[orf]

I never saw Alien as a rapist film, but that really does work well. Good view on the film.
I'm a literalist myself when it comes to movies; I can easily decipher good analogies or find hidden meanings in some movies, but with movies like Alien, I see it how it is; a damn good sci-fi/horror classic. When I first saw it when I was 8 (my first R-rated film!), it scared the living shit out of me. The whole sense of claustrophobia brought about by the Nostromo and helplessness of the characters is just terrifying (especially for an 8 year old). Until last year, I always avoided watching the movie. When I turned 14 last may, I finally faced my fear and bought it. I watched it, and I LOVED it. It still upheld its scariness, even after 5 years.
My favorite part of Alien is the whole technical side. For its time, Alien's whole set design and visual effects (subtle or not at times) is absolutely stunning. From the layout of the Nostromo that seems claustrophobic and complex with its many levels and cargo bays, to the absolutely gorgeous art and design by H.R. Giger, the movie excels even modern sci-fi films. The alien spaceship scenes are definitely some of my favorite exploration scenes in any movie I've ever seen. The matte painting for the hatchery area is still even amazing for me. Everytime I see it, I totally forget it's a matte paintint and I see it as it's a real set. Whether it's just a well-made matte painting or it's Giger's amazing pseudo-organic and streamlined design, who knows.
Anyhow, a little more about my love of Giger's work. The alien is, without a doubt, the ultimate movie monster. Though because of costume limits of the time, the costume itself of the alien is a bit cheesy (as shown in the final scene with the alien lurching after Ripley in the shuttle), the neck-up is simply gorgeous. And because that's only what you see all but one scene with the alien (making the alien seem much more mysterious and dangerous), it really warrants itself as one HELL of a, to put it simply, beautiful creature. The alien designs in Aliens and Alien3 were definitely not as good as the alien in Alien, but they still look gorgeous. Giger is an absolute genius.