mimic Dallas.  It certainly had plenty of time on its own with Dallas while it had him fastened to a wall.  Hell.  That's a creepy thought, while Dallas was being eggmorphed, it was constantly learning from him, including how to talk.

-Windebieste.

Doubtful, or else it would've used a voice to lure Ripley, and then it's cliche.

But the idea of learning the stuff is frightening.

I imagine it stabbing him with a long and pointed finger to make him scream, then imitating the scream along with him. Well off key at first, but perfecting it within a few seconds. Probing the wound to keep him screaming, until it's identical. Two forms screaming in the dark, but one voice. Face to face in the black. Hearing his own voice spouted back at him from his tormentor. It climbs down and slithers away, mimicking his words. A hissing chorus of names and things it doesn't need to understand. It was merely curious. It dashes up a shaft in the distance, and leaves the secretion to its work.

Very unsettling.

That scene still scares me, and I wrote it.