Aliens - Purpose

ALIENS is a Five Act story. The inciting incident is the climax of the first Act, when Ripley accepts the offer (The Call to Adventure) to go back to LV-426. Her desire is to REBUILD HER LIFE, with antagonism coming from the aliens without, within society the doubts of marines to her usefulness and the resistance of newt to trusting another, and her fear of the aliens within.

What Ripley NEEDS is a others to achieve for – she finds it in Newt (she lost this with her daughter at the beginning of the film) and the marines. Newt, in particular, solidifies her resolve and strength through a parent-child relationship.

The Controlling Idea is something like, “When we find love and respect with others, we have the strength to overcome tragedy, fight evil, and rebuild our lives.”

Who hasn’t been hurt? Ripley is in a highly empathetic scenario in the beginning, and her struggle to become leader, which she doesn’t seek, makes her rise to leadership empathetic too. Who doesn’t have a leader within them, when everyone around them is failing and desperate, all but calling for a champion?

Until the sequence climax when the marines are first defeated, curiosity plays a big role in the slow-paced, building narrative structure. But after this, Empathy and curiosity shift not to “what’s going on?” but to “how will Ripley get out of this?” Come crisis, when she empathetically decides to risk herself for a loved one, our curiosity turns to “Can she save Newt and make it out alive?”  

The answers turns out to be yes, but then when the queen returns, we have to know- “Can Ripley earn the peace she and Newt deserve?”

The film does an excellent job keeping interest throughout. Though it may fail in the profundity of its controlling message, at its core being about good guys winning and wishes being fulfilled, Fuck if this movie doesn’t keep the audience in rapt attention and suspense, ending with a very satisfying ending.

-D. Elliot Lamb 

Aliens - Structure Part 4

ACT FOUR

SCENE ONE - CRISIS

Ripley and Hicks rush down a corridor, to an elevator. They climb in, smashing the door-close button. Nothing. Finally it closes.

But an alien jumps in the door: Hicks blasts it, but its blood splashes on him, searing away his armor and eating into his chest. Ripley helps remove the armor.

The elevator finishes its descent, and Ripley helps Hicks out. Hicks struggles to stay conscious. Ripley rallies him with words.

The dropship touches down, next to where Bishop is piloting it. Ripley asks how much time is left. When bishop reports 26 minutes, Ripley says they aren’t leaving. Bishop can’t understand.

Turns: The Alien attacks, The dropship lands, Ripley reveals her intentions

Values: DANGER - - INJURY + SAFETY ++ HEROISM

Purpose: Hicks needs to get injured so that Ripley is forced to go alone. But not killed, so that she has reason to leave Bishop on the dropship.

This might be why the relationship was developed – she cares enough about Hicks to be unwilling to sacrifice him. Thus, she knows she must go alone – if she fails, Bishop can still take off and get Hicks to safety.

When Ripley reveals to bishop they’re not leaving, she reveals the Crisis decision she has made.

SCENE TWO

The dropship flies into the atmosphere processor complex. On board, Ripley tapes guns together, building the arsenal she will being in with her. Flares, grenades, motion tracker, Pulse rifle, Flame thrower.

Bishop reminds her how little time there is, but she brushes them of and invokes Hicks’ support.

The dropship lands, and Ripley rushes down and out. She enters the elevator, and presses down. As it descends, she makes further preparations, and readies herself mentally. The elevator door opens, and she steps out.

Turns: NONE

Values: ANTICIPATION

Purpose: Well, we need some idea of where Ripley will have all the toys she has when she enters the processor – this scene shows us. And while there is conflict, presumably (ripley within herself, Ripley vs. bishop), there is no turn.

One could consider this a ‘substitute crisis.’ While Ripley has already made the decision, this scene serves to hammer home to us –and Ripley – the gravity of the situation, while constrasting how Ripley started the movie.

SCENE THREE

Ripley exits the elevator, preemptively firing off the flamethrower. She follows the tracker as lightning arcs over the interior of the overloading processor. She drops flares to mark the path back.

Closer and closer she goes, until she finds newt’s tracker – stuck to the ground, lost from her wrist. The chances of Ripley finding Newt just went from a stretch, to roughly zero.

Purpose: Yet another reason for the Hicks sub-plot: for the tracker to end up on newt, and her recovery to become a possibility. In this scene, it seems to disappear – but hey, this is a movie! The next turn is only so far away. 

Turns: Ripley finds the wrist tracker

Values: DANGER - - DEFEAT

Purpose: Did this really have to happen? I think the primary purpose here is to insert a negative turn/beat, and keep the drama heightened. Finding newt has even more impact when it seemed she was lost. Yet, the story would still make sense if this were deleted. It might just be a little less effective at holding attention.

Alternatively, making the rescue of Newt a “just in time” affair probably required a move like this: Ripley needs to seem defeated, then by chance she finds Newt; thus she can arrive just in time more plausibly, than if she just walked into a room, and the facehugger happened to be emerging just then. This turn thus helps hide contrivance and help the drama work.

SCENE FOUR – SEQUENCE CLIMAX

Cut to newt cocooned in the nest. An egg opens up before her. She screams.

Elsewhere, Ripley hears this and runs. She gets there as the larvae is emerging, and she blows it away. An alien comes to defend the nest, but she shoots them up as well.

Ripley rips Newt out of the cocooning, piece by piece.

Turns: Ripley hears Newt scream, Ripley gets Newt out of the cocooning

Values: HOPELESSNESS + HOPE ++ SALVATION

Purpose: This seems to be victory – a good set-up for the confrontation for the ‘main evil’ in the next scene, namely by almost giving Ripley her victory.

