Aliens - Structure Part 3

ACT THREE

SCENE ONE

The group, gathered in the Operations area, assesses the weaponry they have.

Ripley cuts in once Hicks is done, addressing the elephant in the room: Hicks answers that they can’t expect a rescue for seventeen days.

Hudson freaks out. Ripley cuts in, pointing out that newt survived alone. Hudson isn’t calmed, so Ripley yells at him, and gives him a task.

Hudson accepts, and the other marines clearly respect Ripley and are already considering her the leader.

Turns: Ripley orders Hudson

Values: FEAR + CONFIDENCE

Purpose: This is it. All the set-up has been paid off: Ripley, who began as the terror-crippled victim, has ascended to become the resolved leader. The punctuation of this process is probably put at the beginning of this act to hint again to the audience that the genre has subtly changed – fear and suspense are still with us, but now it’s about resolving to survive and fight. As Act Two, Scene Eighteen introduced, this scene affirms: We’ve gone from Thriller to Action Thriller.

This is also reminiscent of the first film – after discovering the alien, the Nostromo crew organized plans to trap it in ducts, and here we are looking at maps of ductwork. For those who saw Alien, this could be some powerful set-up for a surprise – things aren’t going to turn out quite the same.

SCENE TWO

Ripley and the others look over the data Hudson has called up. They discuss how the Aliens must be getting in.

Hicks pulls Newt onto the map to include her. Burke attempts to make a comment, but is shut down before he utters a word.

Ripley lays out a plan, and Hicks accepts it.

Then we see Hudson closing a door, and Burke moving boxes.

Ripley and Hicks finish welding a barricade shut. Then Hicks offers Ripley a personal tracker. Ripley is flattered, and Hicks disarms the situation with some humor.

Turns: Hicks offers Ripley the tracker

Values: LABOR + LOVE

Purpose: I’m not really sure why Ripley was given Hicks as a love interest. It does solidify the archetype of family on top of the mother-daughter relationship with Ripley-Newt.

SCENE THREE

Ripley enters med-Bay carrying a sleepy Newt. She lays down Newt, telling her to sleep. Ripley speaks to Newt childishly, saying her doll doesn’t have bad dreams. Newt points out the obvious absurdity of this, which Ripley appreciates.

Newt asks why parents tell children there are no monsters- Ripley acknowledges Newt’s disillusion, but assures Newt usually parents aren’t lying.

Ripley tries to leave her, but Newt pulls her close. An assurance that Ripley can see Newt through the camera isn’t quite enough.

Ripley offers Newt the tracker, and promises she will not leaver her, no matter what. Newt hugs her, and Ripley feels very mom.

Turns: Newt accepts Ripley’s promise

Values: LOVE ++ FAMILY

Purpose: This is setting up Ripley’s Crisis decision – run or face her fears to fight for the life she wants. Here, the promise to never leave Newt locks in her maternal relationship, and Newt as the symbol of her ‘new life-‘ if she can survive, that is.

SCENE FOUR

Ripley goes over the life cycle with the others, as they view the dead larvae/facehuggers. She suggests that they are being laid by something. Bishop suggests that the have not seen it yet.

Ripley tells Bishop to destroy the samples, but Bishop reports that Mr. Burke insisted they be saved and taken back.

Turns: Bishop reveals Burke’s instructions

Values: INVESTIGATION – BETRAYAL

Purpose: Total exposition set-up scene. Saved from complete exposition failure by directly linking to the next scene (which one could perhaps consider to simply be part 2 of the same scene).

SCENE FIVE

Ripley confronts Burke. He defends the plan, but Ripley reveals that she won’t allow it. Then she reveals to Burke she knows that he sent the colonists in personally to investigate the derelict. He didn’t warn them, and this whole tragedy is blood on his hands.

Burke tries to insult Ripley, but she deflects.

Values: ACCUSATION ++ JUSTICE

Purpose: Echoing the first Alien, corporate greed is the secondary antagonist, but the catalyst which brings about the main antagonist (the aliens). The two antagonists go together, since the Aliens represent a nightmarish perversion of sexual greed (rape), while the corporation is interpersonal greed (evil). Unlike movie 1, the corporate evil isn’t a faceless puppet master working through a computer and a synthetic – it has a face among the crew. This is Ripley’s chance to face and accuse that greed, at last.

