Alien Critical Essay: Introduction & PCQE 1, 2 and 3: Click HERE!
If the clips wont play from within Powerpoint, you can find them
here: Alien-01-Opening-00-00-13-00-06-23.wmv
If the clips wont play from within Powerpoint, you can find them
here: Alien-02-Crew-00-06-23--00-07-32.wmv
If the clips wont play from within Powerpoint, you can find them
here: Alien-03-Dallas-and-Mother-00-07-32-00-08-46.wmv
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Higher - 'Alien' - Introduction, PCQEs 1, 2 and 3
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PCQE 2
(P)The crew do not seem to be tightly or strictly organised.
(C) When we see all seven members of the Nostromo eating after being awakened by the ships computer mother.
(E) Mise-en-scene : Décor :
We are presented with all crew members at the breakfast table. Here we can see that the once desolate area is now being occupied. This gives a sense that the
crew members are familiar with their surroundings as we see this informal scene.
Acting :
The characters, through acting, convey to the audience the relaxed atmosphere whilst eating breakfast. This shows the characters are comfortable in each others company and clearly know each other well.
Cinematography : Movement :
On entering the breakfast scene the camera is level with the table suggesting that the crew on the ship all have equal positions. Initially we believe this is the case until the end of the scene where Dallas is then called to mother which is for ‘his eyes only.’
Sound:
We hear the informal chatter of the crew, showing that they are carefree at that time. Ash is the only member of the crew that is not participating in the conversation, as though he is waiting for something. As if on cue we hear the diegetic sound of mothers warning for Dallas, despite this Ash responds first. This shows the disorganisation of the crew as their captain does not respond immediately, as he should.
PCQE 3
(P) The crew are looked after by a dedicated computer, which continues the ‘womb’ symbolism.
(c) Just after leaving the other members of the crew Dallas enters mothers control room.
Mise-en-scene:
When Dallas enters mother we are presented with a well lit, soft womb like cocoon. There are thousands of pinpoint sized lights on a white background which continues the connotations of rebirth. The realistic control panels emphasise mothers importance.
Sound:
The non-diegetic sound of a heartbeat and breathing re-enforces the idea that mother is alive. This has connotations that mother is preserving the crew members, this also allows the reader to make a connection between the care aspect of Dallas and Mothers bond.
Framing:
When Dallas is communicating with Mother the camera angle is low and pointing upward, and the medium shot allows us to take into consideration the amount of space showing how overwhelming and important mother is.
Movement:
The cut between mother and Dallas shows the communication between them and the power that she has over them. The interaction is verbal and personal which re-iterates the bond that they have. The camera zooms in on Mothers computer screen allowing the viewer to recognise that mother is fully functional.
PCQE 1
(p) The film opens with a sense of loneliness and isolation.
(C) The viewer is shown the Nostromo floating in space and we are taken inside the ship.
(E)Cinematography: Scale
When we first meet the Nostromo, we are given a long shot which shows the ship with nothing more than space. This furthers the idea of loneliness and isolation. The camera angle then changes and we are shown an extreme close up on the underneath of the ship which intensifies the scale of the ship and it also shows the amount of control and power Mother has. We then cut to the inside of the ship, but we are shown around the ship almost from a childlike point of view which again shows the vastness of the ships scale. On our journey through the ship the camera continues as a close up, with the camera angle pointing upward giving the impression of overwhelming power.
Mise-en-scene: Décor,
As we enter the ship we are able to see the dark, used working environment like interior furthering the idea that the ship is used and lived in. Effective camera work allows us to appreciate the detail of the ship, focusing on the controls. We see the computers working without human influence again highlighting that the humans are controlled by computers and not vise versa. We are then taken into the area of hydro-sleep where we see a contrast in the interior. In here we see the soft calm womb like area which we also see in mother, this show that mother is taking care of the crew along with showing that the crew are being isolated from their working environment, which is where humans are most commonly linked to.
Sound:
When we see the outside of the ship we hear the diegetic sound of the engine droning, and with this we hear nothing else intensifying the isolation of both the ship and crew members. When inside the ship we hear the sound of the computers working, and in some ways ‘talking’ to one another. This shows that they do not need human influence to operate, instead the computers are using the crew almost as a ‘womb’ for their Alien experiment. This re-enforces that they are floating aimlessly and no influence on their part could change the events that follow (again due to the computer control)
SORRY...as you can see our PCQE goes 2,3 then 1 !
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