Research

For my coursework I am required to choose two texts or people to compare and contrast in order to write about how women are portrayed in Science Fiction films. The two people I have chosen are Lt. Ellen Ripley from the Alien franchise and also Chiana from the Farscape series.

Chiana from Farscape

I have chosen these two women because they portray the different aspects women can act within a science fiction film and tv series. I have chosen Ellen Ripley, the gunslinging, alien killing heroin in your worst nightmares and the slightly psychotic and resourceful Nebari, Chiana, who is known for her siren qualities and bipolar atttude to her work. There are the three main ways we see women in any kind of action film, either the helpless damsel in distress, the bad tempered woman with a big gun or the sex subject within the text.

These two woman both have their similarities together but they also do have many differnence of the two of them. Such as the fact that Chiana looks after her appearance even though she gets into a lot of fights and shoot outs, wheras Ellen has never been seen to be doing her make up or looking after her appearnace. Another differnance between the two is the also the trust that can be held in them, Ellen is shown as doing whatever is right for everyone and to make everyone safe from the 'Aliens' and Chiana is a street-smart, savvy, and mercurial type of character who is willing to scam or steal for an adventure and risk her life for the people she loves when the time seems right to herself.