(Interestingly, the synthetic – bidder of corporate greed in the last movie – as a redeemable figure in this one. Like Ripley, Bishop will represent those that have been harmed by the corporate greed, but emerge uncorrupted.)

Functionally, though, having a threat on the inside (Bishop and Burke) as well as one on the outside makes the tension even higher.

SCENE SIX

Ripley, Bishop et al. are watching the reactor. Ripley grows impatient as nothing happens, but then a plasma jet vents.

Bishop explains while Hudson wanders off, his next freak-out percolating. Hicks asks, and Bishop delivers the ultimatum details of impending nuclear destruction.

Hudson begins to freak out. Ripley and Hicks attempt to figure out a solution while Hudson goes nuts-o.

Hudson finally becomes too much to handle, when Bishop cuts in and volunteers.

Bishop explains why it is a good solution – though of course he’d rather not go.

We then cut to Bishop jumping in to the tube, while he lays out how long they can expect before the drop ship arrives. He is handed a gun (he rejects it), and being sealed in as he crawls down.

Turns: Bishop explains the consequences of the venting, Bishop volunteers

Values: TENSION - - DOOM + HOPE

Purpose: I took some time to consider this device: wasn’t the tension high enough already? Ripley’s crisis already depends on a time limit – Newt will be impregnated in short order after being captured.

The countdown adds juicy tension to everything, but I posit that its primary purpose is to keep a sense of dread to the scenes where there is no sign of the aliens – they are in a pressure cooker, hunted from without and doomed to soon die within.

Also, however, this device makes the ‘false’ climax work. Ripley and Newt escape, and the alien seems to be defeated by the explosion.  

SCENE SEVEN

Hicks sends Hudson and Vasquez on patrol. He gives them words of encouragement, and Vasques pushes Hudson on, her morale boosted.

Hicks turns to Ripley, asking about her level of rest, but she asks Hicks to kill her if she is captured. Hicks assures he’ll off them both, but offers hope it might not come to that.

Hicks moves on to show her how to use the pulse rifle.

[Footage of Bishop crawling is intercut]

Hicks finishes, then passes by the grenade launcher. Ripley insists on that being shown too, and Hicks agrees with a laugh.

Turns: Ripley agrees to rifle training

Values: DREAD + HOPE

Purpose: Ripley is really saying to Hicks “I’m the acting leader, but I’m terrified.” Hicks says back, “I believe in you, and I’m ready to lead if you can’t.”

This is making some concession to the reality of leadership. She isn’t perfect, having risen to the role in the fire of crisis. So she is supported by her potential lover, who is second in command.

Hicks gets more empathetic, which may help later when it is just Hicks and Ripley, and Hicks makes Ripley leave Newt.

SCENE EIGHT

Ripley walks out, and runs into Gorman, now awake. After pleasantries, Gorman tries to apologize. Ripley dismisses him, and walks off. Gorman is left to Vasquez’s death stare.

Turns: This scene is interesting, because Ripley prevents it from turning.

Values: AWKWARDNESS

Purpose: This is pure set-up for Gorman’s redemption later. This scene keeps his sub-plot moving, so that he wasn’t JUST a cheap set-up for Ripley’s rise – he has his own story of conquering fear which resonates thematically with the main story.

SCENE NINE

Ripley enters Med-Bay. Newt isn’t in bed. But just as Ripley’s fear rises, she checks under the bed and sees Newt sleeping there. Ripley climbs in to join her.

Turns: Newt is missing, Ripley finds Newt

Values: PEACE – ALARM + LOVE

Purpose: Are these real turns? They seem stronger than Scene Ten’s turn, but still are very light. These turns aren’t strong story events…unless you consider their relationship to scene Eleven forthcoming, and their set-up quality to the big turns in that scene.

SCENE TEN

Bishop works at a portable terminal outside the atmosphere processor. We see the dropship move.

Turns: None?

Purpose: I suppose you could call the dropship moving a turn. It goes from ANTICIPATION + HOPE or something. I don’t really think so. This is a flat scene which helps to increase the tension.

Interesting that they showed it instead of leaving us wondering if the dropship might not be coming…I’m tempted to think that would have been better. I defer to the expertise of Gale Ann Hurd.

