It’s hard to defend a film that even David Fincher walked away from. A film he’s since disowned due to the tremendous amount of shit he had to deal with. He began shooting the film with an unfinished script, the film was over budget, and the executives overruled nearly every decision he made. It was such an awful experience; Fincher went back to making music videos, most notably for Michael Jackson, Madonna, and The Rolling Stones, before returning in 1995 to direct Se7en. Hell I’m surprised he even returned to 20th Century Fox with Fight Club after the way he was treated. But with that being said, Alien³ wasn’t that bad.
Notes: I’m only focusing on the 1992 Theatrical release, not the 2003 Special Edition aka “Assembly Cut”. ALSO, fair warning upfront, there will be spoilers abound.
Let’s not forget, Alien³ is an Oscar nominated film. Yeah, bet you forgot about that. It was beat out in the 65th Annual Academy Awards by Death Becomes Her (a film I’ve never seen) but it was nominated nonetheless. It’s a distinction you can’t take away from it. And yeah, I can see your point that it was Richard Edlund, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr. and George Gibbs that were nominated for their work, but Fincher still had to direct it. He had to call the shots and make sure it looked real: which it totally does! (at times, especially on the BluRay release) It’s definitely a lot better than those bullshit CGI Xenomorphs in Alien: Resurrection. You can’t tell me you didn’t nearly shit your pants when the Alien busts a whole in Clemens skull and gets up close and personal with Ripley. It’s fun to point out, Fincher has since gone on to do some mind-bending CGI work, so to see him work with practical effects is interesting.
It’s also Fincher’s only foray into horror. I mean, you could maybe sorta possibly count Se7en as a horror film, but it falls more into the crime drama/psychological thriller genre. Now, I don’t know much about horror (obviously, of all the Frenchers, I am the least qualified to talk about this topic) but it fits right in with the genre. The film is Fincher’s goriest work loaded with blood and body parts. (And I know we’re not talking about the Assembly Cut, but the extended autopsy scene is enough to make anyone with the strongest stomach turn away) There is some subtle humor tossed in to lighten the mood just before a jump scare. I’m not gonna say it’s Sci-Fi/Horror at it’s best, but it’s definitely better than most.
One thing I’ve always heard is that this film doesn’t feel like a Fincher film, and you’re right. It doesn’t have that gritty yet polished look and the film is bathed in orange more than filled with diluted/muted tones. But one thing it does do is sound like a Fincher film. Fincher spent a year working on the score with Elliot Goldenthal, the man responsible for the scores of Interview with the Vampire, Michael Collins, Frida, Sphere, and any film directed by the insane Julie Taymor. The score focuses on the surroundings of the film and its atmosphere, something that all Fincher films have done since. The films score fills you with tension and even brings you relief. After a while, it isn’t just music; it’s another device used to pull you into the story, even if the story is weak.
One of the big things that save this film is Sigourney Weaver. Yeah, she made over 5 million dollars for her role and even got a bonus 40 grand for shaving her head, but it’s her dedication to her role that saves this film. Early drafts didn’t even have Ripley in the film. Could you imagine an Alien without Ripley? There wouldn’t be a film; nobody would see it. Unless of course you got Ridley Scott to direct it and threw in some big names like Charlize Theron or Michael Fassbender. Maybe then you might have some interest. But it’s Sigourney Weaver who brings emotion and depth to her character. Every other character is static and forgettable, but from the get-go, Ripley is defeated. She just fought Aliens to save Newt and Bishop and she’s finally escaped that nightmare, only to find herself crash landed onto a prison planet and everyone she cares about is dead… oh and an Alien is still alive and one is inside of her. Weaver brings that depth and is a shining star in what could have been a dull and lifeless film. Besides, without Ripley, who do we root for? The Warden? He’s a dick. 85 is a pansy, and everyone else is a rapist or murderer. Although, a case could be made for Dillon, after Ripley he is kinda the de facto bad ass.
Sure, the film has its problems. For one, it fails to properly communicate its religious undertones. We see a cross on the horizon in the beginning of the film and several references to God, but it doesn’t go beyond the surface. Sure there are some musical cues that foreshadow “lambs to the slaughter” and there are some poses and stances that could be seen as religious, but it feels more like something that is just there than a character trait or plot device. Also, the film kills characters Ripley fought so hard to save in Aliens. I get it, you’re trying to reel the audience in early with a big shock, but, if you’re going to do that, why even bother with Aliens? Why not just kill every one off at the end of Aliens and let Alien: Resurrection take place as the third film (or not at all?) The film leaves you with some unanswered questions, the biggest being, how the hell did an alien egg even get on board the EEV? Look, Alien³ isn’t a perfect film, and it certainly wasn’t the greatest launching pad for Fincher, but without it, would we have the same David Fincher we know and love today? Would we have the meticulous detail oriented director who’s given us great films such as his entire filmography? I don’t know, and I’m glad we’ll never have to know.
