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from his chest.

The film is incredibly claustrophobic. There are several ways this is put across to the audience. The ship itself is like a prison because it sits in the middle of nowhere deep in space. The ship is a series of rooms and corridors. It is appears metallic and unkempt. When the alien is introduced this becomes terrifying because then obviously there is nowhere to escape to.

There are shadows everywhere and the alien uses the architecture to both remain hidden in and to attack from. In this way the director uses the alien to express fears about what is already there.
There are times in the film where the alien is approaching the crew in some way yet they aren't sure where it is. The crew have a device that lets them know what moving objects are ahead. This more often than not leads to one of the crew members being killed. One example involves the crew hunting the alien and picking up a signal on the motion detector. Everybody assumes the alien is near and the crew stand ready to attack it with a flamethrower then when the crew approach the tension has been built up and a cat jumps out.
The motion sensor adds something which isn't in a lot of other horror films. When it is integral to the film it is acting like a heart beat and the editing always gets faster the closer the alien comes. Also because the audience know the alien is coming they are more susceptible to manipulation for those moments. The films ALIEN and ALIENS both have instances where the alien getting closer scenario is turned on its head to add surprise.
Another scene sees a lead characters crawling through ventilation pipes to catch the alien and he thinks he knows where the alien is. As he crawls we are aware of his breathing and his discomfort. The crew member sweats and grunts as he gets closer this reinforces the sense of claustrophobia. The director chooses to show the other crew members who are waiting for him outside of the vent and are communicating with him.

Another element to the film which I haven't yet discussed is the lead character Ripley.
Perhaps the choice to have a woman was intended to increase a sense vulnerability but in the film it is directed in such a way as to make Ripley appear beautiful yet by the end of the film hardened (with motherly affection for her cat).
The cat leads Ripley into and out of danger many times in the film. Most notably at the end when the ship is counting down to self destruction. Ripley doesn't run she searches for her cat risking death. I think the cat represents the parts of Ripley's character that are not in the film such as mothering children and cooking. I don't believe it is necessary but perhaps at the time the whole female lead character thing was considered daring.
In the film Ripley acts as the counter weight to the male crew members. Where we know by the end of the film the men have let the alien aboard against the rules. Ripley often sees danger and challenges the views of the men around her. A more prominent example is when the synthetic is constantly trying to usher the crew to danger Ripley challenges the crew, yet is considered a nag.
Alien appears to be a film obsessed with a woman's conquering of a pseudo sexual sadistic predator and because of that her triumph is a broader expression of overcoming male domination.

Learn more about this author, Leon Rainey.
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