“Building better worlds”: crisis of capitalist-scientific modernity with the weyland-yutani mega-company from the Alien franchise (1979-2017)

Abstract

This paper presents a critique of the Crisis of Capitalist-Scientific Modernity in the science fiction film franchise Alien. Ever since the inaugural film, Alien (1979), the so-called Company has been consolidated and represents the shady interests that foster the adversities and dangers experienced by the characters in the horror and science fiction narrative. As post-modern critiques, science fiction narratives tend to present the industrial and military interests of the neoliberal capitalist regime as the main culprits behind the hardships that drive the stories. It is the interference of the fictional Weyland-Yutani mega-company, central to the Alien film franchise (1979-2017), that stimulates emergencies involving military-armament interests in the face of the alien life form called xenomorph, through various allegories that turn the mega-company into an astonishing monstrosity of capitalism. Among various issues, the fictional productions transcribe criticisms of the modern conception of scientific progress and its failure due to capitalist corruption, in vogue in the economic field's criticism of multinationals during the second half of the 20th century. The proposed research is based on an analysis of the discourses and representations presented by the film narratives and the possibilities for dialogue with the socio-political context critical of the globalization of capitalism. Its instrumentalization can serve the debate of Public History or even the Teaching of Political History for the production of criticality.