SCENE FIVE – SEQUENCE CLIMAX

Ripley has pulled Newt out, and tries to go back from whence she came. But an explosion blocks the way with flame. She follows another path, and walks right into – the nest.

She looks about, seeing the field of eggs, and then scanning over the vast body of the queen.

Then she sees its face, which opens. The queen hisses at Ripley, as do two guards on either side of her.

Ripley drops newt, then shoots flame over the eggs. But she stop, and points the flamethrower at the eggs while viewing the queen. Understanding the message, the queen looks at her guards, who retreat.

Ripley and Newt slowly back up, out of the queen’s nest. But on the way out, an egg opens. Ripley takes this as a betrayal, and begins torching the place.

The guards advance, and Ripley shoots them down. She then unloads her pulse rifle ammo into the nest, and then grenades into the queen’s egg sac.

Retreating, Newt sees another guard. Ripley kills it, then tosses her grenades into the nest.

The queen screams, falling into flame. But she pulls from her sac, standing up.

Turns: Ripley sees the queen, The queen accepts Ripley’s deal, The egg opens

Values: STRESS - - EVIL + COMPROMISE +/- WRATH

Purpose: Now Ripley’s fears, and the main force of antagonism in the story, have a shape: the queen. Also, the queen is an evil reflection of Ripley: it is maternal, and seeks to protect its own.

Ripley seeks to escape, but either by chance or intent, one of the eggs hatches to implant Ripley or Newt.

Thus Ripley destroys its nest. And for Ripley, this isn’t really necessary: it is vengeful wrath. She makes the nest pay for the crew of the Nostromo and the dead marines of the Sulaco.

But the queen loses its children and wants revenge, as Ripley wanted revenge upon it.

This scene is a symbolic ascension of the antagonist, thus it is very effective. Ripley isn’t in any more danger than she set out for, but now the threat to her has taken a symbolic, archetypical form: a queen mother, a tyrant of expansionist evil, with a sinister parallel to the protagonist.

From here, the climactic action is the battle between Ripley and this symbol, and the battle and its symbols will get yet more dramatic from here.

At the end of the scene in a non-turn set-up: the shot of the queen detaching herself sets up her appearance in the next scene.

SCENE SIX

Ripley runs from the burning nest. As she goes, explosions rock the processor – there isn’t much time left now.

Ripley reaches the elevator with Newt. A voice reminds inhabitants that there is only 4 minutes left. Ripley presses the buttons, but the elevator is taking too long. Ripley goes for a ladder, but then the queen appears. Ripley freezes.

Just then, another elevator shaft has arrived with a lift, and the door opens. Ripley moves for it, but the queen advances. Ripley presses the up button, but as the doors are closing, the queen arrives. Ripley sprays flame from her almost exhausted flamethrower. The queen screams, and stops – but does not retreat.

The elevator begins to move up, just in time.

Ripley’s elevator arrives, and the queen looks at it quizzically.

Turns: Queen Alien arrives, Elevator closes

Values: STRESS – THREAT + SAFETY

Purpose: The voice repeating the time punches up the intensity, as there is almost no time left. This is a good setup for the turning point of the queen entering.

Though not a turning point, there is also a set up at the end of this scene, like the last: the queen gazes at the elevator.

Both these setups are leading to turning points that edify a growing perception: the queen alien is intelligent and resilient. It is more like the alien in the original movie, a nearly unstoppable terror.

SCENE SEVEN

Ripley exits the elevator – and Bishop is gone. She curses his name, but this does nothing. Ripley looks around, desperate for an idea. She then notices that the other elevator is coming up.

She checks her gun – no ammo. Bigger explosions rock the processor. She pulls up Newt, looking around for anything – but it seems it’s all over.

The other elevator arrives. They look in suspense as the door opens. From the shadows within, the queen emerges, bent on revenge. Ripley tells Newt to close her eyes, that they might pass as mercifully as possible.

Just then the dropship pulls up by the ramp. A ramp is lowered- Ripley puts Newt onboard, then climbs on herself. They get aboard, but the dropship’s landing gear catches on something. It pulls free, then speeds out of the processor.

Turns: The dropship is gone, the queen alien emerges from the elevator, the dropship appears

Values: HOPE – HOPELESSNESS - - SLAUGHTER + SALVATION

Purpose: A major part of this scene is “faking out” the audience on the dropship. This could easily be a cheap, contrived turning point. And since this seems like it’s nearly the climax of the movie, such a mistake now would cost the quality of the story greatly.

But the double-negative turns, screwed then screwed worse, make the moment very ripe for a positive turn. Thus, I speculate, the appearance of the dropship isn’t something we question. More like, we think, “oh thank god!”

Having Ripley say to newt ‘close your eyes, baby,” is the most maternal, merciful thing Ripley can say to Newt, even after all Ripley has risked to save Newt. It’s really a heart-string-tugger. By quickly having the dropship appear, we are eager to see Ripley survive. Hasn’t she earned it?

But that also shows us how deep her love for Newt has gone. In great despair and hopelessness, she still cares for Newt. Trauma and terror have brought out the best in Ripley…

Also, the quick nature of the dropship appearing, followed immediately by them climbing aboard, de-emphasizes it enough that we don’t dwell on it, with questions like “where was the dropship before?” In case of lingering doubts, bishop mentions the rationale two scenes later.

SCENE EIGHT - ACT CLIMAX

The dropship pulls up into the atmosphere, climbing ever higher. But behind them, a huge light burns: the blast has gone off. They feel the titanic shake, and wonder if they are about to be singed into vapor. But the dropship keeps flying, and then the sound dies away.

Bishop reports that they are okay.

