Just saw the film again today after a long time, and was actually somewhat surprised to see it in color; my first viewing must have been eons ago during the black and white TV era. As such, I found the alien ships to respond well to the Technicolor palate of 1953, as well as the destruction they caused in a spray of primary colors. Quite well done for the technology of the time.
I get a kick out of the reviewers who waylay the film for not sticking closer to the original H.G. Wells vision, as if they would have actually preferred to see the aliens battled with field artillery and cannon balls. The same goes for those who belittle the 2005 remake for not remaining truer to the Gene Barry version. Here's a clue to help one understand - it's entertainment.
The twist in the film of course is that this time out, we humans aren't the bad guys. The Martian invaders are hell bent for leather to conquer Earth and reinvigorate their dying civilization, and they ain't sharing. It really makes for some horrific destruction, starting with those three white flag wielding peacemakers reduced to ashes. Compare the symbolism here to that of "The Day The Earth Stood Still", where the alien rays made Earth weapons simply disappear. This is a film that works the psyche into a frenzy, as successive levels of power up to and including the atomic bomb have absolutely no effect on the Martians' progress. It couldn't be any plainer - there's no hope for mankind.
As grim as it all sounds, there are some lines that struck me as somewhat humorous, though I'm sure they weren't meant to be. The first was the "What is that gizmo?" line when the alien craft makes it's first appearance. The other nearly caused me to roar; it's when the crowds were getting ready to view the first A-Bomb blast like a sporting event. In the background, a voice announces - "Attention please, four minutes to bomb time"!
Keep an eye on Dr. Forrester (Gene Barry) during the street panic scene in Los Angeles as he frantically inquires about the Pacific Tech trucks. His face is bleeding and bruised, but after running across some deserted streets, another closeup shows his face is clear. Later on, he's shown with bruises on his face, but no bleeding.
OK, the film is dated, but it was made over fifty years ago. Watch almost ANY sci-fi film of the era, including many made into the 1960's, and there's virtually nothing that comes close in terms of special effects and effective story telling for the genre, and it works as a thriller as well. For that reason, it has it's special place in science fiction film history, even with the liberties taken on the original source material.
I get a kick out of the reviewers who waylay the film for not sticking closer to the original H.G. Wells vision, as if they would have actually preferred to see the aliens battled with field artillery and cannon balls. The same goes for those who belittle the 2005 remake for not remaining truer to the Gene Barry version. Here's a clue to help one understand - it's entertainment.
The twist in the film of course is that this time out, we humans aren't the bad guys. The Martian invaders are hell bent for leather to conquer Earth and reinvigorate their dying civilization, and they ain't sharing. It really makes for some horrific destruction, starting with those three white flag wielding peacemakers reduced to ashes. Compare the symbolism here to that of "The Day The Earth Stood Still", where the alien rays made Earth weapons simply disappear. This is a film that works the psyche into a frenzy, as successive levels of power up to and including the atomic bomb have absolutely no effect on the Martians' progress. It couldn't be any plainer - there's no hope for mankind.
As grim as it all sounds, there are some lines that struck me as somewhat humorous, though I'm sure they weren't meant to be. The first was the "What is that gizmo?" line when the alien craft makes it's first appearance. The other nearly caused me to roar; it's when the crowds were getting ready to view the first A-Bomb blast like a sporting event. In the background, a voice announces - "Attention please, four minutes to bomb time"!
Keep an eye on Dr. Forrester (Gene Barry) during the street panic scene in Los Angeles as he frantically inquires about the Pacific Tech trucks. His face is bleeding and bruised, but after running across some deserted streets, another closeup shows his face is clear. Later on, he's shown with bruises on his face, but no bleeding.
OK, the film is dated, but it was made over fifty years ago. Watch almost ANY sci-fi film of the era, including many made into the 1960's, and there's virtually nothing that comes close in terms of special effects and effective story telling for the genre, and it works as a thriller as well. For that reason, it has it's special place in science fiction film history, even with the liberties taken on the original source material.