10 Things You Learn Re-Watching Alien
8. Ripley Is A Stealth Protagonist
Sigourney Weaver's Ripley is such an iconic staple of the Alien franchise that it's easy to forget she was originally a stealth protagonist of sorts.
The movie clearly paints Nostromo captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt) as the steely hero from the outset, while Ripley has little presence or dialogue in the early going.
Hell, she even seems like the stereotypically cold, emotionless sociopath character when she refuses to let the crew into the ship following Kane's attack, which seems more like something an eventual villain might end up doing.
As the pic carries on, Ripley becomes more outspoken and it's clear she's smart and resourceful, and once Dallas dies, the real transference takes place, firmly placing her as the real hero.
It's a clever narrative switch that's rather difficult to pull off today, especially considering how many teasers, trailers, TV spots and clips of a movie are put online before a movie actually releases.