← Back to Reviews
in
When a meteor lands in Linda Rosa, California, Dr Clayton Forrester who is on vacation there, takes it upon himself to investigate.
At first the whole town is excited by the incident, but go on their way and think nothing more of it... leaving three men by the meteor pit to make sure the burning ball of rock doesn't start any forest fires.
But a few hours later, when the town is having a gathering at the town hall, something sinister emerges from the meteor...
A product of its time... WOTW combines lashings of naive dialogue and cheesie explanatory speeches and captions, experimental storytelling that could almost pass a intentional tongue in cheek humour (though it isn't intentional) with some immensely clever and cutting edge special effects.
One special thing about the 1953 film is the atmosphere that is built over the first two acts.
It manages very succesfully to go from an almost drama like feel to what could only be described as an atmospheric horror... it's cleverly done.
The main thing that lets it down, as I mentioned above, is the unintentional humour involved in the dialogue... some of the acting is also unintentionally funny in places too.
Another let down is the overall changes from thebook to screen. Like with the other WOTW (Spielberg's) review I made on page 6 of this thread, there's little in common with Wells' short novel masterpiece.
It's understandable though for a 1953 film, budget and technology constraints and all that, but they could at least have made something colser to the source material.
There are a couple of plot points that are taken from the book, just not very many really.
Which brings me to the acting.
Gene Barry as Dr Forrester is by far the best on show and to be honest, he's actually really good in the role. A rewritten Narrator, but Barry is incredibly likeable and he actually manages to take the poor script and make it believeable...
Ann Robinson plays the worried faced Sylvia, a love interest for Dr Forrester. Her role really is just that, something for Forrester to protect and pout over. She tends to be completely out of her depth 99% of the time too. Well, she is a woman facing a man's world after all. At one point she even loses it and needs to be shaken and shouted at by Barry...
The rest of the cast are pretty wooden though. They give a very close performance between them all, they're all consistently wooden, so at least they all tried hard to make Gene Barry look good
The effects and hints of action though are really the standout piece of film making though.
Dated by today's standard, but for the timeare extremely exciting. Some of the effects though do hold up today, especially the flying machines themselves.
There's also a number of scenes containing gunfire and explosions on behalf of the armed forces involved in the story. It's all handled pretty well too.
Some of the effects and sound, and some of the visual action is also iconic and has become regarded as classic since though. I agree too, there are lashings of well choreographed and well realised scenes and set pieces throughout.
The general acting though throughout the action is a bit dull though and some of the reactions of the cast and extras to what is happening is questionable.
Kind of a special review this one, it's the 60th Anniversary this year, so I'll stick it into the Movie #255 spot...
Review #189, Movie #255
The War Of The Worlds
The War Of The Worlds
Year Of Release
1953
1953
Director
Byron Haskin
Byron Haskin
Producer
George Pal
George Pal
Writer
Barré Lyndon, H.G Wells
Barré Lyndon, H.G Wells
Cast
Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Lewis Martin, Les Tremayne, Bob Cornthwaite, Henry Brandon Bill Phipps, Jack Kruschen, Paul Frees and Sir Cedric Hardwicke
Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Lewis Martin, Les Tremayne, Bob Cornthwaite, Henry Brandon Bill Phipps, Jack Kruschen, Paul Frees and Sir Cedric Hardwicke
Notes
The film itself contains masses of Cold War visuals and paranoia laced into the screenplay and storylines... from the atomic bomb, to even having the Martian ships only ever travelling from screen right to screen left... ie; a dangerous force travelling from the East to attack the West.
The film itself contains masses of Cold War visuals and paranoia laced into the screenplay and storylines... from the atomic bomb, to even having the Martian ships only ever travelling from screen right to screen left... ie; a dangerous force travelling from the East to attack the West.
---
When a meteor lands in Linda Rosa, California, Dr Clayton Forrester who is on vacation there, takes it upon himself to investigate.
At first the whole town is excited by the incident, but go on their way and think nothing more of it... leaving three men by the meteor pit to make sure the burning ball of rock doesn't start any forest fires.
But a few hours later, when the town is having a gathering at the town hall, something sinister emerges from the meteor...
A product of its time... WOTW combines lashings of naive dialogue and cheesie explanatory speeches and captions, experimental storytelling that could almost pass a intentional tongue in cheek humour (though it isn't intentional) with some immensely clever and cutting edge special effects.
One special thing about the 1953 film is the atmosphere that is built over the first two acts.
It manages very succesfully to go from an almost drama like feel to what could only be described as an atmospheric horror... it's cleverly done.
The main thing that lets it down, as I mentioned above, is the unintentional humour involved in the dialogue... some of the acting is also unintentionally funny in places too.
Another let down is the overall changes from thebook to screen. Like with the other WOTW (Spielberg's) review I made on page 6 of this thread, there's little in common with Wells' short novel masterpiece.
It's understandable though for a 1953 film, budget and technology constraints and all that, but they could at least have made something colser to the source material.
There are a couple of plot points that are taken from the book, just not very many really.
Which brings me to the acting.
Gene Barry as Dr Forrester is by far the best on show and to be honest, he's actually really good in the role. A rewritten Narrator, but Barry is incredibly likeable and he actually manages to take the poor script and make it believeable...
Ann Robinson plays the worried faced Sylvia, a love interest for Dr Forrester. Her role really is just that, something for Forrester to protect and pout over. She tends to be completely out of her depth 99% of the time too. Well, she is a woman facing a man's world after all. At one point she even loses it and needs to be shaken and shouted at by Barry...
The rest of the cast are pretty wooden though. They give a very close performance between them all, they're all consistently wooden, so at least they all tried hard to make Gene Barry look good
The effects and hints of action though are really the standout piece of film making though.
Dated by today's standard, but for the timeare extremely exciting. Some of the effects though do hold up today, especially the flying machines themselves.
There's also a number of scenes containing gunfire and explosions on behalf of the armed forces involved in the story. It's all handled pretty well too.
Some of the effects and sound, and some of the visual action is also iconic and has become regarded as classic since though. I agree too, there are lashings of well choreographed and well realised scenes and set pieces throughout.
The general acting though throughout the action is a bit dull though and some of the reactions of the cast and extras to what is happening is questionable.
---
All in all, regarded as a classic and has piles of recognisable features... however the general story is a serious product of its time with the Cold War paranoia. The acting and scripting is pretty poor though.
The good points, exciting action and effects, top notch choreography and photography and filled with a brilliantly spooky and haunting atmosphere.
The good points, exciting action and effects, top notch choreography and photography and filled with a brilliantly spooky and haunting atmosphere.
My rating: 76%
