Memory: The Origins of Alien (Alexandre O. Philippe, 2019, USA/France)

Alexandre O. Philippe’s documentary Memory: The Origins of Alien is a great exploration into the background behind the franchise that has captured the imaginations of audiences for over 40 years. As the film’s title suggests, the film is more concerned with the development of the project than hands-on production details, though there are a number of discussions of the production - including a detailed exploration of the infamous chest-burster scene. The result is likely to please both Alien fanatics and fans of horror and sci-fi more broadly.  

The origins of the film of course, begin with writer Dan O’Bannon, an eccentric guy from the Midwest who - as we learn in the film - grew up without television. As with many horror icons from this era, he drew his ideas primarily from comic books. Memory traces the origins of the project with O’Bannon, how Swiss artist H.R. Giger was brought into the project, and how Ridley Scott was brought on board. There are numerous talking heads, including many of the original cast members and members of the production (the deceased O’Bannon is represented here by his wife).

The most fascinating aspect of the film is the deeper origins of the project, and the film explores the relationship between Alien and greek tragedy (there are some very unique visualizations of this), as well as the connection between the visuals in the film and those of painter Francis Bacon. The influence of both of these things is unmistakable, and the film makes a convincing case for it. Supposedly, the Bacon influence inspired Philippe to make the film. Memory: The Origins of Aliens manages to go beyond the typical talking head appreciation piece by incorporating these more cerebral and symbolic elements into its analysis. As such, it stands out from the pack of similar films.

7/10