Invasion Of The
Body Snatchers
High-five!
A movie doesn't
need crazy special effects, lots of blood, or even a big budget to be
scary. Sure those things help, but a good story and solid acting
trump any amount of severed limbs a movie can throw at the audience.
A movie that allows the imagination to fill-in the blanks is smart
and clever to do so. It doesn't take much to let the mind run wild
and great storytelling gives the audience just enough of a push to
make it happen.
Invasion Of The
Body Snatchers is a 1956 science fiction horror movie adapted from
the novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney. The movie begins with a
distraught Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy, Death Of A Salesman,
The Howling) being brought into the emergency ward of a hospital by
police. Miles composes himself enough to explain to doctors why he is
so franctic. A few days back, Miles, who is a doctor in the small
California town of Santa Mira, begins receiving calls from patients
insisting they were sick. Inexplicably, each patient cancells their
appointments with Miles. People from around town also begin to
express a strange fear of their loved ones, claiming they are no
longer who they used to be. A former girlfriend of Miles, Becky
Driscoll (Dana Wynter, In Love And War, Sink The Bismark!) has a
cousin named Wilma who believes her Uncle Ira is no longer the same
man. Miles meets with her and sees Uncle Ira for himself, convinced
that he has not changed. That evening, Miles' friend Jack Belicec
(King Donovan) discovers a body that shares Jack's features, though
not completely developed. Miles sees the body for himself and
realizes that Becky might be in trouble since her father was acting
strangely earlier in the night. Miles sneaks into Becky's house and
discovers her duplicate in the cellar. He runs upstairs and carries a
sleeping Becky out of the house. When calls Dr. Dan Kaufmann, a
psychiatrist from town, Jack's duplicate has mysteriously
disappeared. They then go to Becky's house and discover her duplicate
gone as well. Dr. Kaufmann believes that both Miles and Jack are
suffering from a mass hysteria that is the cause for all the strange
behavior in town. The following night, more duplicates are
discovered, this time emerging from giant plant-like pods. The
conclude that the townspeople are being replaced in their sleep by
these pod people. Miles and Becky hide out in his office and watch
the people of the town load up trucks and cars with giant pods. Dr.
Kaufmann and Jack corner them and explain that the pods are
extraterrestrial seeds that crash landed in a local farm. By being
replaced, they no longer have feelings or emotions, completely devoid
of their human nature. Miles and Becky run for the California hills,
evading the pod people. How will they be able to survive when
everyone, even sleep, is an enemy?
Looking sharp is important, even during an alien invasion
The modern movie
audience has come to expect the big summer blockbuster when it comes
to an alien invasion movie. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers comes from
a simpler time in movies when big explosions and effects didn't equal
entertainment. Granted, the special effects from that era can't even
come close to today's effects, but that's not the point. If you watch
other science fiction movies from the 50's, there are space ships on
strings and actors and goofy-looking rubber suits. This movie doesn't
need that because the fear doesn't come from the aliens, it partially
comes from friends and family. Much like a zombie movie, everyone can
become an enemy. Your loved ones are no longer who they used to be,
replaced by an unloving, uncaring monster. The other scare factor
comes from the loss of self. The loss of free will and identity is
quite unnerving and plays into the overall fear of the movie.
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers can be seen through many different
political scopes. Some may see it as a commentary on Communism while
others see it as the homogenization of the United States after World
War II. The allegorical subtext is evident, though the filmmakers
stated that the movie has no strict political point of view.
The movie is a good
mixture of science fiction, traditional horror, and thriller. The
science fiction aspect is treats the audience with respect, as it
never becomes too fantastical or cartoonish. The pods look like
plants from Earth, just larger. Kevin McCarthy, who some younger
viewers may recognize as R.J. Fletcher from Weird Al Yankovic's
“UHF”, is particularly good in his role. He plays the everyman,
strong and confident. Initially skeptical, we see that confidence
start to slip as things become bleak. The iconic scene where Miles
stands in the highway, yelling directly into the camera, “They're
here already! You're next!” is downright fantastic. The audience
knows the truth and aches when no one believes Miles, making us as
powerless as he is. Unfortunately, the movie does not end there as
the studio felt it was too dark. They book-ended the movie with a
prologue and epilogue that hurt the flow of the movie, but added a
slightly more optimistic ending. It's a shame, because the original
dark ending fit the movie's overall despair far better.
Happy Anniversary, baby!
Invasion Of The
Body Snatchers is a mixture of multiple genres that blend into an
enjoyable and frightening watch. The science fiction aspect does not
overshadow the rest of the movie. The story is simple, but very
enjoyable with Kevin McCarthy having a fantastic performance. The
writing is smart and the dialogue is believable. Invasion manages to
be scary without relying on visual effects, violence, or even a big
budget. There have been a few remakes over the years, including one
starring Donald Sutherland and an adaptation starring Nicole Kidman.
The film was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry
for good reason. It is smart, scary, and entertaining.
9/10
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