Frame by Frame: Aliens

The chestburster scene in Alien is one of the most iconic moments in the science fiction and horror genres. It was so unexpected, so grueling, it defined the series. Any sequel would have to include its own chestburster moment, but how does one match the power of the original when the surprise is gone?

If you're James Cameron, you play up the fact audiences know it's coming. You emphasize the emotions of the characters, especially Ripley's. Instead of shocking viewers with the unexpected, you force them to watch the realization of their worst fears. The recreation of the chestburster scene in Aliens demonstrates why it's a superlative sequel.

By this point in the movie, the Colonial Marines are searching the processing plant of LV-426, looking for the missing colonists. Ripley, brought in as an adviser, watches their progress from the relative safety of an armored APC vehicle with Burke, the company man, and Lt. Gorman, the marines' commander. Also in the vehicle is Newt, the little girl they've found, but when corpses started appearing on the marines' video feeds, Ripley sends her away.

Let's start with a closeup of Cpl. Dietrich, the squad's medic, as the marines move through the alien hive. She hasn't been one of the more prominent marines in the movie, so this closeup points out we need to pay attention to her, especially when she turns to the side and moves away from the other marines. The camera moves with her a little.

Also, with the wide enough lens, we see enough of the background to appreciate how dark and uncomfortable it is, the harsh light on Dietrich's shoulder not helping a whole lot. Still, we see her face clear enough and appreciate she - like the other marines - is tough, focused, and determined but also starting to get nervous and tired. The marines are on edge.

Cut to a wide shot of the Marines, with Vasquez and Drake leading the way. Again, more of the setting, establishing the environment. We see the guardrail and gap in the floor, which become important during the subsequent firefight when one marine plummets to his death and the others become hemmed in. This shot sets that up.

Back to Dietrich, in a medium shot. The camera pans with her as she approaches a cocooned colonist. Again, we're close enough to see her face and experience what she's feeling but also distant enough to follow her. The camera almost tiptoes with her as she approaches the colonist, and we get the sense something is about to happen.

A closeup of the colonist, who looks dead, covered with all sorts of gnarly slime. Dietrich's hand remains in the frame, connecting the previous shot. We get a nice jump scare when the colonist opens her eyes, complete with a musical sting. We're face-to-face with this unexpected movement. The terror has begun.

We jump to Sgt. Apone, in a closeup, as off-screen Dietrich calls for help. Apone is the grizzled, experienced marine leader. It makes sense to show him responding because he's authoritative and commanding. He's going to take charge.

"What?!" he demands as he wheels around.

Wide shot of the marines responding as Dietrich calls, "Help! Get over here! We got a live one!" Apone and the others dash over. This is the moment we've been building to - the marines have finally found a live colonist - and this shot reinforces this is a big moment because they're all reacting to. 

This also illustrates how good of a team and how well trained they are. They know what to do, or so they think as they swing into action.

Medium shot of Dietrich and the colonist. Dietrich, the medic, assures her, "You're gonna be all right! You're gonna be all right!" This should be a heroic moment. The marines will save this woman, right? However, this shot accentuates the colonist, not Dietrich. We see how trapped she is in the cocoon and how scared she looks. 

This closeup of the colonist emphasizes two things. First, her words, "Please! Kill me." They hearken back to Ripley's nightmare at the beginning of the movie. This woman knows she can't be saved. All she can hope for is a quick death.

Second, we see just how sickly and weak she looks. In her first closeup, we thought she was dead. Seeing her still alive, terrified and slime-covered, makes it worse. We see how much pain she's in.

Now we have a POV shot of someone (probably Ripley) back in the APC vehicle watching this colonist through Apone's video. We hear static. We hear Dietrich continue to try to reassure the woman, "Just stay calm. We're gonna get you out of here." 

This shot ties the observers - Ripley, Burke, and Gorman - to the action in the processing plant, even though they're far away.

A closeup of Ripley. I love this shot because of what it allows Sigourney Weaver to express without speaking. Ripley, physically, is safe in that APC, but emotionally, mentally, she's being dragged through the ringer. She's sweating, her eyes are wide, her mouth open. She's wearing a headset, like in the original movie when Dallas was killed. She was unable to save Dallas then, and now, she can only watch helplessly as her nightmare becomes reality.

"You're gonna be all right. Gimme a hand," Dietrich continues to no effect.

An even closer shot of the video monitor. Now Ripley feels as close to this as we do.
"We gotta get her out of here!" Dietrich says. 
The woman starts breathing in a harsh, pained matter. 
"What's going on?" Apone demands.

Another closeup of the colonist as the alien begins to burst out. We're back among the marines.
"Compulsions!" Dietrich cries.

An insert shot of the colonist's chest as the alien moves inside her with a sickening sound effect.