Turns: Bishop reports that they are okay

Values: DESPERATION + SAFETY

Purpose: This could easily be the climax of the movie. In fact, one could argue it SHOULD be. The next climax is effective not by raising stakes, really, just by surprising the audience, then raising the symbolic nature of the fight.

ACT FIVE

SCENE ONE

Ripley tends to Hicks. Bishop says he’ll be okay, but stops Ripley from getting him up: they’ll need a stretcher.

Ripley talks with bishop on the docking bay of the Sulaco. Bishop explains why the dropship wasn’t there, but Ripley congratulates Bishop, and they have replaced mistrust with respect.

But then they notice acid, and something pierces Bishop’s chest. Ripley tries to help, while pushing Newt back. But Bishop is lifted up, and torn in two by the queen alien. She emreges from the landing gear. Ripley waves her arm to get attention. She tells newt to run, then runs herself. 

Turns: Something pierces bishop’s chest, the queen emerges, Ripley escapes the queen

Values: SAFETY – DANGER - - BIG DANGER + SEMI-SAFETY

Purpose: This is technically the climax of the Bishop sub-plot. You might argue that the upcoming scene where he saves newt is, but that actually seems like a redundant repeat of this scene. When bishop grabs Newt’s hand, it’s more like a convenient interruption of Newt’s death than a dramatic turn. 

Interestingly, as far as the audience knows, Ripley is abandoning Newt in this scene. Very unlike her, eh? Any doubts on the audience’s part, however, is more likely to kake them wonder “what the hell is Ripley doing” rather than doubt her resolve to protect Newt. What a great set-up for the next scene’s positive turn…

SCENE TWO

Newt is stalked in the ducts under the deck by the queen. She narrowly escapes several times, until she isn’t fast enough, and the queen’s hand lowers to take her…

Then the cargo doors open, and the queen spins to see what it is: Ripley appears in a power loader, and delivers one of the better lines in movie history.

Turns: Newt is caught by the queen, Ripley appears

Values: SAFETY – DOOM + BATTLE

Purpose: In this scene, Ripley ascends beyond herself, and into symbolism territory. She is now an archetype of strength, physical and mental, against a titan of terror and perversion of virtue. And while there is a rational set-up for how all this could happen, it works on a symbolic level as much as the literal.

Interestingly, the queen stalking Newt is the queen trying to do to Ripley what was done to her. In a sick way, one could sympathize with the alien, no? But this is a very light subtext. Mostly, we want Newt to escape, and when she doesn’t it’s like the dropship appearing: we ae ripe for a good positive turn. Boy do we get one.

SCENE THREE

Ripley and the queen battle. Ripley gets the queen in a hold, but her attacking tail makes Ripley withdraw.

Maneuvering for position, they face off. Ripley sneaks in some button presses, opening the first of two outside bay doors.

She gets the queen in her hold, narrowly avoiding her face being bitten off. Flame keeps the queen back, and Ripley moves the queen over the door. But the queen grabs as Ripley drops, and both go in.

Turns: The queen pulls Ripley in

Values: STRENGTH - WEAKNESS

Purpose: The battle has its twists and turns, but none are really significant story events. Thus Ripley being pulled in is the true and only turn.

Here, the symbolism goes further: Ripley and the queen fall into death together. The queen won’t die without Ripley joining her. This sets up a crisis-within-the-climax in the next scene…

SCENE FOUR - CLIMAX

Ripley, at the bottom of the dock, climbs out of her power loader and climbs upward. She’s almost out, when the queen grabs her foot.

Ripley can see where this is going, and reaches for the dock controls. She opens the lower doors, depressurizing the whole docking bay.

Ripley hangs on, but the queen is stuck to her. Newt and Bishop hang on for dear life, almost being sucked in.

Ripley pulls against the queen, and she releases, sucked to her death.

Ripley climbs

Turns: The queen grabs Ripley, Ripley opens the door, Ripley closes the doors

Values: INJURY – DEFEAT +/- DESPERATION ++ VICTORY

Purpose: There is a crisis-within-the climax here, though not heavily emphasized. The only way to kill the queen, once Ripley has been grabbed, is to risk Newt and Bishop’s life by venting the docking bay.

Ripley does it – a risky bargain, but what chance does she have to save Newt if she is killed?

As we see, it works out, but this certainly shows a stiff toughness on Ripley’s part. It works out – though we have to wonder what values the movie ultimately espouses (it is an action movie): take revenge on enemies, and risk your loved ones to ensure their destruction. Bad-ass, no doubt, but ultimately these values may be what stop the excellent entertainment of aliens from becoming truthful art.

That aside, this climax is very exciting, due to the crisis within, everything being at risk – but victory and safety being achieved due to Ripley’s extreme determination. Maybe climbing up that ladder when she couldn’t have drawn a full breath was a huge stretch, as well as Newt and Bishop not being sucked into space – but since this is such great entertainment, I think we can forgive.

  

SCENE FIVE

Bishop and Hicks are in freezers, and Newt watches as Ripley closes them. Ripley brings Newt to her freezer, and assures her that Newt can dream.

Fade to Newt and Ripley sleeping, then close-up on the two.

Turns: NONE

Values: LOVE

Purpose: Why turn after the climax, if you don’t have to? Avoids de-emphasizing the climax, and the audience wants resolution anyways, so a turn is unnecessary. 

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?

Aliens - Structure Part 2

SCENE FOUR

The Sulaco flies past the camera. Then, Apone gives orders in the docking bay. Ripley asks Apone if there is anything she can do: Apone turns the question right back at her, not sure she has much value. Ripley pilots a loader skillfully, and Hicks and Apone laugh at her victorious smile.

