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Posted on 09/01/14 02:11 PM MDT under - Week 3 - Assignment

The Resurrection of Evil
Nicolette L Pawelczak
ENG 225 Introductions to Film
September, 1 2014
Christine Hilger

The Alien movies were a very successful Quadriology of movies. The are several themes used throughout the movie series. For this paper I will be discussing one of those themes. A theme is an idea, subject, or topic of some kind that pervades the plot. It is not so much what "happens," but rather what the movie is "about," part of the meaning you are expected to take away from the work, (Goodykoontz & Jacobs 2011). A film can often times have more than one theme, and this is used in the Aliens films. Several themes are used throughout each movie installment. Some of those used are, Evil Aliens, Robots and Androids, and Experiments that have ended up badly. When watching a film you try as the viewer to analyze the film and figure out what it means to you. Sometimes a theme will be easy to recognize, but other viewers may be able to go deep into a movies meaning and find other themes. The most obvious theme of these movies is the story behind coming in contact with and dealing with evil... the Alien. In this film, two centuries after Ripley’s death, doctors on board a new space station called the Auriga were able to clone Ripley using a blood sample. The reason for doing this is so that the scientists can harvest the queen embryo that is growing inside of her. After several failed tries to clone Ripley the scientist are finally successful and are able to extract the alien for study and growth. As discussed previously, the major theme is the situations and altercations the characters will have to face with the Alien. A strong secondary theme is experiments that have ended up badly. This theme can be found in the fact that now Ripley has regained consciousness and seems to have capabilities that she did not have previously, therefore suggesting she may contain alien DNA.

All films use various types of methods to capture the audience’s attention. They use a combination of several things, but in a science fiction film the cinematographers use images. Sounds, textures and techniques to bring the story to life, and to make it believable. These films are well known for their visual designs as well as the special affects. One techniques used in the movie is the cinematography and scene development or set design. This film is a blend of science fiction and horror. Several scenes use silence and false cues to play with the moment of the attack... This in film making and directing is called the “haunted house” motif (Lev, P. 1998). For example; the scene in which Ripley is taken by the creature and taken to the nest of the “queen”, we witness the “silence” here; we are left to take in the surroundings and the detail of the queens power. Seeing the expression of fear and anticipation on Ripley’s face makes the viewer wonder what she is thinking and feeling. Science fiction and horror films often times symbols are used to enhance characters, settings and plots. Even colors, lighting and different uses in cinematography can be used symbolically. The symbol in this film seems to be dramatic irony. Dramatic irony exists when the audience understands what is going on in the story to a degree that the characters do not. For example; in the scene where two scientists are experimenting with the aliens in the confinement units, they are unaware that the aliens are able to communicate and devise a plan. The audience however knows exactly what is about to happen, we see what will happen before the characters know that their demise is about to happen.

Alien Resurrection utilizes the dramatic irony in the last scene described; but it also demonstrates the effectiveness in the set design. That example would be how the ship uses the variety of empty spaces or wasted spaces effectively