War Of The Worlds (1953) I'm not sure of too many things, but I'm pretty sure I'll still enjoy repeated viewings of this quintessential sci-fi classic till I'm off to the great beyond.....or whatever.....
Running 85 furiously breathless minutes, this film piles on more unforgettable sequences than I've ever seen thrown into one single movie. It just comes at you and never stops........
I'm beginning to wish that all current fantasy-sci-fi filmmakers who've padded out their movies to bloated running times of 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours should be tied to a chair and forced to watch this one again, to study the sheer craftsmanship and economy of storytelling on display.
For producer George Pal and director Byron Haskin, "War Of The Worlds" still stands as their greatest achievement , in which every single element that goes into a movie (script, performance, cinematography, music, production design, special effects) came perfectly together.
For Baby Boomer kids who grew up watching it at countless kiddie matinees, the images remained burned into their eyeballs and memories forever.......such as.....
First and foremost, the sleek, goose-necked, cobra-headed Martian war machines designed by Albert Nozaki, as far away as you could imagine from H.G.Wells conception of towering, clunking tripods......Nokaki's space age, floating death-dealing mechanisms hovered, glided, pulsated and at any moment's notice, could spit out fiery heat ray from their heads ....and from their sides, blasts of green chunks o stuff to dissolve you on the spot.....
More horrific scenes ensued as we gaped at the sight of our soldiers, tanks and jeeps either disintegrate in nothingness or burst into flame. And everyone's blood froze solid at the sight of innocent, adorable sweetheart Ann Robinson getting a surprise tap on the shoulder by spindly, suction-cupped Martian fingers......
And even our very last resort, what the panicked narrator of the film's frenzied newsreel opening refers to as 'super science' fails to even put a slight dent in the Martians' methodical extermination of humanity. Yes, we drop an atom bomb on them, but the aliens protective shield provokes on observer of the detonation to scream, "They haven't even been touched!"
There's only a few things that date the film......mostly its ongoing, heavy reliance on religion....back in the days when Hollywood's view of America was strictly as a Christian, God fearing country. So right away you know how inhuman the invaders are when they vaporize a gentle-hearted, kindly pastor holding up a bible at them. And when earth's bacteria finally hits those unvaccinated aliens like the first wave of Covid, it's clearly an act of divine intervention, bringing on a church choir and a rousing 'Amen' for the final shot.
A truly iconic film, so it's no wonder that Steven Spielberg's equally spectacular 2005 remake paid homage by repeating one of the original's most anxious, ominous lines - ("Once they begin to move, no more news comes out of that area...") and also including stars Gene Barry and Ann Robinson as Tom Cruise's elderly in-laws.
No question about the rating on "War Of The Worlds". Forever a legendary film and essential viewing for anyone who loves and cherishes movies. 5 stars (*****) a FIND OF FINDS.
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