Turns: Ripley shows her skills

Values: OSTRACISM + COMMUNITY

Purpose: This turn is very subtle. The true purpose of this scene is to set up the power loader for the climax. However, this scene is kept interesting by a subtle change in social dynamic as Ripley gets at least Hicks and Apone to show her some acceptance.

This is the first of several points where Ripley starts to show leadership, and get past her fears. But this one might not be necessary: it just makes a good excuse for crucial set-up.

SCENE FIVE – SEQUENCE CLIMAX

Pan over the marines readying their guns. Then, the APC drives by. Then, we see the marines climb into the APC while Apone fires them up. Ripley follows. They strap in, then the APC drives into the dropship. Some goofing around by Hudson, then the countdown: they launch.

Turns: They launch

Values: ANTICIPATION -/+ STRESS

Purpose: This is a turn I’m not entirely sure of. Even if it isn’t really a turn, there is some purpose to the scene: it is a buildup to officially leaving the threshold of civilization, Ripley truly crossing out of safety and into the field of danger. Thus, there is a buildup and anticipation to the scene, released with the violent launch of the dropship (Almost sexual, if you think about it).

Another purpose, though, is to finally show the marines in action: well-equipped, if not well-prepared. We need to see they aren’t a complete joke, and have reason to be more confident than scared. At least until contact with the enemy.

Yet another purpose: building up the anticipation of what is going to be found is important. We want the audience to be ready for a fight, too see monsters and battle – then give them a mysterious empty colony.  

Finally, this also functions as a ‘hardware show.’ The APC, the guns, the dropship – all will be coming back with relevance to dramatic events. This might be the least essential purpose, but it helps. Also, while the powerloader was shown in the last scene, showing then using all the hardware but the power loader makes the audience more likely to remember the powerloader when it finally shows up, almost an entire movie after it is introduced. This works because every other piece of equipment becomes involved in the plot, so jumping back to that loader in the final act isn’t too much of a stretch for the audience’s minds.

(this is more conjecture- machines and equipment, ultimately become the death of the aliens. It is the bad leadership of those using the equipment that makes their superior firepower fail. Ironic considering the equipment serves Weyland-Yutani, who is as evil as the aliens)

SCENE SIX

The pilots take them down. Ripley calls out Gorman for his fear, asking how many drops he’s been on. He foolishly reveals how inexperienced he is, and the men judge him.

Gorman asks Drake to pan his camera, and we see the helmet cam. Apone sees that Hicks is asleep.

Turns: Gorman reveals his inexperience

Values: STRESS -- INCOMPETANCE

Purpose: More set-up of Gorman’s coming failure and Ripley’s rise – Ripley subtly challenges Gorman, putting her more on the side of the men than Gorman. Necessary for Gorman’s failure to make sense (he is inexperienced)- but Ripley might come across as too aggressive. But then again, she will have to be kicking tail later, and was deeply troubled when we first met her.

SCENE SEVEN

Apone gets the men up and ready. In the cockpit, Pharoah can’t find the beacon – then she does, seeing the majestic tower of the atmosphere processor. Burke mentions that Weyland-Yutani manufactures them.

Ripley watches the monitors as the colony is surveyed in a flyby and Gorman describes what he sees. Ripley comments that the structure is still intact, and the power is still on.

Gorman tells Pharoah to set them down.

Turns: We see the atmosphere processor

Values: INCOMPETANCE +/- DISCOVERY

Purpose: Very weak turn. This scene is more for exposition and mood-building. The dread/suspense atmosphere is now being set up.

SCENE EIGHT

The dropship lands, and the APC drives out. Apone readies the men. The APC stops, and the men rush out to take positions. Apone scans the colony – it is abandoned and drenched in rain, but otherwise calm.

The first squad goes ahead, and bypasses the door. The colony door opens. The marines proceed inside.

Opening another door, they see the interior – empty, and scarred from battle.

The second team moves in. Apone describes the damage while Ripley and Gorman watch the marines’ monitors. Gorman orders the motion trackers out – no motion.

The marines continue to search rooms, recently lived in. Ripley sees something and has Hicks investigate: acid burns, and Burke confirms what Hicks suspects: it’s the creature Ripley faced.

The marines screw around some more, Gorman says he’s coming in, which Ripley finds foolish. Hicks and Vasquez mock Gorman.

Turns: They see the interior of the facility, Ripley notices the acid burns

Values: ANTICIPATION – MYSTERY -- DANGER

Purpose: The motion trackers are introduced here, an important tool for suspense and turning points later. And the helmet cameras, already introduced, are used in action. This is important, as their pay-off scene is coming and the audience needs to visually understand them before that – this scene is designed to show the helmet cam function through Ripley’s interaction with Hicks’ images. Dually, that same moment confirms that there is probably something to be scared of out there. But where are the monsters?

SCENE NINE

Gorman, Ripley and Burke meet the marines inside. Ripley is terrified, as the marines vocalize their thoughts- the barricades are the sign of a last stand the colonists fought.

Then, they enter the lab, and see face huggers in tubes. Burke asks Ripley if they are the same ones, and she nods to confirm.

When Burke gets close, one is even alive. Bishop reads the files on why they are there, suggesting their threat. Then, a motion tracker shows something. After a check that it isn’t another marine, the group closes in to see what it could be.

Turning Points: They find the samples, motion tracker comes alive

Values: DANGER -/+ CONFIRMATION -/? DANGER

Purpose: Aliens isn’t the horror movie Alien was, but it does capture some of the terror of what lies in the dark, particularly with our unseen-but-present monster thus far. But then this scene shows us the monster (its larvae), some dead and one even alive. But the monster is contained in a tube. Isn’t this hurting the terror?

Not so much, since we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg that is the threat (a whole hive of aliens). Also, the monsters have been up to something – and we aren’t sure what. So seeing the monster dead/encased here seems to be comforting, until one considers the implications of a larger threat looming in mystery.  

