24. Aliens (1986) - Dir: James Cameron
This may fall under the “confessions” category, I don't know, but anyhow, here it goes: up until a few years ago, I was not a big fan of Aliens. For many years, my favorite film of the saga was David Fincher's much maligned third entry in the series. To this day I still love that film's atmosphere, and I also think it possesses an incredibly gripping visual style. But let's get back to the film at hand, James Cameron's Aliens. So yeah, I didn't really care for it. I thought it was far too long, kind of dull, and it just didn't engage me in any kind of meaningful way.
I had seen three cuts of the film: the television cut with the added sentry gun segment, the original theatrical cut, and some bootleg cut that contained even more, unfinished footage. I always thought that a good movie was hidden within these three versions, if only, somehow, Cameron could join them together to form some kind of Voltron-esque super Aliens. Well, a few years ago this exact thing happened, and once I saw Cameron's director's cut of the film I was totally won over.
Now this may sound strange to some of you because in my first paragraph I complained that I once thought the original version was too long. So, how can I possibly like a version that is even longer? It's quite simple, the stuff they added back in helped to flesh out the characters, the universe, and the narrative, and it gave me more reasons to care about what was going on. More specifically, the additional footage of Ripley learning that her daughter had died added an extremely powerful motive for the character. Before this short and powerful sequence was included, I never really imagined Ripley as the motherly, caring type, and so her seemingly strong connection with the little scamp, Newt, always felt forced to me. Why this scene was initially cut will forever be a mystery to me, because it is one of the main things that won me over to the film.
There are other moments in the directors cut that also add a bit of depth to the characters. The short exchange between Ripley and Hicks is another important one. This incredibly short scene does wonders to add a bit of immediacy and delicacy to the characters and their awkwardly budding relationship. It also adds yet another powerful sting to the opening of the third film. Again, I must question the decision to leave this out of the previous official versions. And yet another incredible addition is the sequence in which we see the initial discovery made by the colonists, more specifically Newt's parents. This is yet another example that added to my emotional connection with one of the characters. Where as before, Newt was just some little orphan in a terrible predicament, this additional sequence gave me more reasons to care about what had happened to her.
The problems I initially had with the length all but vanished when Cameron added in these moments, moments that make the film more meaningful and engaging. Before these brief but important scenes were included, I had problems anchoring any kind of emotional attachment to the characters, and so the long narrative seemed to drag. If anything, I think this proves the incredible power of editing, and how small and simple changes can drastically alter one's appreciation for a film. I cannot imagine Aliens without these additional scenes, scenes that, while quite simple and short, add so much gravitas to the final film.
So, once I was given reasons to care about the central characters, the rest of the film enveloped me like it never had before. It suddenly became this intense, emotional ride that I couldn't get enough of. Now, I consider the film's length a boon. I love the slowly building tension and impending doom that hangs over the film, creating an atmosphere thick with survival horror. The claustrophobic way in which it is shot adds an element of environmental terror, and the use of the set is masterful. The colony feels real, it feels like a place I can actually visit, touch, smell, and hear. Aliens possesses an organic quality bubbling and boiling away with vibrant and tangible detail. I am almost ashamed that it took me so long to “get” this film, and believe me, I got many a queer look whenever I revealed my general distaste for it. I guess it's just one of those things, and sometimes, the things that take us longer to appreciate end up being the things that we appreciate most.
