Film Clip Analysis
The scene, “Dallas is killed by the alien” from the movie Alien by Scott 1979 builds the anticipation and anxiety surrounding the characters encounter with an alien, and his subsequent death. To build on the tone of anxiety and the somber mood of the scene, the film develops specific techniques and elements relating to the film styles of mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, and scene.
The scene effectivelyincorporates the style of mise-en-scene through the use of composition, sets, actors, and lighting. Each of these techniques is well integratedinto the short clip to build around the anticipation and the anxiety surrounding Dallas’s encounter with the alien. Composition refers to how various elements on the screen within the frame. As the scene opens, Dallas descends a staircase to a poorly lit room with a dozen machinery equipment. Fitting the character and these props within the frame play an integral in creating a tucked atmosphere in which the alien could creep in from any side or direction.The technique of lighting in the location Dallas descends into equally builds on the creepiness of the room. Such creepy places build anticipation and help enhance the anxious tone since the lack of lighting further promotes the possibility of the alien attacking Dallas without warning. On the other hand, the use of actors who portray frightened and scared images also builds on the anxiety of the whole experience. The actors in the separate room are anxious and worried about Dallas, especially when the tracking machines fail, and they lose the signal of both Dallas and the alien. By portraying scared figures, the actors directly build on the anticipation that something terrible is about to happen, thus setting the audience on edge about what is going to happen next.
The second style of sound enhances the tone of the scene through the type of dialogue, Foley, and sound effects. The dialogue between the lady at the monitor and Dallas suggests that something terrible is about to happen, that something is about to go wrong. When the lady informs Dallas that she has lost the signal and that he will have to hold his position for a minute, it indicates that Dallas is in danger since he was walking on enemy grounds with no close supervision. Additionally, the lady’s tone as she warns Dallas to hurry and get out of his location immediatelyindicates that something has already gone wrong and that Dallas is in danger already.The use of Foley to synchronize the actions and sound effects of the scene go a long way in building the anticipation of what is about to happen next. The beeping on the sound monitor increases and intensifies to indicate that the alien and Dallas are closing in on each other, and their imminent interaction is going to be an intense one. Dallas and his team are hunting the alien, which implies that close contact with the alien will mean war and possible death of one of them. As the beeping intensifies to show Dallas and the alien moving closer to each other, anxiety increases regarding the aftermath of this encounter. Lastly, the use of sound effects builds on the somber and anxious tone of the film. When Dallas comes into contact with the alien’s slime on the floor, the intense sound effects on the background implies that he has come into close contact with the alien, which could be around him.
The third style evident in the scene is the concept of cinematography, which comprises all on-screen visual elements such as color, camera motion, focus, and camera angles. The use of intense camera motion, both panning motion and tilt motion following Dallas in the location where he encounters the alien, shows that the encounter will result in something tragic, either for Dallas or the alien. As Dallas descends the stairs, the camera motion is tilt, showing a rotation along the vertical. By tilting the camera in this manner, the focus remains on Dallas, shutting out any actions in the background, which further builds on the anticipation of the unknown, since the audience is clueless, just like Dallas, of what awaits him in the room. The panning motion, horizontal rotation, follows Dallas as he turns around to face the alien figure behind him. The camera rotates as fast as Dallas turns around, and the intensity of the motion is seen not only in the fast rotation but also in how quickly the camera zooms in before losing focus. This motion does not give the audience enough time to take a look at the alien, directly representing Dallas’s brief encounter with the alien.The use of dark colors presents a gloomy experience, while the deep camera angles offer a close-up of the scene from all the locations. The use of close-up is essential in building on the anxious tone by shutting out any additional information regarding the setting of the scene that might give away any information. In the first set, the camera angle focuses ion the two actors’ faces while the other setting gives a closer look at Dallas’s features as he maneuvers his way in the room. Such a close focus is essential in building anticipation regarding the other elements of the location, such as the possibility of the alien lurking somewhere in the background, planning to catch the actors by surprise.
Lastly, editing plays an integral role in building on the tone through cross-cutting, parallel action, and the types of transition used. Cross-cutting is the technique of alternating more than one scene that happens simultaneously but in different directions. The film employs the method by using the control room and Dallas’s actual location to track his encounter with the alien. The lady in the control room keeps track of how close Dallas is with the alien, while Dallas moves closer to the alien in the ground. The loss of touch between Dallas and the control room leads to parallel action between him and the alien. They were both moving towards each other at the same time, thereby culminating in their confrontation.The type of transition used is dissolve, which happens when a shot gradually replaces by the next. The transition between the shots of Dallas in the room and the shots from the control room periodically dissolve into each other to allow the build-up of anxiety. By dissolving into each other in this manner, the shots ensure the anxious momentum already built is not lost, but somewhat heightened since each shot presents a new twist that adds to the build-up and the culmination of the final event.
In conclusion, the scene, “Dallas and the alien,” presents the artistic use and balance of elements of filmography to build on the tone and the mood of the scene. By incorporating excellent skills and techniques of each of the four elements, i.e., mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, and sound, the film manages to build and expound on its anxious and somber tone.