SCENE ELEVEN - SEQUENCE CLIMAX

Ripley wakes up in Med Bay. She sees the larvae containers on the ground: empty. She wakes up Newt, warning her to be quiet as there is danger. Ripley reaches for her pulse rifle: it’s gone. And then the facehugger jumps. The bed protects Ripley, but she struggles to keep it away.

Ripley turns over the bed, and rushes with newt to a corner. The FH creeps away into hiding. Ripley and Newt screm and wave at the camera for help.

We cut away to Burke watching. The other marines do not notice – Burke turns off that monitor.

Back to Ripley and Newt. Newt suggests breaking the glass: she grabs a chair and bashes the window, but nothing happens. Newt says she is scared. Ripley agrees, but tells her to stay put while she tries something.

She lifts a lighter to a sprinkler, and it sets off.

Cut to hicks seeing the alarm, and rallying the marines to respond to the fire.

Back to Ripley and Newt. They wait, when a facehugger leaps onto Ripley. She fights it off, and tosses it away, but it comes right back. Ripley drops objects in front of it, but it still advances, leaping onto her again. Only her hand keeps it from her face as its tail wraps around her neck.

Newt screams, but another comes for her. She presses a table against its tail, holding it in place – but right in front of her.

Hicks and the marines arrive. Hicks orders the window shot, then he jumps through it. The marines come in, pulling back the facehugger from Ripley. Hudson shoot the one near Newt. Ripley’s is tossed away, then shot apart.

Ripley, barely able to breathe, says that it was Burke.

Turns: Ripley sees the overturned tanks, The facehugger attacks, The last facehugger dies

Values: SAFETY – THREAT – ATTACK + SAFETY

Purpose: Cutting away to Burke makes sure we don’t think Ripley is crazy when she accuses Burke (and Burke responds) in the next scene. We know Ripley was right about him (by movie reasoning, at least).

In this scene, a facehugger nearly attaches to Ripley and impregnates her. This is “facing your fears” most literally. Why show this? Well, this certainly is a recent reminder of what Ripley would like to avoid, once the crisis decision arrives.

SCENE TWELVE

Everyone is gathered around Burke, as Ripley explains the plan. Hudson suggests killing him. Hicks digs for more, but Ripley lays it all out logically.

Burke, sweating, responds by accusing the others of witch-hunt paranoia. Ripley condemns him back, and Hicks decides to kill Burke. Ripley protests, saying he should face trial.

Then the lights go out. Emergency lights come on. Ripley guesses that the aliens cut the power. Hudson freaks. Hicks orders Hudson and Vasquez out with motion trackers to see if there is a threat.

Turns: hicks decides to kill Burke, The lights go out

Values: EVIL + JUSTICE - DANGER

Purpose: This scene starts out slowly, as a low-intensity post-sequence scene should. The turning point of deciding to kill Burke is weak, but holds its own. Thus the larger turning point is a big surprise.

SCENE THIRTEEN

Outside, Hudson and Vaquez pick up a signal. Hudson freaks, saying it’s big. Vasquez doesn’t believe, and Ripley tells Hudson to stay calm. But Vasquez checks, and confirms he may be right. Ripley orders them back.

Inside, they close the doors and begin to weld them shut. They back off, and prepare for battle. But there see and hear nothing. Meanwhile, Hudson’s tracker says they are getting closer and closer…inside the room, even. Hudson is doubted by the group, until Ripley looks upwards, considering the ceiling. Hudson freaks. Hicks takes a flashlight, climbs and lifts a ceiling grate – the aliens are there.

He falls down, and the aliens smash through into the room. Hudson calls their position, and the guns start firing.

Ripley calls for them to fall back to medical, but an alien approaches her. Fumbling with her gun, she gets it to fire just as the alien rushes in. It dies. She calls again for them to fall back, but finds Burke sealing the door.

The marines move towards the door, but Hudson is now in a battle rage, fighting the aliens off almost single handedly. He finally listens and pulls back, but then an alien pulls him under a floor grate. He fires into it, but when Hicks grabs his hand, an alien pulls him under.

They mass around the door, and begin to weld through the lock. Alone, Vasquez holds off the aliens by liberally firing her grenade launcher.

The weld finishes, and the open the door and rush in.

