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The movie gives a surprising (considering what it turns out to be) nod to Wells and Welles before starting. It’s about a TV host that does the state’s propaganda bidding; lively when on air, po-faced when off. His wife is unexpectedly abducted by Martians and used as collateral. This event compels the TV host to go from guilt-ridden propagandist to a man teetering on the edge of subversion.
Obviously, this has little to do with the original story. It shares more parallels with 1984. Same as Golem, Szulkin extracted a bleak commentary from a classic tale. It gives off occasional surreal and comedic vibes as well. The Martians are little face-painted wobbling midgets in poofy silver coats, which is nice. Their arrival strategically befalls a heavily state-controlled area, and they take advantage of their newly formed state ties to extort blood from gullible citizens.
Golem and O-Bi, O-Ba (the other two I’ve seen from Szulkin) are primo eye candy. They’re emphatically visual movies accompanied by some commentary. In WOTW, there are still glimpses of Szulkin’s visual pizazz with occasional neon trimmings and glowy cinematography, but given the oppressive theme, it’s set in a more grey and pedestrian environment. The drabness brings the later condition of the Soviet Union and its satellite states to mind. The narrative is a fervent rebuke of propaganda, wherein the only citizens bravely voicing dissent are those already punished by the state’s destitution. It’s surprising that a view like this one slipped through the cracks. “How many brains did you devour today?” Out of what I’ve seen, this is Szulkin’s most overt and considerate commentary.
It does tend to get a little boring, but it looks nice, it’s contemplative, and it’s surprisingly hilarious. There’s a wonderful dry wit (exemplified by the Martians), or maybe I just lost something in translation. It picks up greatly in the end as well, flipping expectations and adding some bulk to an otherwise straightforward (and perhaps trite) commentary. Like it or not, I seriously doubt there’s a more original version of WOTW out there.
The War of the Worlds: Next Century (1981)
In sunny Florida, Piotr Szulkin’s movies are harder to find than a yeti riding a moose, so whenever I find one, I feel like a kid on a very warm Christmas. BTW, if anyone has a way of getting me Ga, Ga – Chwala bohaterom, I will post my entire collection of bear pictures.The movie gives a surprising (considering what it turns out to be) nod to Wells and Welles before starting. It’s about a TV host that does the state’s propaganda bidding; lively when on air, po-faced when off. His wife is unexpectedly abducted by Martians and used as collateral. This event compels the TV host to go from guilt-ridden propagandist to a man teetering on the edge of subversion.
Obviously, this has little to do with the original story. It shares more parallels with 1984. Same as Golem, Szulkin extracted a bleak commentary from a classic tale. It gives off occasional surreal and comedic vibes as well. The Martians are little face-painted wobbling midgets in poofy silver coats, which is nice. Their arrival strategically befalls a heavily state-controlled area, and they take advantage of their newly formed state ties to extort blood from gullible citizens.
Golem and O-Bi, O-Ba (the other two I’ve seen from Szulkin) are primo eye candy. They’re emphatically visual movies accompanied by some commentary. In WOTW, there are still glimpses of Szulkin’s visual pizazz with occasional neon trimmings and glowy cinematography, but given the oppressive theme, it’s set in a more grey and pedestrian environment. The drabness brings the later condition of the Soviet Union and its satellite states to mind. The narrative is a fervent rebuke of propaganda, wherein the only citizens bravely voicing dissent are those already punished by the state’s destitution. It’s surprising that a view like this one slipped through the cracks. “How many brains did you devour today?” Out of what I’ve seen, this is Szulkin’s most overt and considerate commentary.
It does tend to get a little boring, but it looks nice, it’s contemplative, and it’s surprisingly hilarious. There’s a wonderful dry wit (exemplified by the Martians), or maybe I just lost something in translation. It picks up greatly in the end as well, flipping expectations and adding some bulk to an otherwise straightforward (and perhaps trite) commentary. Like it or not, I seriously doubt there’s a more original version of WOTW out there.