Cut to Ripley, in the same shot as before. She knows exactly what's happening. Notice how she clutches her own chest. The colonist continues to scream.

Back to the video footage which becomes hard to discern, but it works here. The marines are becoming panicked. It's a brief shot. It doesn't overwhelm, but it conveys their increasing fear and confusion. 

It also emphasizes how Ripley and the others in the APC are going to have a hard time keeping track of the marines - and helping them - when things go south.

"Dietrich! Get back!" Apone orders. We hear the colonist scream in agony as she is torn apart from the inside.

A wide shot of Apone, Dietrich, and Private Frost backing away. These marines are, to quote Burke, "tough hombres." To see them this terrified is unsettling. Apone and Dietrich got in close, but even Frost, who hung back, is afraid. Their harsh shoulder lights make this shot uncomfortable and tense. These cocky, battle-hardened marines are stunned into silence and can only watch helplessly.

This is a low-angle shot, which usually suggests power and is often used for heroic characters, but here, it highlights how off balanced the marines are. They don't look powerful.

"Get back!" Apone says again, not that he needed to.

A medium shot of the colonist as the alien forces through her chest. We see her terrified, pained face, and the form of the alien forcing its way through her body and shirt. We're grateful her shirt is covering the chestburster. This is a horrible way to die, but we are spared the worst visual details while still understanding how awful it is. We see just enough, our mind fills in the blanks.

We also see her hand, still trapped in the cocoon. In the first movie, Kane tossed and shook. This woman can do nothing. She is immobilized and has nothing to take away from the pain.

Another closeup of Ripley. The camera moves in tighter on her face, and we can see she's near tears. 

Insert shot of the colonist's chest, this time with the bloody head of the chestburster finally breaking through.

Again, another tight closeup of Ripley. She is our main character. We feel everything she is. At this moment, she doesn't care that the corporation ignored her warnings or the marines discarded her experience. She's reliving the worst moment of her life.

Medium shot of the colonist. We can see blood and the form of the alien.

Insert of the chestburster as it breaks free and shrieks.

Closeup of Ripley, shutting her eyes. We don't blame her. It's too much once she unquestionably, without any ambiguity, sees the alien again.

Medium shot of the dead colonist and her "baby" climbing through her body. The marines scramble off-screen. Apone demands a flamethrower. Someone yells "Kill it!" There's more space on the left side of the frame, suggesting the alien is about to escape as it did in the first movie, into the shadows.

Insert of the snarling, nasty beast, coated in blood. It's just as horrifying and graphic as we and Ripley remember it. It fills the frame. It may be small, but it is deadly.

Medium, low angle shot of Apone as he takes a flamethrower. This is a more traditional use of the low-angle shot. The marines finally take action against the monster.

Insert of the chestburster as the flames hit it. It screams.

The screen fills with fire, the white-hot equalizer against the alien.

An over-the-shoulder shot of Apone firing the flamethrower. The dead colonist and the chestburster are engulfed in flames. They also don't overwhelm the frame like they did when we first saw them. This is a heroic action shot. We don't feel as trapped. We have a comfortable distance for the moment.

More fire overwhelming the frame.

Closeup of Apone and Dietrich looking tough and assured as the fire does its job. Things are looking up as the marines reassert themselves. Things are under control, right? They didn't let this chestburster get away like in the first movie.

Ripley, again in tight closeup, opens her eyes and exhales, suggesting she had been holding her breath. That's one nightmare confronted.

Insert shot of the chestburster dying among the flames.

Closeup of Apone and Dietrich looking up in fear as inhuman noises fill the air. Things have gone from bad to worse. The other aliens have woken up.

This sequence is dynamite. Between the sharp editing that links all these different elements and the tight framing, Cameron places us in the middle of Ripley's wide-awake nightmare, and it is tense, frightful, and emotionally draining. 

Ripley is not in direct danger in this scene, but by having her watch a recreation of her experience, the movie reminds just how terrifying and impactful a chestburster sequence is. It's grueling and significant, and Aliens treats it as such. Like in the first movie, this is the point of no return.

The closeups emphasize the emotions we need to feel for this scene to work. By cutting between the characters, Cameron illustrates their fear, confusion, panic, revulsion, and misguided confidence. It's the human element that keeps this scene from being merely disgusting and violent.

Most importantly, it's Ripley's point of view and her emotions we focus on. She knows what's coming. She doesn't want it to be real, but it is, and Aliens forces her to watch everything.

It goes back to Hitchcock's bomb under a table scenario, that if a bomb goes off it's a surprise, but if it doesn't, it's suspense. We're anticipating that moment when the chestburster erupts. We know it's coming, and Cameron builds until he has right where he wants us: face-to-face with it in the middle of Hell.