The Alien film series starring Sigourney Weaver started 15 years before I was born. However, being the iconic series that it is, I grew up watching the films with my family (with my mom often covering my eyes at the most gruesome parts). I had not re-watched the original Alien since I was still being censored by my mother, so I feel that I can now appreciate the film even more. I believe that although there are some parts that may be dated, the film does set the stage for the title of feminist masterpiece that the series is so often labeled.

“Look, I’m not going to do any more work ‘till we get this straightened out.” Towards the beginning of the film, one of the engineers, Brett makes this snide comment to Ripley, who was simply trying to do her duties on the ship. Along with the other engineer, Parker, the two jeer at Ripley whenever they get the chance. In an earlier scene, the two start complaining because the ship changed course to investigate a transmission they had received, and are quickly shut down by Captain Dallas. However, as soon as they are alone with Ripley, the complaining and taunting continues. Throughout the film, this sexist attitude towards Ripley continues in just about every situation they get into. Yet, she holds her ground whenever faced with these trials and continues to do what she knows is right. She is constantly the voice of reason and is repeatedly ignored and not taken seriously. This attitude ultimately cost the crew members their lives.

Ripley has many of the characteristics of a leader laid out by the trait approach of leadership according to Northouse. While everyone on the ship had some of the traits of a leader such as intelligence and self-confidence, what set Ripley apart was her determination, integrity, and emotional-intelligence. (Northouse, 2016, p. 24-27) She stuck to her guns until the very end, even though she was constantly ignored, and she was able to work through absolute panic and terror to save herself and everyone else she possibly could, including Jonesy the cat. This is a story about a woman who is disrespected and pushed aside again and again, yet still never stops trying to finish what she set out to do and what she knows is right. Sound familiar?

(Alice Paul, Rosa Parks, Gloria Steinem, Harriet Tubman, Ruth Bader Ginsberg,
Malala Yousafzai, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, etc., etc., etc.)

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Within the topic of women’s leadership, Alien reflects the struggle that women often face in leadership roles in real life. Women are repeatedly not taken seriously, mocked, and/or ignored in leadership positions in the workplace. This was especially true in 1979 when the film originally came out. As Bell Hooks wrote, “Movies not only provide a narrative for specific discourses of race, sex, and class, they provide a shared experience, a common starting point from which diverse audiences can dialogue about these charged issues.” (Hooks, 1996) Let’s put this into historical perspective. In 1964, only 15 years prior to Alien hitting the big screen, the Civil Rights Act was passed prohibiting discrimination in employment (including sex). This was the first time women were really given any rights in the workplace, let alone equal treatment in a leadership position. Fast forward to 1971, just 8 years before the film was released, the U.S. Civil Rights Commission created a task force to actively work against sex discrimination. This is the first time people are really starting to take this problem seriously. In 1975, only 4 years prior to the film, Congress allows women to join U.S. military academies for the first time. Finally, 1979, the year Alien was released, the very first National March for Lesbian and Gay Rights was held. It would still be 7 more years until the Supreme Court ruled that sexual harassment at work is considered discrimination and 15 years until the Violence Against Women Act was passed. (MacLean, 2009)

Hopefully this paints a picture of where women’s rights and leadership was in its journey to where we are now, back in 1979. Yes, Alien has some portrayals of women’s leadership that could be considered problematic by today’s standards (e.g. the only other woman on the ship acting hysterical, Ripley needing to hide behind a male character after being startled, Ripley’s character being possibly sexualized in one scene, etc.) However, when looking at this film in the context of where Feminism and women’s rights were on the historical timeline in 1979, I think it is overall a great portrayal of women’s empowerment and leadership, and a true reflection of the issues women were facing at that time in history.

Alien shows a female protagonist being ignored, laughed at, and disrespected repeatedly throughout the film. However, in the end the decisions she made and the advice she gave turned out to be correct, but because no one really took her seriously, she ended up being the sole survivor on the ship. By the end of the film, Ripley had turned into the feminist icon viewers know and love today.

References

Hooks, B. (2009). Reel to real: Race, class and sex at the movies. New York: Routledge.

MacLean, N. (2009). The american women’s movement, 1945-2000: A brief history with documents. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice.  Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Shusett, R. (Producer), & Scott, R. (Director). (1979). Alien [Motion picture]. United States: Twentieth Century Fox.