Alien Analysis

Alien is a Sci-fi horror made in 1979 by Ridley Scott. Compared to horror films of today, the Chestburster scene is fairly timid, but in 1979 it was one of the most disgusting scenes people had ever seen.
The famous chestburster scene has many symbolic aspects such as the sexual/gynecological symbol.
Kane who has in essence been raped by the 'facehugger' is forced into giving birth to the alien. A big theme in the movie is actually birth; the computer is named Mother, characters are first shown coming out of pods, the aliens are at first eggs. His writhing around on the table is representative of male perceptions regarding the pain and weakness of women in childbirth, and traditional roles are reversed by placing the male in the role of the 'mother'. At the start of the the scene the crew are happy and have seemingly averted disaster. The shots are at eye-level, as the scene progresses the shots get higher. These high angles imply vunerability and a potential threat to the crew.

The scene has no music, which allows the screams of Kane and the shocked wails of Lambert and the rest of the crew to have a greater impact. The score is a pulsing diegetic sound that is intended to be the ambient noise on the ship but sounds unmistakably like the beat of a human heart. This heartbeat-like noise becomes clearer and more distinct as the scene progresses, mimicking the increasingly rapid cuts from shot to shot. Wide shots are used when all the characters crowd around Kane. Almost all the shots are two-shots, three-shots and medium shots to capture all of the action as it unfolds, with these shots come deep focus. It builds realism, the shots of Kane look like handheld shots and are very jerky. This creates P.O.V, like the audience is actually there and trying to hold him down. Another use of Mise-en-scene would be that Kane is wearing a white shirt before the alien emerges which ensures that the bright red blood would be visible. Also it takes place in the dining area of the ship which would naturally be a very clean and clinical area. White walls and the high-key lighting create a sense of false security.

In the 'Here Kitty' scene, the cat hisses behind Brett's shoulder and we expect him to be taken or eaten.
The scene uses various elements of film noir along with other elements of German expressionism and traditional silent horror. This means that low-key lighting is used more frequently.
There is water dripping from the roof, you wouldn't expect water to be inside a spaceship- vicious liquid drips from the aliens body and mouth. The heat, gas and wetness give the ship a living breathing aspect, with more of a environmental feel than a cold mechanical look. It's like a jungle, with chains hanging like vines and running water, with the alien acting as a carnivore hunting it's prey.