Really, the whole first half of this movie is a slow, creeping set-up to actually meeting the aliens. Though we have clearly seen evidence of them, we haven’t really seen the threat in full. At least, not yet.

Consider all this in the context that the turns of this scene are repetitive with the turns in the last scene. We’re being teased, details meted out piece by piece – yet we have learned little. In fact – couldn’t this whole scene be cut, from an exposition standpoint?

But it doesn’t seem boring, and helps to sustain the tension.

SCENE TEN

The marines creep forward, watching the motion tracker. Ripley knocks something over, but she moves on. They move as it gets closer, closer, closer – then something runs by. Hicks looks below the floor, and sees a little girl. Hicks reaches for her, but she bites. The marines use flashlights to search for Newt as she crawls away, then Ripley sees her go in a duct, and follows.  

Turns: They find Newt, Newt bites Hicks

Values: STRESS + LIFE - RESISTANCE

Purpose: Finally! They are going to find an alien – but they don’t, it’s a girl. We’ve being set up for a big scary monster – false alarm. 

This is a very functional way to introduce Newt- she is nearly feral, surviving on fight/flight instinct alone. Not unlike the state Ripley is trying to escape…

She represents answers to the marines, but she is also the introduction of a catalyst to get Ripley’s desire to overcome her fears to the next level.

SCENE ELEVEN - SEQUENCE CLIMAX

Ripley follows Newt into her hidey hole, where Newt presses against the wall. Ripley takes in the trash filling the hole, and its mementos.

She tries to talk to Newt, but she runs. Ripley grabs her, consoling her. Eventually she stops struggling. Ripley takes in her face, then notices a memento and picks it up – a second grade citizenship award. 

Turns: Newt stops struggling

Values: RESISTANCE +/- PEACE

Purpose: This turn is weak – but it’s not by accident that it is RIPLEY who catches Newt, and does so alone. The relationship between these two will be important, so this plants the idea of their relationship. Ripley calms Newt, and Ripley is the first to see that newt used to be just a little girl. She was transformed by terror, as was Ripley.

(Interestingly, in the ‘special edition’ there is a cut scene way before this, before Ripley’s inquest. It sets up that Ripley’s daughter has died while she was drifting through space. This was meant to set up her longing to make up for failed maternal duties. But the editors wisely deemed it unnecessary – because it is about empathy as much as maternalism)

SCENE TWELVE

The marines toy around with their new base in operations. Gorman tries to get details from Newt while she is medically examined. Ripley stops his futile efforts. After the medic’s report, Ripley makes her own attempt to open up Newt.

She offers Newt hot chocolate, then cleans Newt’s face. Newt doesn’t respond, but Ripley is becoming more comfortable with her, and maybe Newt with her.

Ripley compliments Newt’s bravery, and this prompts Newt tocorrect Ripley in calling her Rebecca. Ripley accepts newt’s real name. Ripley addresses Newt’s doll, getting her name as well – Casey.

Ripley asks about Newt’s brother, gets his name – but she doesn’t mention where he might be. Ripley gets Newt to confirm that she has parents, but when asked for their location, Newt reacts with hostility, saying they are dead. Ripley apologizes.

Ripley tries to encourage Newt, but she is resigned to fate.

Turns: Newt Speaks, Newt declares her family dead

Values: PEACE + TRUST - TRAGEDY

Purpose: The first shot of this scene sets up the shutters, which aren’t terribly important but will be significant later, when a major plot detail is viewed out of them.

SCENE THIRTEEN

Bishop is examining one of the facehugger larvae, when Spunkmeyer comes in with requested supplies. Bishop gives him an absent look when asked for anything else – and when asked about the creature, Bishop seems to be a little in love with it.

Turns: Bishop gives him a look?

Values: ROUTINE – OBSESSION

Purpose: This is a small subplot, thematically related to the main plot. The inciting incident began in the cafeteria, and here we are advancing it. Bishop might be bad, or so this scene wants us to suspect. In the end, he is good, but it adds some drama, and gives Ripley another chance to overcome crippling old fears.

SCENE FOURTEEN

(This scene is intercut with the Scene Twelve)

Hicks searches for colonist PDTs on a monitor. Then, he calls out – he’s found them all together. They are all in the processor – together. Gorman gives the order, and they move out.

Turns: Hudson finds the colonists

Values: ROUTINE + DISCOVERY

Purpose: There’s no accident that the editors inserted part of this scene into the conversation between Ripley and Newt. This seems to contradicts Newt’s assessment: “they’re dead.” It seems to be a positive development, contradicting all this nervousness, and once they arrive this may all be over. A good set-up for the upcoming bloodbath.

SCENE FIFTEEN

The APC moves to the atmosphere processor. Inside, Newt comforts Casey while Ripley and Gorman watch monitors of the over-arching structure.

The APC enters a door, then stops. The marines exit, and advance.

On the monitors, Ripley and Gorman watch the marines’ helmet cams. Then Gorman notices something strange. He inquires, and Hudson hides his fear with flippance. We see the nest formation.

The marines comment as they observe, and Burke speculates. Hudson jokes.

But as she watches, Ripley makes a connection – gunfire could blow the whole place up. Burke realizes it, too, and explains it to Gorman. Gorman freaks.

Gorman then gets an idea – he orders Apone to collect magazines, and use only flame units.

Magazines are collected, though Vasquez and Drake smuggle out replacements. The marines move on.

Turns: We see the changed structure, Ripley points out a danger

Values: MYSTERY – THREAT - - FAITHLESSNESS

Purpose: This scene could possibly be cut – can’t the marines just be killed by a mass of Aliens? But it isn’t, because we need to see these big bad marines with their technology lose – and lose bad. This scene sets that up: it is Gorman’s incompetence that screws them.

