The War of the Worlds (1953 film)
Thursday, 10:00 pm, Culbreth
Director: Byron Haskin
Writer: Barré Lyndon
Cinematographer: George Barnes
Cast: Gene Barry, Ann Robinson
Running Time: 85 minutes
Considered one of the great sci-fi films of the ’50s, George Pál’s film was the first cinematic depiction of the H. G. Wells classic novel, setting the focus of Martian wrath in Southern California. The film won a deserved Oscar for special effects.
When a meteorite crashes into the woods outside of the small town of Pine Summit in Southern California, vacationing scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester (Gene Barry) is baffled by the relatively small amount of damage caused to the surrounding area. Meanwhile, the local townsfolk excitedly consider the many ways they can exploit the alien rock, from tourism to gold prospecting. Curious as to what can be revealed once the meteor cools, Dr. Forrester agrees to extend his trip and stay the night with a local pastor and his attractive niece (Ann Robinson). Romance begins to blossom between Forrester and the admiring Sylvia, but tragedy quickly follows the darkening night when from the molten crust of the meteor emerge Martian craft armed and ready for world domination. The Martian machines begin their relentless assault even as more alien craft shower down from space all over the globe.
In the cold war era of the film, the Martians represent the ultimate Communist nightmare. A red scare from the red planet, they have technologically surpassed us, their machines impervious to even our most powerful atom bomb. They seek no terms of surrender, annihilating all who attempt communication. At the same time, the depiction of the Martian race raises curious moral questions about our own position of power, dependence on technology, and exploitation of foreign resources. The Martians are shown as frail, feeble creatures, physically inferior to humans. This evokes the question: do they have advanced technology because they are weak, or are they weak because they have advanced technology?
