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Esteban Ramirez

Professor Mary Grover

COL WRIT R1A

28 October 2019

The odd satisfaction of the unusual

There are an abundance of well known and successful films based on horrific yet alluring

science fictional presences. Science-fiction movies, and the implementation of horrifyingly

grotesque presences have been focused on entertaining people, relying on certain elements

naturally disposed to humans. Science-fiction films significantly rely on particular interests of

the general public knowing that in targeting what’s desired by many will conclude in a desirable

result. Humans are known to be attracted to things seemingly considered as peculiar, unusual,

and grotesque. There are certain external factors that help create movies towards the specific

goal of engaging the audience within the film; notability gender and the conventions that fall

under it is one of many external influences to impact the relevancy of certain films within public

eye. Human intrigue to the atypical in contrast with gender’s influence within films demonstrates

the connection between the two revealing truth behind what appeals to the public. This mixture

between conflicting characteristics is the basis in which films revolved around science fictional

presences receive their popularity revealing what humans interests really are. The sense of

ambiguity arises within films that involve science fictional presences working with one another

to unveil this unconventional fascination. Within the film, “​Aliens​,” this sense of ambiguity is

generated from conventional inability to identify the alien antagonist feed into humans interest

not commonly seen in films in similar dynamics. Alien’s presence within the film combines
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masculine and feminine conventions latching onto human attraction of the unusual to normalize

the science fictional presence created by visual cinematic ambiguity.

Understanding the significance of ambiguity within this film is essential towards

comprehending the extent of human allure over science fictional presences that go against

conventional expectations. Ambiguity is what feeds into the human fascination of peculiarities

evidently portrayed by supel presences. Alien within the film serves as a visually vivid example

demonstrating the significance ambiguity can have when in use. In one of the first scenes where

the audience is introduced to the violent species, film elements can be seen used to appeal

towards viewers. The setting, music, and most importantly unclear indiscretion of what’s

visually happening to Ripley within the scene. The scene begins with Ripley waking up in the

hospital, disoriented while surrounded by an overwhelming white walled environment. Burke

later within the scene enters starting conversation, and returning her cat that accompanied her

through her expedition hoping to be an initial incentive in getting Ripley to explain the reason for

the failed expedition. Cinematic ambiguity takes effect once the scenes dynamic changes, from

one second going from minimal conversation to intense, apprehensive chest clenching leaving

the audience with nothing more but to fear the obscurity of what’s viciously clawing from her

chest. The combination of the cat’s hiss before the abrupt change in music intensity along with

lack of visual evidence over what's happening to Ripley shows the significance of ambiguity in

films like ​Aliens​. The Alien’s presence acknowledges the significance of using ambiguous visual

descriptions, conveying a strange depiction appealing to the evident human inclination directed

towards the audience. Alien within the film uses the sense of ambiguity to highlight the

humanistic appeal of not fully knowing or understanding something allowing science fictional
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presences to emerge. Without ambiguous appeal science fictional presences like Alien would not

hold as much popularity.

Pulling away temporarily from the Alien presence, Keith Barry Grant within his book

uses a specific example within film where human intrigue demonstrates significance in the

production of unnatural presences popularized by viewers. It's important to realize that the

humanistic fascination towards unusual presences is engraved, and only truly shown when

limiting perceptions cloud reasoning, this being gender and its conventions. Grant dives into the

analysis of human inclination in relation to what’s stereotypically strange providing general

insight applipical to Alien’s presence. As stated within the chapter focusing on science fictional

presences, the sections revolved around mountrous ambiguity, the author states, “So, for

example, ​The Haunting ​(1963), it may be that the mysterious and frightening phenomena

occurring at Hill House are less the result of paranormal activity than of the repressed guilt and

sexual desire of Eleanor (Julie Harris), a member of the investigating team. (114) Grant uses ​The

Haunting ​to provide readers with a popular cinematic example over how much meaning is given

to a presence based on suppressed desires in film. Although Grant within the example focuses in

on the paranormal and the creation of its presence from a guilt accompanied by sexual repression

combo, the ideas application on Aliens presence is possible and much so relevant. Alien is a

product of the same repression of human fascination over the what's superficially considered

absurd. In the film Alien merges conventions by giving an example of hybridity through a

science fictional presence, leaving the audience intrigued to classify the species ultimately

leading to a dead end as the use of a conventional mindset it obsolete when trying to comprehend
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in such a traditional way. This generates an essential sense of ambiguity connoting Alien leaving

the audience, and those who try to conventionally understanding in this spiral of wonder.

Continuing on with the significance of Aliens presence within the film, there are specific

scenes that display the new found visibility of human interest in presences that go against

conventions. Close towards the end of the film, Ripley goes on this extremely heroic mission to

go rescue Newt, fueled by the mutual trauma of loss allowing to fulfill her militaristic maternal

urge. Upon reaching Newt in what seems to be the Alien’s manufacturing den, she enters this

hyper embryonic setting where the mother alien is hard at work pumping her vicious offspring.

At first glance, the audience is overwhelmed with the vivid setting trapped in maternal

dominance. The scene effectively emphasizes the extremities of mother aliens maternal

characteristic, a convention associated with women focusing on the process of reproduction and

birth, and exaggerates one side of the alien species presence. The presentation of mother alien

under the extremes of maternal properties provides the audience with one side of gender

conventions that are evident in the film, holding significance to demonstrate the eventual mixture

of conventional characteristics.

In contrast to the hyper maternal characteristics found in mother alien, the Alien presence

demonstrates violent, aggressive qualities characterized as masculine leaving the audience in a

state of intrigue from confliction. Mother alien although having these intense maternal

characteristics simultaneously presents masculine qualities leading the audience into being

attracted over the conflict found in the presence. Whether it be the phallic tongue heading

towards you, attempting to gouge your head out or by the piercing of your body by its long tail.

The violence demonstrated by Alien generates this contradiction as it combines the masculine
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and feminine conventions only leaving the audience with the ambiguity of how the species can

be classified. The need for classification comes naturally to humans, seeing as it a form of

understanding the world and living things within it, this is especially scene among humans. This

feeds into the affinity humans have towards the unusual allowing the reality of what is truly

attractive to be unveiled. Through presences like Alien the truth over what actually appeals to

humans is revealed progressing from conventions, and moving forward into an actual perception

over humans and general interests.

In essence, the film ​Aliens​ displays this mixture of feminine and masculine characteristics

portrayed by the antagonist alien species revealing an attraction towards the unusual fueled by

visual ambiguity. Gender and its conventions is a form of clarification paving the way for some

type of comprehension over the unknown or what’s considered atypical. The alien presence

within the film is subjected to these conventions, however, through the combination of gender

conventions Alien’s defiance leaves the audience in a state of confusion. The beauty behind this

confusion is that even though the aliens presence initially remains unclear, the lack of clarity is

what appeals to viewers showing the reality of what truly interests humans. The visual ambiguity

created by the fusion of masculine and feminine qualities leaves conventions useless seeing as

the combination negates traditional comprehension. Alien’s presence within this film is the

active demonstration of what raw human attraction towards the unusual can be, and allow a new

perception of interest to me seen.

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Works Cited

Weaver, Sigourney, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, James Cameron, David Giler, and

Walter Hill. ​Aliens​. Beverly Hills, Calif: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1986

Grant, Barry Keith. ​Monster Cinema​. Rutgers University Press, 2018.