Since nobody seems to want to discuss whether or not Ripley's life had purpose or meaning, I'm simply going to write up my thoughts in true losery style.
First, I've decided that Alien 3 is my overall favorite of the trilogy. I love Alien 3's unflinching hopelessness and religious symbolism (religious symbolism is usually pretty fun, except in the Matrix where it was painfully bad. I still have nightmares of that kid screaming, "He saved us!"). Though, the unflinching hopelessness is possibly why the movie isn't widely the most popular. I think what I like best about Alien 3 is that it seems kind of like a labor of love, rather than a grab for box office cash. I feel like they told the story they wanted to tell, whether it would make people happy or not. Nobody walked into the theater thinking, "Okay, at the end, I really hope they kill Ripley, because that would ROCK!," but they did it anyway! I love that sort of "screw the fans, this is my story" sentiment. Hence my delight in Alien 3, or something like End of Evangelion, the second most depressing anime movie I've ever seen. As I write this, I'm thinking again about the ending of the Matrix trilogy and how one COULD compare the depiction of Neo's end to the depiction of Ripley's end. Sure, they're both martyrs and die to save others, but there's one BIG difference between the two. Ripley's death isn't sugar-coated with punch in the face Christian symbolism. The ending credits may as well have said, "NEO IS JESUS, GG N00B!" That's just a weak use of the craft, it gives no credit to the audience and their ability to interpret artistry. But back to Ripley and whether or not her life, struggle and death were meaningless...
Despite the fact that she never managed to protect anyone around her, when one considers life as a big picture, sacrificing herself to ensure that a queen alien never reached the whole of mankind gave her life meaning. She killed not one, but two queens, effectively wiping out the species and permanently protecting the universe from possible demise. That's a tortured life, but not a meaningless life.
Of course, Alien: Resurrection obliterates the previous paragraph, but Alien: Resurrection doesn't count.
Posted by Mike at March 14, 2006 11:55 AM