As a detail, it seems arbitrary, perhaps so much that it might distract from the story. But it leads up to Ripley taking command, and when that happens, it is such a turning point and payoff for her character that we don’t care anymore.   

SCENE SIXTEEN

The marines move on, then notice colonists pasted into the walls with the alien resins. Ripley tells Newt to look away, first kindly then with threat.

Gorman and Ripley watch on the monitors as Hicks sees an egg, and lifts up a facehugger larvae with his shotgun.

One marines lifts the head of a seemingly dead colonist – but her eyes open. The marines spring into action to help – but the woman asks for death. Ripley watches in horror, knowing what will happen. An alien bursts its way out, and the marines grab a flamethrower to destroy it. It burns, and dies.

Turns: They notice colonists in the wall, colonist opens her eyes, Alien bursts from colonist.

Values: FAITHLESSNESS - - DEATH + HOPE - HORROR

Purpose: This is the horror Ripley has run from, revealed to her again and the marines. This is a taste of what they are here to destroy. Also, it is a mini-crisis for Ripley. Will she retreat into terror and helplessness again?

Functionally, this is a taste of the aliens’ horror, before the greater threat of the hive reveals itself and kicks their ass.

Note that the negative turning points are piling up here. It avoids repetition, again, primarily because a sense of suspense and dread is being so thoroughly and carefully crafted. 

SCENE SEVENTEEN

As the flames die down, a hiss rises through the nest. We see aliens awakening somewhere, and the marines prepare for combat.

Ripley tells Gorman to pull his team out – he doesn’t respond. Hudson declares motion on the motion tracker, but no one can see anything. Hudson insists something is moving.

Then one marine walks by a strange looking wall – which comes to life and grabs her.

Her flamethrower goes off, igniting the bag off ammunition – which explodes, killing a few marines. Gorman calls for a report in frustration, but one doesn’t come.

Another marine screams as he is taken. Vasquez and Drake open fire. Gorman freaks out, futilely demanding they stop.

Gorman now directs an order at Apone – but Apone can’t make it out. Apone is taken by an alien. Gorman desperately calls for Apone’s attention. Ripley tells Gorman to get them out of there, but Gorman dismisses her. Ripley gives her own orders, but Gorman pulls off her mike.

Ripley swears in frustration. The marines shout at the cameras, desperate for orientation.

Gorman nervously recounts his commands, feeling sorry for himself. Ripley straps Newt in, and takes the wheel of the APC. Gorman rushes and tries to wrest the controls from her, but Burke pulls Gorman aside – and Ripley is in command.

Turns: The alien attacks, Ripley takes command

Values: HORROR – DEATH ++ COURAGE

Purpose: Ripley taking command is a really positive turn, for the plot and for her character as a whole. It is probably emphasized further by the dread and stacking negative turns that have led us here.

And it does need to be emphasized – this is the “midpoint crux” of Ripley’s character – the moment when her flight is overpowered by fight. From here on out, her fear is conquered and she proves herself as the leader.   

SCENE EIGHTEEN

The APC barrels through the corridors. The marines retreat from battle. Then the APC slams through a wall, and the marines get the idea. Drake and Vasquez lay down cover while the marines maneuver into the APC for extraction.

But an alien appears near Drake, so Vasquez fires – spraying its blood all over Drake. Drake dies a burning death, and his flamethrower fires into the APC. They scramble to put out the fire while Hicks pulls Vasquez away from going after Drake.

Then an alien pushes the door back open, and Hicks blows it away. Hudson gets some of the blood on him. But the door is closed, and the APC moves on.

Turns: Drake is sprayed, Alien enters the APC, Hicks kills the alien

Values: HOPE – DEATH - - DEFEAT + WRATH

Purpose: This is the “Action scene” so far – now that the marines are getting some help and stand a chance, the filmmakers are milking it for some back-and-forth conflict. This scene shows us we have changed genres – no longer thriller, but now Action-Thriller.

Vasquez now also has a reason to be mad at Gorman, and want revenge – her sub-plot just had its inciting incident.

SCENE NINETEEN – SEQUENCE CLIMAX

The APC is driving out, when an Alien smashes through the window, clawing at Ripley She stops the APC, sending it flying off the APC. Then she guns it forward, running over the bug (splash).

The APC smashes through the gate, and leaps over the rocky terrain of LV 426.

Hicks tries to move Ripley out of her mania with reason, then coaxing. Ripley lowers the throttle, and the beaten APC grinds to a halt.

Turns: Alien attacks, Ripley kills the alien

Values: WRATH + SAFETY

Purpose: This is somewhat irrelevant, and a weak turn. But it does continue the Ripley-Hicks sub-plot, with him sensing her terror below the courage, and helping her out. Also, her further heroics are more effective by reminding us that she is still a little bit unnerved by the whole thing.

SCENE TWENTY

Ripley checks on Newt: she gives a thumbs up. Burke tries to check on Hudson’s burn, but is pushed away.

Hicks checks on Gorman, who is out cold. Vasquez tries to take out her rage and grief on him, but Hicks orders her back.

Then Hudson notices that Apone and Dietrich still have life signs. Vasquez honorably suggests returning to save them, but Hudson says ‘Fuck that.’ Vasquez argues, but Ripley cuts in: they are alive for a reason, and cannot be helped.

Vasquez turns back to killing the xenomorphs, suggesting they use nerve gas. Hicks doubts this, but then Ripley suggests that they nuke the site from orbit.

The marines seem to be behind this, but Burke objects. Ripley gets around Burke’s objection by pointing out that military command applies, and Hicks is therefore in charge.

