No One Can Hear Me Scream... Maybe
No one can hear me scream in this blog. More to the point, there’s no reason for me to. I have seen the director’s cut of “Alien 3.” I’m still amazed at the number of differences in the film, a vast improvement over the crappy theatrical release in 1992. It’s a stunning piece of filmmaking. I’m wondering why the 20th Century studios stuck their noses into this film and screwed around with it. They should have left it alone.
The biggest difference is the narrative: it focuses on religion.
A very touchy subject for many.
David Fincher’s original vision is a religious allegory. The prisoners on this barren planet, trapped in an isolated place with no place to look up to, don’t have much to do. So they turn to religion. Or rather, Charles S. Dutton leads them into a higher place for forgiveness. Each person's a convict. He carries the full weight of sins on his back.
The sweeping references to the bible fit into the narrative perfectly. The oxen, the only animal seen in the film, appears. It’s considered a sacred animal in India. So it makes sense to have the oxen here. Not some dumb pet dog in the other version.
There are scenes of the barren wasteland, savage, relentless, like the desert Moses crossed for forty years. You can see the horror of the skies and the landscape that does not bear life.
None of these scenes made it to the final cut. It’s been stripped of its narrative… none of the religious material made it. Otherwise, the film would’ve made a departure from the other Alien films.
The acting is stunning here. Paul McGann (Who gained fame as the eighth Doctor Who) has a
much bigger part in this one. Before, he’s barely seen in glimpses. Here, he plays a bigger role, and hell, he’s a fine actor. They all are. There are many bits of humor threaded out throughout the film. Good characterization.
Thankfully, it’s not lost to viewing. You can get to see Fincher's intended piece on the collector’s edition on DVD. It’s the special edition. I’m hoping this film will find its rightful place next to the other Alien films. The third film stands well compared to the others, a fitting epitaph to a film that’s been sadly neglected.
Watch it. Rejoice in it. Hallelujah. Now, you might not want to look over your shoulder. There’s something mighty fierce with large teeth and a vicious hunger dripping…
The biggest difference is the narrative: it focuses on religion.
A very touchy subject for many.
David Fincher’s original vision is a religious allegory. The prisoners on this barren planet, trapped in an isolated place with no place to look up to, don’t have much to do. So they turn to religion. Or rather, Charles S. Dutton leads them into a higher place for forgiveness. Each person's a convict. He carries the full weight of sins on his back.
The sweeping references to the bible fit into the narrative perfectly. The oxen, the only animal seen in the film, appears. It’s considered a sacred animal in India. So it makes sense to have the oxen here. Not some dumb pet dog in the other version.
There are scenes of the barren wasteland, savage, relentless, like the desert Moses crossed for forty years. You can see the horror of the skies and the landscape that does not bear life.
None of these scenes made it to the final cut. It’s been stripped of its narrative… none of the religious material made it. Otherwise, the film would’ve made a departure from the other Alien films.
The acting is stunning here. Paul McGann (Who gained fame as the eighth Doctor Who) has a
much bigger part in this one. Before, he’s barely seen in glimpses. Here, he plays a bigger role, and hell, he’s a fine actor. They all are. There are many bits of humor threaded out throughout the film. Good characterization.
Thankfully, it’s not lost to viewing. You can get to see Fincher's intended piece on the collector’s edition on DVD. It’s the special edition. I’m hoping this film will find its rightful place next to the other Alien films. The third film stands well compared to the others, a fitting epitaph to a film that’s been sadly neglected.
Watch it. Rejoice in it. Hallelujah. Now, you might not want to look over your shoulder. There’s something mighty fierce with large teeth and a vicious hunger dripping…
posted by K.M. Paters at 1:12 PM
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