There’s one character in theAlienfilms whose name is near-synonymous with the franchise—Ellen Ripley. Since the late-70s, Sigourney Weaver’s formidable Xenomorph-brawling heroine has cemented herself asone of the greatest female characters in sci-fi and fantasy. However, after rewatching the 1979 classic, one thing has become increasingly clear to me: Ripley is not the franchise’s main character.
Though Ripley often acts as our vessel into Alien’s cold, industrial universe, the series’ true heart lies in each film’s doomed ensemble, from the crew of the Nostromo all the way to the scientific explorers in Prometheus. The reason this throughline extends through each installment in the saga has everything to do with every crew’s clash between collectivism and individuality.
Alien’s “Main Character” Has Always Been Each Movie’s Ensemble
From the beginning, the Alien franchise has featured impressive casts, with the original boasting a line-up of talented actors including Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton, Yaphet Kotto, Veronica Cartwright, and Ian Holm as the Nostromo’s crew. Beyond these performers, however, are their performances, which all culminate in an ensemble whose chemistry is clear from the get-go.
Right when we first meet Alien‘s ensemble as they exit their stasis pods, their rapport is such that they appear as if they’ve worked together for years before encountering the Xenomorph. This same bond is also found in Aliens, which features the wise-cracking “Colonial Marines,” who joke, fight, and banter all the while having each other’s backs on the battlefield.
Flash forward to the 21st century, and the modern installments in the Alien franchise have taken the same steps to recreate the chemistry found in the series’ first two films. Perhaps the greatest example of this is found in the 2012 prequel Prometheus, which features a star-studded cast including Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Michael Fᴀssbender, and even Guy Pearce.
These ensembles aren’t just ᴀssembled haphazardly, however; the original film in particular highlights the class dynamics between the bridge crew and the engineers, who are underpaid in comparison. Furthermore, this conflict helps spotlight the exploitation of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, which prioritizes profits and the possibility of harnessing the Xenomorphs over the lives of their crews.
How The First Alien Movie Tricked Everyone About Ripley
Another aspect of the first Alien film that’s overlooked is its initial narrative misdirection. When the ensemble first comes out of cryo-sleep, the seven-person crew is such that it’s difficult to distinguish which character will operate as the lead, with the Nostromo’s captain, Dallas (Tom Skerritt), seemingly emerging as the frontrunner before his untimely death.
For the first Alien film, each name of the Nostromo’s crew (Ripley, Dallas, Kane, Brett, Parker, Lambert, and Ash) were deliberately made gender-neutral.
That’s not to say there aren’t glimpses of Ripley’s heroism, however; early on, when the expedition crew attempts to re-enter the Nostromo following Kane’s infection by the soon-to-be “Chestburster,” Ripley refuses to let them in, citing the quarantine protocols. Ripley goes as far as to defy the orders of her superior officer, Dallas, showcasing her bravery and future leadership capabilities.
These skills are put to the forefront following Kane’s death at the hands (or teeth?) of the Xenomorph, pitting Ripley and the remaining crew against a ferocious, seemingly invincible organism that—according to Ash—holds a structural perfection that is matched only by its hostility. Then, after Dallas is killed, Ripley emerges as the leader and, eventually, the sole survivor.
Why The “Ensemble” Is So Important To Alien’s Core Themes
At the heart of the first Alien film lies the complex theme of collectivism versus individuality, two contrasting ideologies that clash against one another throughout the sci-fi narrative. The former is seen frequently through the form of corporate “groupthink” that takes over the crew at the threat of losing their paychecks upon failure to investigate the Xenomorph’s planet.
This groupthink is expanded upon in the 1986 sequel Aliens, which gives us the first glimpse of the suits behind the Weyland-Yutani Corporation’s spacefaring empire. As one might expect, the higher-ups at Weyland-Yutani are just as cruel, callous, and profit-driven as their policies, viewing the humans on their crews and planetary colonies as mere pawns in a larger corporate game.
In contrast, the individuality exhibited by characters like Ripley stands as a bulwark against both Weyland-Yutani and the Xenomorph, with the latter particularly apparent in Aliens when she leads the surviving Colonial Marines and Bishop (Lance Hendrickson) in a defensive last stand against the Xenomorphs following their devastating ambush and subsequent marooning on the inhospitable alien planet.
Furthermore, this individuality also stands in stark contrast to the Xenomorphs themselves, which are identical, perfectly crafted organisms lacking any semblance of morality. Thus, when the chips are down for the Marines crew of the Nostromo, leaders like Ripley, who hold a brave face in the face of opposition, inspire their fellow crewmates to come together against all impossible odds.