Burke appeals to Ripley that this is foolish, but Hicks gives and order, and they move to evacuate.

Turns: Hudson notices that some marines aren’t dead, Ripley dismisses the idea, Ripley suggests nukes, Burke interrupts, Hicks ratifies Ripley’s nuke plan

Values: GRIEF + HOPE – HOPELESSNESS + POWER – CORRUPTION + RESOLVE

Purpose: This is setting up the fear that will undercut the next act: the fear of being taken and violated. Also, Burke’s sub-plot just took a major turn: he wants to do more than kill these aliens, he wants to control and exploit them.

Ripley’s refusal of a rescue mission shows her hard leadership further emerging, though perhaps cloaked in a throwback to her past terror. And her suggestion of nukes earns her respect from the men, again as a leader.    

The relationship between Hicks and Ripley is based on their mutual respect for the other’s resolve, as of the conclusion of this scene.  

SCENE TWENTY ONE

Pharoah calls for Spunkmeyer to get into the Dropship. He comes up the ramp, but notices something sticky. Pharoah ignores his calls to wait, and Spunkmeyer moves on.

In the cockpit, Pharoah asks Spunkmeyer what took so long. But an alien enters, and attacks before Pharoah can reach her gun.

Turns: Spunkmeyer sees goo

Values: DUTY – DEATH

Purpose: This is essentially set-up so that the Act 2 Climax doesn’t seem to come out of nowhere. Also, it sets up the nature of the aliens for the next act. No that they are alerted to a threat, they will sneak around everywhere.

SCENE TWENTY TWO – ACT TWO CLIMAX

Part of this scene is cut in before scene Twenty One.

The group carries Gorman on a stretcher to a landing point, and throw down flares. They watch the Dropship as it flies over a ridge – but then it strikes a hill, and falls apart. It is about to crash right into them. Ripley calls for them to run, and they take cover as the dropship explodes around them.

Emerging from cover, they survey the wreckage. Hicks shuts up Hudson as he freaks. Ripley apologizes to Newt that they won’t be leaving. But newt doesn’t blame Ripley. Hudson freaks out some more, and Burke mocks Hudson in frustration.

Newt warns that the aliens are more active at night, which is falling.

Turns: The Dropship hits the ridge, crashing

Values: HOPE – HOPELESSNESS

Purpose: This is a major negative reversal, which precedes the ending, a major positive reversal. Interestingly, the focal point of this scene is Ripley apologizing to newt, which is major evidence to the audience that Ripley’s survival might be falling second to her desire to be a support for Newt. 

Aliens - Structure Part 1

ACT ONE

SCENE ONE

A spacecraft floats through space. Inside, we see dust covered computers and equipment Inside a glass tube is Ripley, perhaps alive.

Then, a monitor shows ‘Proximity Alert:’ the ship is being pulled upward into another vessel.

Turns: The vessel is being boarded

Values: PEACE – ACTIVITY

Purpose: Sets up a peaceful tone – necessary? Most likely useful as a visual link to the last film. Why couldn’t the first scene be when Ripley wakes up, afterall? Maybe the contrast with her tortured PTSD later is useful.

SCENE TWO

The ship locks into a hangar bay, and then a light comes through the shuttle door. And then, a cutting torch cuts through, and the shuttle door falls open.

A scanning robot scans through the room, and after finishing, withdraws. Then men-shaped things walk into the shuttle, searching. A man speaks in English, then one removes his mask, commenting that they have lost salvage rights.

Turns: Scanning robot enters, Man reveals he is not a threat

Values: ACTIVITY – THREAT + SAFETY

Purpose: This scene has a sense of dread and looming danger, until it is revealed that she is in fact being saved. This might be to start to establish a sense of lingering terror- the true horrors of this film won’t arrive for some time, and Ripley’s reactions to a horror last seen in the previous movie may not be enough to establish tone. 

SCENE THREE

Fade from Ripley’s face to Earth, and the camera pans over Earth to view Gateway space station in Earth orbit.  

A nurse greets Ripley, and then Carter Burke enters with Ripley’s cat, Jonesey. After some small talk, Carter hints that Ripley has been out for a long time- when he reveals that it’s been 57 years, Ripley is shocked.

But then her mind wanders, and she begins to convulse. Doctors rush in, but they can only watch in horror as Ripley lifts her shirt, showing something about to burst from her stomach…

Ripley awakes, cradling Jonesey.

Turns: Burke reveals the time that has passed, Ripley begins convulsing

Values: SAFETY – DISORIENTATION - - RAPE

Purpose: This scene sets up Burke as a shady character – not dishonest or posing any threat(which is important, we need to discover this ‘on our own’ later) but not entirely trustworthy, emotionally alien like a sociopath might be.

But Ripley’s lingering anxiety is proven (it must be exposed for conquering it is the thrust of Act 1) by mixing a scene that probably happened with a dream.

SCENE FOUR

Ripley is in an inquest regarding her destruction of her old ship. The past is recounted, and Ripley’s sanity is clearly in question. The case is closed with Ripley on parole.

Turns: Ripley loses her temper and accuses the inquest panel of being oblivious, The file is closed

Values: PERSECUTION +/- SELF-DEFENSE - CONDEMNATION

Purpose: Complete exposition scene. Required for those who did not see Alien, the first film. This would be less egregious if the conversation weren’t structured as a “tell me one more time” trope. This scene could easily have been a shorter inquest, with each issue brought up the first time onscreen. But, there is a dramatic turn in the scene which saves it – by being labeled crazy, Ripley becomes even more sympathetic, because we know she is the only frightened one in a world of horrors.

