Description :
"In space, no one can hear you scream," proclaimed the tagline on the French poster for Alien in 1979. And yet, the voice of Ripley, "last survivor of the Nostromo," continues to resonate across space and time?from films to comics, from video games to literary, theatrical, or philosophical evocations. While the xenomorph is often seen as the main character of the film, it is Ellen Ripley who is its true heroine: this inseparable duo?the alien and the woman who defeats it at every encounter?has left a profound mark on science fiction.

Born from the imagination of Dan O?Bannon and Ronald Shusett, the character of Ripley was not originally intended to be female. Nevertheless, it was to Sigourney Weaver, a young actress from the theater world, that Ridley Scott entrusted the lead role in the film that would launch both of their careers. Ripley appears in four feature films, each directed by a talented filmmaker: Alien (Ridley Scott), Aliens (James Cameron), Alien³ (David Fincher), and Alien Resurrection (Jean-Pierre Jeunet). Though all the directors and screenwriters were men, they nonetheless contributed to the creation of one of the most powerful heroine archetypes in contemporary fiction: a woman who proves her strength through adversity, capable of outshining any man, while fully embracing her vulnerability.