Alien 1979 Notes

- Post second wave feminism
- Incubation - womb - birth - Alien uses human as incubator - Women are biological incubator - Women are strong enough to stand birth in reality
- Sigourney Weaver - masculine - mullet
- First scene - almost like a bar
- Masculine job for a woman - intelligent - 'Final Girl' theory Carol J. Clover
- All play important roles on ship, each person specialising, which means each as important as the other and not relying on a man
- "What she gonna do down here anyways?" - "I'd like to see what she's gonna do!" - cultural representations of Woman, 'Other', not useful
- Not provocative in dress, no make up, overalls 
- Whole film has connotations of birth - female action - empowering women - only natural to have a woman lead
- eggs (alien eggs) = Ovaries - Incubate in human (Alien) = surrogate mother or woman
- Sigourney was the only one who wanted the others to be quarantined, but the males overpowered her judgement, leading to their fate. Still under pressure, they see women as inadequate and hold their opinions under their own. This showing her maternal side - looking after everyone and not one individual - connotation of motherhood
- Strength it takes for a woman to give birth takes the strength of a woman to stop it (Aliens)
- Signourney once again the only one to say dispose of the Alien, no one listened, yet again mirroring how society treats women, and showing how they should because their opinions are valid
- People treat her like the traditional representation of women - almost like 'be seen, not heard'
- Alien almost looks like a phallus
- Connotations of birth and phallus - Man v Woman - whole film is like man v woman (never listening to her views or thinking she can't fix the ship) - reflection on society at the time, feminists fighting, women's movement 
- Underestimating women because of traditional ideology of women placed upon us by patriarchy
- Other girl is an emotional wreck ^
- Does the alien go between the girls legs? Alluding rape? Male gaze
- Phallus looking Alien maybe raping woman - rape in society, why do this to the woman and not the man?
- 'Mother' - Birth connotation once again, women's representation
- Is it showing what people think women are (the emotional female character) and what women can be (Sigourney) - Second wave feminism
- Undressing - doesnt add to the plot - Male gaze
- Camera angle close up on her crotch when getting into the astronaut suit - Male gaze
- Singing at the end whilst killing the Alien - almost like a lullaby "you are my lucky star" - birth/maternal connotation
- Ripley - male name - Final Girl Theory
- Opening scene - all male in incubation - similar to male phallus-like alien and woman

Whilst watching this film the biggest thing that pointed out to me was the all the connotations of birth, the opening scene of the men awakening connotes incubation and with the story of the film being Aliens use human almost like incubators until they hatch. This relates to women and how strong they need to be to with stand child birth, creating an importance for a female role.

Sigourney Weaver fits in with Carol J. Clover 'final girl' theory, with her being quite masculine in look and her job. She also has to be intelligent to do her job and there are numerous examples within the film of her being cautious about her surrounding, which are repeatedly knocked down by the male characters. Supporting and reflecting the cultural representation of Woman.

The Alien within the film, especially when it first emerges out of the original victim's stomach, looks like a phallus, connotes a male Alien. Also when the other female character dies within the film, another phallus looking part of the alien looks as if to be going between her legs, alluding rape and this could be an example of the male gaze as it can be seen to be quite sexual, which would create desire in the onlooking male audience. This makes me question why the alien would choose to do this to the woman and not a man, reflecting how women are treated in different cultures, life forms etc.

The ship's important networking system or hard-drive etc. is called 'mother' another one of the film's connotations of being about birth and women etc. But also representing women as just a mother that overall, looks over all the people on the ship and tells them what to do and they  go to it/her for advice. 

In one of the last scene's were Sigourney thinks she has survived and escaped, she starts to undress, this adding nothing to the plot of the film, can only be seen as her being objectified for the pleasure of the male audience. The camera shoots images of her bum and then a close up to her crotch whilst getting into the astronaut suit, just from these camera shots and angles it suggests that this was for male desire.

Whilst attempting to kill the alien Sigourney starts to sing "you are my lucky star", almost like a lullaby, yet again its connotation being birth, motherhood etc.

I feel like this film is quite good in regards to feminism, it doesn't show many examples of the male gaze compared to others and only shows the 'Final girl' theory in regards to her look, name, interests and actions, not really creating a bad image of women. Overall, i find it quite empowering as it has a lot of connotations relating to motherhood, child birth etc. almost meaning that a strong woman who can withstand child birth is strong enough to kill what is wanting to be grown from within her. The representations of Woman that are used against Sigourney Weaver in the film only show the ignorance of the male characters, as Ripley (Sigourney) proves them wrong each time, ending up being the only survivor.

Maybe this film was a message to society because at the time the women's movement (Second-wave feminism) had been in play since the 60's and this shows women in quite a positive light, using what society thinks about women and turning it on its head. Although this film doesnt have a lot of examples of the male gaze or the 'Final Girl' theory within it, it is a good example to use as a comparison to the others, as it uses points in which feminist film theorists discuss about cultures, society, ideologies and representations of women as examples within the film and then the character disproves them, almost teaching the audience a lesson?