Turns: Hicks sights the aliens, Burke closes the door, Hudson finds courage, Hudson is taken

Values: MYSTERY – DANGER - - BETRAYAL + COURAGE - DEATH

Purpose: This scene takes the movie deeper into action genre territory. It completes Hudson’s small sub-plot with tragedy, contrasting thematically with Ripley’s main plot.

Interestingly, this scene gives the marines a sense of hope- they do kill some of the aliens. Only one has been killed on camera before this, and despite being assaulted, their defense has teeth. While one falls, and more shall, the aliens clearly aren’t invincible. They still represent a force of unstoppable evil, but their fearfulness, helped by this scene, is transferred from individual to hive. This is a handy set-up for the true villain, to be revealed in the next act.

SCENE FOURTEEN

Burke, inside a sealed area, hears Ripley banging on the other side, demanding he open it. Burke retreats, terrified. He comes to a

Turns: Burke is killed

Values: EVIL + JUSTICE

Purpose: Burke’s sub-plot resolves. It resonates with Ripley’s theme, directly after Hudson’s contradicted it.

Interestingly, however, this scene “proves” that corporate greed isn’t the main evil: the evil force of destruction the aliens represent will kill everything, good o evil.  

SCENE FIFTEEN

The group holds at the door while Vasquez welds it back shut. Ripley bangs on the door for Burke, but nothing happens. Newt finds a vent, opens it and says they can go in there. She tries to go first, but Ripley does instead.

Everyone follows, but Vasquez. She stays and waits as the aliens bash in the heavy metal door.

Ripley follows Newt as she directs Ripley, turn by turn, towards the landing pad.

Cut Back to Vasquez, who fires at the bending door, and there is a screech.

Ripley and Newt move further along.

Vasquez fires behind her. Hicks calls Bishop, who confirms that the dropship will be there soon.

Vasquez blows through her ammo, and switches to pistol. But then an alien comes from above. She fires, kicking its head to the wall and headshotting it. But acid burns her, and she can’t move on.

Gorman goes back for Vasquez. He starts to drag her, but an alien pops through a vent, cutting Gorman off.

Ripley exits into a ventilation shaft, and waits with Newt.

Gorman and Vasquez see they are surrounded, and about to die. Vasquez hates that she’ll die with Gorman, telling him off. He pulls a grenade, and arms it. Vasquez grabs it, knowing Gorman is at least going to go out with her in defiance.

Boom.

The explosion pushes newt onto the ventilator spinner-thing, and she is rolled into a shaft. Ripley clamors for her, and Hicks jams the spinning fan, but Ripley gets only her jacket. Newt slips away.

Turns: Gorman and Vasquez are cut off, Gorman presses the detonator on the grenade, Newt is lost

Values: DANGER - - HELPLESSNESS + HONOR - LOSS

Purpose: Gorman and Vasquez’s sub plot’s resolve together. Gorman’s resonates with Ripley’s, Vasquez’s ironically resonates and contradicts.

The death of the marines makes sure the aliens, now being successfully killed, are still strong enough to keep coming. As a hive, that is.

The futility of their escape, too, sets-up what is about to happen to Newt. It will be shocking, but “inevitable” in hindsight.   

SCENE SIXTEEN – ACT CLIMAX

Ripley calls for Newt, desperate. Hicks mentions the tracker, and they take off after her.

They follow the tracker, and find Newt below some grates – her fingers through the grates act as a beacon. They have to cut through. Hicks starts while Ripley speaks encouraging words. But then the motion tracker goes off, and the swarm is approaching.

Hicks keeps cutting, but then an alien appears near Newt. She screams. Ripley and Hicks kick the grate down the rest of the way, but when they look down they see only Casey, newt’s doll, left behind. Ripley loses it, faced with the likelihood that she has lost Newt. Hicks shouts at her in agreement, insisting they move on.

Turns: They find Newt, Motion tracker goes off, Newt is taken

Values: DESPERATION + HOPE – DANGER - - HOPELESSNESS

Purpose: Interestingly, the rhythm in this scene drops considerably. Things become calm and silent. Why? Probably because a very significant turning point is on the way – one that climaxes the Act and leads to Ripley’s crisis.

This is an act climax (wasn’t sure at first) because the nature of Ripley’s quest has changed. Not only has she found her courage, but she has something to persist for – but now the aliens just took that purpose from her.

This is her “at her lowest,” and sets her up for her Crisis. Successfully escape, or go on a suicide mission to try to save Newt?