Ridley Scott's Alien is a masterclass in tension-building, which would have all been lost if Scott hadn't decided to ignore the studio's . Scott's 1979 science-fiction masterpiece follows the crew of a commercial spacecraft, who unwittingly unleash a vicious, deadly alien - known as a Xenomorph - aboard their ship. Alien's success is primarily due to the slow build of anxiety crafted by Scott in the lead-up to protagonist Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) fighting back against the creature, which itself does not appear for 45 minutes. The absence of the alien was criticized by the studio, but Scott's insistence that the creature should be absent for the first half of the movie undoubtedly led to the franchise's success.
Ridley Scott was right about Alien, particularly when he opted to reserve the titular monster's appearance for the second half of the movie. The first half is dedicated to the crew, focusing on their dynamic and also constructing a sense of claustrophobia within their spaceship. Scott recalls on the Alien DVD commentary, "I having this argument... They kept saying nothing happens for 45 minutes. I said, 'well that's the whole point...'" The atmosphere created during this is precisely what makes the second half so effective. Without the intense claustrophobia and human relationships established, the remaining movie wouldn't have been anywhere near as terrifying or as immersive for its audience. Moreover, omitting the alien provided much greater story potential for subsequent sequels.
Alien's Human Cast Needed The First Half Of The Movie To Have No Alien
Many incredible moments permeate the Xenomorph's eggs in Alien, but it was important that she was overlooked, for the movie, and also the burgeoning franchise.
How The Missing Alien Helped The Overall Franchise
One of the themes prevalent throughout the Alien franchise is the apparent parallels between Ripley and the Xenomorph, particularly the alien Queen depicted in multiple sequels in an Alien franchise when he said this, but it does suggest - in the context of the wider franchise - that Scott's Alien sets up the subsequent movies where Xenomorphs, as well as an overarching tone and tension, have been fully established and could then over-run the narrative.
Ridley Scott's decision to ignore the studio executives and omit the Xenomorph from the first half of Alien led to the success of the franchise and the protagonist Ellen Ripley. Without this decision, a fast-paced Alien would have undercut the excruciating tension created by Scott, and then would not have been a hunger for a fast-paced action sequel. Ridley Scott's decision regarding the Xenomorph is arguably the reason the movie and its sequels were not only successful but also left more stories to explore.