SCENE FIVE

After the case is closed and the suits are gathering their papers, Ripley approaches Van Leuwen and asks if they would just investigate LV-426. Van Leuwen reports that a colony has already been established.

Turns: Ripley approaches Van Leuwen, Van Leuwen reveals the colony

Values: CONDEMNATION + ASSERTION - DREAD

Purpose: More empathy points for Ripley: once she hears that people are on the colony, she laments their impending doom instead of her missed opportunity at proving her sanity.

SCENE SIX – INCITING INCIDENT

Ripley sits alone, staring at the wall and sucking on a cigarette. Then Burke and Gorman ring Ripley’s bell. She closes the door on them. But Burke makes his case for Ripley to open the door – LV-426 has gone dark. Ripley opens the door after a pause.

Turns: Burke reveals that the colony has gone dark, Ripley opens the door

Values: DESPONDANCE -/+ RESPONSIBILITY + ACCEPTANCE

Purpose: This gets the film started. Before this, we’re in a recovery drama for Ripley. She wakes up in a new world, haunted by past terrors while she is accused of making up the terrors and being insane. She already has her desire – find a place in this new world and get away from terror.

But with this event, Ripley’s quest has begun – inside, she wants to face her fears to find new purpose. And now that desire has an object: the facing of her fears to move beyond them. 

SCENE SEVEN

Gorman and Burke try to convince Ripley to go with them, but she will not budge. Burke makes her the company’s offer of re-instating her, but Ripley defers to her psychological state. Burke jumps on her vulnerability, so Ripley asks them both to leave. Burke leaves his calling card (or whatever it is).

Turns: Burke makes the offer

Values: CONFLICT -/+ MANIPULATION

Purpose: Ripley would have conflicted feelings – and showing them helps set up a much later turning point, when she is the only one who can act, and she becomes the leader of the marines. Thus, we need to see that when she accepts the call to quest in the about-to-arrive Act One Climax, she doesn’t do so easily or with a clear head. For now, she is a reluctant hero.

SCENE EIGHT – ACT ONE CLIMAX

Ripley jumps awake from a nightmare, soaked in sweat just as Burke alluded to in the last scene. After washing her face, she calls Burke. She asks if indeed the aliens will be destroyed, not studied. Burke confirms this, and she agrees.

Turns: Ripley accepts

Values: TERROR +/- COURAGE

Purpose: This is when Ripley goes from empathetically weak to just a little empathetically strong. This makes her relatable on two levels, though in the beginning of Act 2 she will again be more a martyr than a hero – until no one else can be the hero.

One could consider this the big Crisis of the Act One mini-story.

ACT TWO

SCENE ONE

We pan over the Sulaco, then its insides (This is a sort of visual repeat of the beginning, where we are shown the outside then inside of Ripley’s escape craft). Then, the freezers turn on, and the crew awakens from it slumber.

The crew complains, then gets dressed. The marines discuss Ripley, dismissing her significance and teasing each other like marines might.  

Turns: The marines start acting like idiots

Values: SERENITY – IDIOCY

Purpose: First, we put Ripley in a less strong position: these high school drop-outs look down on her, and she is oblivious.

Second, these are the people supposed to kill any aliens. This is setting up their later defeat in the face of the arch-evil aliens, and Ripley’s subsequent opportunity for command.

SCENE TWO

More marines goofing around. Bishop does the “knife trick” with Hudson’s hands.

The scene really starts when Bishop sits next to Ripley, and she sees him bleeding synthetic blood. Ripley demands an explanation – Burke explains to Bishop the problem. Bishop tries to calm Ripley, but she knocks his offer of cornbread aside.

Turns: Ripley sees Bishop is a synthetic, Ripley tosses Bishop’s tray away

Values: IMMATURITY – DANGER -/+ AGGRESSION

Purpose: The marines are already established as idiots – but the knife trick helps us empathise with them a bit. Their deaths need to be foreseen, but also sad – they’ll be fighting with Ripley, under her command, afterall.

This scene serves a clever purpose: Ripley’s fear is suddenly a potential liability in her quest. It might be founded, but it might be absurd. Good thing she’ll be overcoming it soon. 

Also, it opens a significant question: can bishop be trusted? This is important, as it is the only perceivable mortal threat to Ripley until she gets to the planet. While there is other drama going on, this helps prevent the sequence on the ship from getting boring.

SCENE THREE

We pan over the docking bay, until Apone, Ripley, Gorman and Burke approach. Gorman begins to brief the troops. But Hudson interrupts, which leads Gorman to get his name wrong, and Hudson moves on to challenge Gorman’s authority.

Gorman is almost eclipsed by Hicks, who asks what they’re dealing with. Gorman defers to Ripley.

Ripley explains her ordeal on her old ship, but Vasquez interrupts, belittling Ripley’s account. But Ripley intimidates Vasquez back. Gorman tries to move on, but Ripley lays it on thick, and it works.

Gorman dismisses the crew, punishing them – but awkwardly.  Apone calls Hudson for discipline.

Turns: Hudson challenges Gorman, Vasquez challenges Ripley, Ripley pushes back on Vasquez

Values: DISCIPLINE – INSUBORDINATION – DISRESPECT + TRUTH

Purpose: What a loaded scene! In multiple ways, Gorman is shown to be in command but shaky in competence, while Ripley is shown to be terrified, but secretly the strongest one there. If you know the plot, the set-up and foreshadowing is obvious.

The marines, too, get a dual showing. They are rowdy and insubordinate, but Hicks shows he has command potential, and Vaquez doesn’t have time for indecision. Both Ripley and the marines have their flaws shown, but have their hidden strengths shine through.

Primarily, however, the chaos inside the unit is shown, as this will be the first payoff – the unit will soon fail in its first battle.