What do you get when you cross classic 19th century H.G. Wells literature with classic 1950’s sci-fi cinema? Why George Pal’s War of the Worlds, of course, arguably one of that decade’s finest films. Any analysis of the film requires a bit of background information on the novel, to be sure, which Wells wrote long before the term Science Fiction came into vogue.

In the book, Earth is invaded by Martians in the latter half of the eighteen hundreds, and most of the action takes place in Victorian England. The Martians are possessed of technology far superior to mankind’s and make short work of her military forces. The invaders, imposing in their towering three-legged war machines, are not invincible, however, and several of their contraptions do in fact fall victim to the weapons mere humans deploy against them.

Wells novel was original and frightening when it was published and was even more terrifying when broadcast in the nineteen-thirties by Orson Welles as a Halloween radio play that had many Americans convinced Earth was actually being invaded. In the fifties, however, the story needed updating for an effective big-screen presentation, and Pal manages this perfectly.

This is otherworldly invasion for the nuclear age, and it begins with an eerie tour of the solar system narrated by Sir Cedric Hardwick that explains the reason the Martians so coveted our world. A blazing object lands not far from Los Angeles and is assumed to be a meteor until a strange device emerges from it and vaporizes several locals who attempt to welcome the aliens. It is at that point that Dr. Clayton Forrester (Gene Barry) recognizes the threat and advises the local constabulary that the military needs to be called in.

Soon, Martian cylinders are landing all over the globe, however, and our mightiest tanks, planes, and even nuclear weapons are powerless to stop them. Still, Mankind fights with every weapon at her disposal in a seemingly hopeless delaying action. Against this backdrop a love subplot develops between Forrester and Sylvia (Ann Robinson), a girl he meets when investigating the first cylinder.

The battle scenes are a lot of fun to watch and are for the most part realistically portrayed. Period military buffs will especially enjoy the shots of the Air Force Flying Wing, a limited production bomber which evokes images of today’s B-2 Stealth bomber and delivers the first nuclear attack against the Martians.

As in the novel, it is at mankind’s darkest moment that salvation arrives not by any weapon of human design but rather by the smallest of Earth’s creatures, the bacteria to which humans have long since developed immunity but to which the Martians have no defense.

The War of the Worlds is every bit as much fun to me now as it was when I first saw it as a kid in the seventies. Then too, the special effects, though at times campy, are for the most part still impressive to behold. The design of the Martian machines still seem alien and futuristic almost fifty years after the film was made. Indeed, the magnetic legs upon which they walk and magnetic domes that shield them still seem to be super science to us today. This was truly an original and imaginative film for its day.

I purchased the DVD release from Paramount for about $20.00. There are few special features other than the original theatrical trailer and a scene index. This version is not widescreen but has been formatted to fit a standard TV screen. The picture, however, is crystal clear and with brilliant color.

Those who have never seen this film are in for a treat. Those who have seen it may need a refresher viewing as I did to recall just how good it is. In either case, The War of the Worlds, nearly a half century after its release, is a film worth seeing and seeing again.

Also worth watching is Steven Spielberg's 2005 version of The War of the Worlds


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12