Film Review
Arguably the most important science-fiction film of the 1950s is this
spectacular adaptation of H.G. Wells's novel,
The War of the Worlds.
Although it is let down somewhat by its shallow B-movie
characterisation and some irksome bouts of religiosity, this film is a
landmark in the sci-fi genre, breaking new ground with its spectacular
(Oscar winning) special effects. Its producer, George Pal, had scored
two previous notable successes in the sci-fi genre -
Destination Moon (1950) and
When Worlds Collide (1951) - and
would later direct the classic
The
Time Machine (1960), based on another H.G. Wells story.
More than half of the film's two million dollar budget went on special
effects, and it shows. The model effects are impressive even by
today's standards, particularly the realisation of the Martian war
machines, which, with their sleek swan-like design, genuinely do look
like the product of an advanced alien civilisation rather than something
you could pick up in Woolworths for under a fiver. It's also
worth mentioning the eerie sound effects, which contribute greatly to
the film's impact - these were re-used and closely imitated in many
subsequent films and television shows, including the original
Star Trek series.
Unlike many comparable fantasy B movies of this era,
The War of the Worlds is a
genuinely frightening film and is at times shocking in its uncompromising
bleakness. Director Byron Haskin ekes as much horror content as
he can from the story and achieves wonders with his apocalyptic vision
of a world laid waste by an alien invasion. The film also
includes one of the most chilling sequences ever - the one where the
heroine (played by Ann Robinson) suddenly realises that she has an
alien hand on her shoulder and, after a momentary pause, lets out a
scream of undiluted terror. A huge commercial success in its
day, this remains one of the great science-fiction film classics,
vastly superior to Spielberg's uninspired 2005 remake.
© James Travers 2009
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Film Synopsis
The peace of a small Californian town is disturbed when a huge
meteorite crashes into the ground. Dr Clayton Forrester, an
eminent physicist, happens to be holidaying in the area and cannot
resist examining the meteorite. At the impact site, he meets
science graduate Sylvia van Buren and her uncle, the pastor Dr
Collins. The meteorite is still too hot for the scientists to
examine, so they decide to wait until the morning. During the
night, the three men who are watching over the meteorite are surprised
when a large and mysterious metallic object emerges from it. The
next morning, all that is left of the three men are their charred
remains. On their return to the site, Dr Forrester and the town's
sheriff are confronted by three of the machines, each equipped with ray
guns that are capable of destroying anything. When Dr Collins is
shot down by one of the machines, the military opens fire, but to no
avail. The alien machines appear to be indestructible.
Meanwhile, across the entire world there are reports of similar
meteorites landing and disgorging the destructive war machines.
Cities are razed to the ground and nothing the military can throw at
the aliens has any effect. It really does look like the end for
humankind...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.