WAR OF THE WORLDS
dir: Steven Spielberg
This is not a war any more than there's a war between men and maggots... This is an extermination. - Harlan Ogilvy
Brief Synopsis
In this modernization of the H.G. Wells classic story, a father and his two children attempt to flee a city being overrun by alien invaders.
Why It's Here
For a director known for his visionary tales of aliens and outer space, Spielberg's "War of the Worlds" adaptation has caught the most debate out of any of his sci-fi works. Complaints about this film are not unwarranted, it is true, that unlike his previous works, this feels the most dishonest. Spielberg has stated that he believes that aliens who stumble upon earth would not travel so far to cause destruction, but to explore and investigate. "War of the Worlds" is a classic intergalactic war story that believes in everything Spielberg does not. Unlike "E.T." and "Close Encounters", these aliens are the most vile and ruthless that Spielberg has ever envisioned. However, as both an artist and an entertainer, here Steven Spielberg shows his abilities as an entertain in full form. While the motives of the invaders do not share the same curiosity that Spielberg's creations usually do, he instead uses them to terrify the audience in ways that this story has always been able to do, and through this modern update, Spielberg keeps that trend very much alive. This is very much a war film, but more than anything, it is a horror film. This is terrain that Spielberg hasn't truly set foot in since "Jaws" so many years ago.
As an original story, H.G. Wells created a scenario that mirrored the anxieties of escalating possibility of war (World War I occurred shortly after publication) as well as being considered to comment on Britain's invasion of African colonies, once again adapted into a radio show, the story created mass hysteria in the public as many feared real Martians were invading earth. Many years have passed since then, but Spielberg's new tale is quite terrifying in it's own right. The audience is no longer as naive and as a horror story, the public much more resistant at this day in age, which is why in many people's eyes, Spielberg failed. However, using his knowledge in special effects, the invaders were rendered in a quality of CGI unseen before this films release. Spielberg stated publicly that he was uninterested in making a film that masked it's special effects and invaders through quick editing and trick photography similar to other "blockbuster kings" like Michael Bay. This is perhaps what is most paralyzing about the long sequences that are scattered through "War of the Worlds", that we expect to see these monstrous tri-pods in only glimpses, when Spielberg instead never lets us look away.
While the visual effects are stunning in their own right, as an audience it is easy to distinguish reality from fiction. To counteract this, another sense comes into play to once again capture us in the fear of the story; that sense is sound. There is a masterful play of audio throughout this entire film. As the precursor to the invasion, a storm above New Jersey whips wind towards it to the awe of Ray and his neighbors. The sound is so crisp and sharp that it literally chills the viewer as if we can feel the cold wind in the dark backyard. Many of the most intense sequences use either no music or very little, relying on the ambient sounds to represent the lack of life in the path wiped out by the aliens. When Ray and his children hide in a basement there hear a terrifying screech from the outside, a thunderous noise of agony that only escalates and escalates. For a film so heavily set on special effects, it is impressive that it is able to get under your skin most effectively when there is nothing to show. Upon emerging the next day, Ray discovers a destroyed plane, all life mysteriously vanished. And we only hear the ambient noises of broken metal and a scavenger rummaging through the remains. The entire film maintains eerie and unsettling to your ears, as if this is what the world sounds like after it is gone.
While it is technically proficient, the film is polarizing and it's Hollywood influence may turn off many, while it's family-centric plot line will embrace others. This is a film that plays well on the insecurities of the safety of our planet. However it does not preach to the viewer that we are the problem, instead telling us that we are the only defense our planet has. Many have criticized the ending, failing to note that all versions of this classic tale end the same way, the only mistake that Spielberg made was to credit God for our planet's natural defense. In Spielberg's Americanized version of the story, what he does best is focus on a relatively unlikable dad rather than a military character. The audience now feels vulnerable and defenseless against a powerful military invasion, while it is invasive on our fears, Spielberg removes any notion of "fight or flight", flipping the notion of the typical summer blockbuster from action extravaganza to hide-and-seek horror.
As an original story, H.G. Wells created a scenario that mirrored the anxieties of escalating possibility of war (World War I occurred shortly after publication) as well as being considered to comment on Britain's invasion of African colonies, once again adapted into a radio show, the story created mass hysteria in the public as many feared real Martians were invading earth. Many years have passed since then, but Spielberg's new tale is quite terrifying in it's own right. The audience is no longer as naive and as a horror story, the public much more resistant at this day in age, which is why in many people's eyes, Spielberg failed. However, using his knowledge in special effects, the invaders were rendered in a quality of CGI unseen before this films release. Spielberg stated publicly that he was uninterested in making a film that masked it's special effects and invaders through quick editing and trick photography similar to other "blockbuster kings" like Michael Bay. This is perhaps what is most paralyzing about the long sequences that are scattered through "War of the Worlds", that we expect to see these monstrous tri-pods in only glimpses, when Spielberg instead never lets us look away.
While the visual effects are stunning in their own right, as an audience it is easy to distinguish reality from fiction. To counteract this, another sense comes into play to once again capture us in the fear of the story; that sense is sound. There is a masterful play of audio throughout this entire film. As the precursor to the invasion, a storm above New Jersey whips wind towards it to the awe of Ray and his neighbors. The sound is so crisp and sharp that it literally chills the viewer as if we can feel the cold wind in the dark backyard. Many of the most intense sequences use either no music or very little, relying on the ambient sounds to represent the lack of life in the path wiped out by the aliens. When Ray and his children hide in a basement there hear a terrifying screech from the outside, a thunderous noise of agony that only escalates and escalates. For a film so heavily set on special effects, it is impressive that it is able to get under your skin most effectively when there is nothing to show. Upon emerging the next day, Ray discovers a destroyed plane, all life mysteriously vanished. And we only hear the ambient noises of broken metal and a scavenger rummaging through the remains. The entire film maintains eerie and unsettling to your ears, as if this is what the world sounds like after it is gone.
While it is technically proficient, the film is polarizing and it's Hollywood influence may turn off many, while it's family-centric plot line will embrace others. This is a film that plays well on the insecurities of the safety of our planet. However it does not preach to the viewer that we are the problem, instead telling us that we are the only defense our planet has. Many have criticized the ending, failing to note that all versions of this classic tale end the same way, the only mistake that Spielberg made was to credit God for our planet's natural defense. In Spielberg's Americanized version of the story, what he does best is focus on a relatively unlikable dad rather than a military character. The audience now feels vulnerable and defenseless against a powerful military invasion, while it is invasive on our fears, Spielberg removes any notion of "fight or flight", flipping the notion of the typical summer blockbuster from action extravaganza to hide-and-seek horror.