Fig 0 Alien Poster (2017)

Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film, is directed by Ridley Scott and written by Dan O’Bannon.
This review will be looking at how capitalism is portrayed in the film using the sources of Medium
that explores the themes within the film. Also the sources of Punkpatriot that looks at capitalism and
the how it is shown in the film.

The story takes place in space and is about a commercial spaceship called Nostromo with a crew of
seven people on their way home. When the ship picks a distress signal from a distant moon. They
are under obligation to investigate the signal. And three of crew go exploring the abandoned ship on
the planet, where one them gets attacked by an alien egg. Once the alien is on the ship, is later
found out that the signal was a warning. And they must deal with the consequences of having the
alien on the ship.

Point 1; Capitalism Introduction

Capitalism is an economic system, which capital goods are owned by private individuals or a
business. It based on supply and demand of goods in the free market, where individuals are
unrestrained in choosing where to invest or what to produce. Selling goods and services without
checks or controls. Most modern countries have a mixed capitalist system that also include
government regulations for business and industries. The main focus is using wealth to create more
wealth.

Fig 1 Capitalism (2009)

The image also reflects some of similar themes in the film. Most prominent example is the Alien in in
Universe Company called Weyland-Yutani Corporation that gives the crew the obligations explore
the distress signal.

Point 2: Capitalism examples in the film

Fig 2 Special Order 937 (2018)

Weyland-Yutani Corporation goal was to obtain the alien specimen, by any means even it cost their
own crew. The Special Order 937 is example of that, as it is only interested in one thing. And all
other things are consider not as important.

‘’The specimen has the potential to make the company a ton of money that takes priority over any
jobs and in this case lives. These were the main ways capitalism was portrayed in Alien and how it
helped progress the events of the film.’’ Lucas Lowman 2014

Lucas Lowman (2014) noted that the alien was worth more, because it has potential to make more
money for the company. So it was valued more than the jobs and life of the crew. Money was worth
more than a life of the worker. It shows capitalism by only focusing on money or way to make more
money.

Ash The Robot

Fig 3 Ash(2018)

Ash shows another perspective of Capitalism, the more artificial and robotic side of it.

‘’Ash who overrides the quarantine protocol by allowing on board the alien, studies without emotion
this “perfect organism,” and is revealed midway through the film to be an android. The ship’s
computer, which is nicknamed “mother” and is modeled after HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968),
is also a villain in its blindly carrying out the wishes of its programmer’’ Robert Alpert 2018

Robert Alpert (2018) noted that it was Ash who let the alien on the ship, breaking the law set by the
company. And has consider the alien as a perfect organism that he will try to kill others for. He
follows the laws set by company. Without a question or emotion, an ideal personification of what
company wants from the crew. The ship nicknamed mother also a villain as it is carrying out the
wishes of the company blindly.

Capitalism is portrayed in a negative light, and the film looks at it as robotic and self-cantered with
no regard for anything else even life. Other than wealth or opportunities to create more wealth. It is
the villain the film, that takes form of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation that considers life secondary.

USCSS Nostromo

Fig 4 Nostromo (2016)

The ship could be consider a catalyst for Capitalism, as it was created by company and is controlled
by the company. Taking the crew to find the distress signal that was a warning, considering the
motives of the company an assumption can be made. That the Weyland-Yutani Corporation knew of
the outcome of the crew life’s before they even left for the mission to retrieve minerals.

‘’The presence of the alien on board the Nostromo exposes the fictive nature of this contract,
disclosing the 'profound reality' of capitalist amorality. The Company – the world-monopoly that
owns the ship – is more responsible for the death of the crew than the alien itself, making the alien a
kind of proxy for the capitalists’’ punk Patriot 2014

Punk Patriot (2014) noted that the alien on the ship,has revealed the true villain of the film. Amoral
corporation that is more responsible for the death of the crew. Than the Alien itself becoming a
proxy for the actions of the company.

The alien and the company can be consider alike to each other, as both have only a single motive
that is the a priority above everything else.

Point 3; Conclusion

In conclusion Capitalism is seen negatively in the Alien, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation is looked as
amoral and uncaring. It is only interested in getting the alien, by any means necessary even if it
means letting their own crew died to retrieve it. Ash is a personification of an ideal worker for
Capitalism as he shows no emotions and follows the orders blindly. The corporation is seen only
interested in creating more wealth and does not considers the crew wellbeing. It hides its true
motive with the Special Order 937 that is kept hidden from them.

Illustration list:

Fig 0 Madrid, (2017), The posters of the Alien movies [ONLINE]. Available at:
https://elpais.com/elpais/2017/04/05/album/1491408345_526782.html#foto_gal_1 [Accessed 8
November 2018].

Fig 1 Capitalism generates profit for capitalists, who own the means of production, through
exploitation, or paying workers less than they are worth. (2009). [image] Available at:

Fig 2 S. D. Perry., (2018), Special Order 937 [ONLINE]. Available at:

http://avp.wikia.com/wiki/Special_Order_937 [Accessed 7 November 2018]
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Introduction_to_Sociology/Economy#/media/File:Graphic_depiction_
of_capitalism.png [Accessed 8 Nov. 2018].

Fig 3 wmmvrrvrrmm, (2018), Alien Explorations [ONLINE]. Available at:

http://alienexplorations.blogspot.com/1979/10/unravelling-of-ash.html [Accessed 7 November
2018].

Fig 4 WHAT IF... THE USCSS NOSTROMO WASN'T DESTROYED?. (2016). [image] Available at:
http://www.scified.com/topic/42115 [Accessed 7 Nov. 2018].

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Edwards, J. (2018). The Economic Predictions In The Original 'Alien' Are A Lot Scarier Than The
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Medium. (2014). Capitalism & Sex: The Themes Explored in Alien and Cannibal Holocaust. [online]
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Ejumpcut.org. (2018). Ridley Scott’s "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant"—the contemporary horror
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