This Halloween, director Ridley Scott is rolling out a re-mastered edition of his classic 1979 horror flick Alien. The choice of release date begs the question, is this film a trick or a treat?
Alien: The Director’s Cut is a treat to see at the cinema, particularly a theatre with a giant screen and seat-throbbing THX sound.
The tension of the film centres on the alien-terrorized crew aboard an isolated spaceship, ten months’ journey from earth. The big screen heightens this pressure with the immensity of outer space displayed as it can never be on a television screen. The big screen further brings to life the amazingly detailed sets, especially the Gothic-like cavernous spaceship where the alien is first encountered.
More dramatic is the difference that theatre sound quality brings to this film. This is a film that uses sound brilliantly, allowing the film to remain viable to audiences almost a quarter-century since its creation, while contemporaries that relied on visual-effects may seem dated in comparison with today’s computer animation technology. From Jerry Goldsmith’s glorious score, to the creepy foreboding chimes, beeps and alarms, to the thrilling computer-voiced countdown that dominates the conclusion, this film is a top example of how sound can effectively create mood and suspense.
Though the film shows its age in some minor details, like the constant chain-smoking aboard the confined spaceship and the futuristic computers that look primitive by today’s standards, it retains legitimacy with its timeless study of human relations. Like the prototypical Agatha Christie novel, Scott takes seven people with varying backgrounds and attitudes, confines them together in a tight space, and documents how they react and interact in the face of a life-threatening situation.
The film’s cast carve out their unique characters with conviction. Brit character actor Ian Holm (The Sweet Hereafter, Lord of the Rings) shines as the evil pompous scientist, Ash. Holm develops his character with every twitch of the mouth and shift of his body.
Though the film is certainly a treat to see in theatres with its stunning visuals, striking sound, and a sturdy plot with strong actors to carry it, Hollywood is still tricking us-if you are an Alien fan, do not go to this film expecting a product dramatically different from the original. By my count, only three scenes were clearly different. Two of these changes were minor, appealing to the modern audience’s appetite for blood and female-on-female violence. The third scene was a truer plot development, yet it raises more questions than answers, confusing the already frantic conclusion of the film. So one emerges from the theatre feeling duped by the typical Hollywood marketing ploy of repackaging something old and selling it as new.
So if you go to this film to see an old favourite, or a classic for the first time, magnified by the audio-visual offerings of a big theatre, you’ll be in for a treat. But if you go expecting to see a vastly changed Alien, well, the trick’s on you.
