PHASE IV

UK, 1973, 84 minutes, Colour.
Nigel Davenport, Lynne Frederick, Michael Murphy, Alan Offord.
Directed by Saul Bass.

Phase TV is a mid '70s science fiction thriller which is little seen. It was directed by Saul Bass, renowned for the creativity of credit sequences over several decades. It is in the animal menace genre, although it focuses on ants as the threat to human beings but uses excellent scientific photography to photograph ants in their natural state. It relates to such files as The Hellstrom Chronicle (a serious look at insects versus human beings) and such B-budget thrillers as The Empire of the Ants. The film stars Michael Murphy in an early role as well as a young Lynne Frederick, Nigel Davenport as the scientist?

The film is serious minded, an ecological warning. The photography is excellent.

1. An interesting science fiction film? Credibility and plausibility?

2. The quality of the colour photography? American desert locations? Science and technology and laboratories? The photography of the ants ? the nature and scientific style used? Along with the trappings of science fiction? A credible blend? The nusical score?

3. Tie title and the various phases of the confrontation between humans and ants? The irony of human superiority? The discovery of the intelligence of the ants? The victory of the ants in Phase IV?

4. The voiceovers to the commentary on the experience of the ants? Ants in nature? The cosmic style of the film with its focus on day and night, the sun and its brilliance and glare? The ants and their relationship to the heavens? The ants and their takeover? The importance of the scientific study of ants, their behaviour, communication, intelligence, computerising the signs of their language? Their control? The camera looking at the humans through the eyes of the ants? The combat, their destruction, their fighting back, their literally infiltrating the humans?

5. Dr Tibbs and his investigations, scientific knowledge, assistants? Going into the desert, the laboratory setup? The evidence? The rescuing of the family and their deaths? The liquid killing the ants and the humans? The girl and her rescue, her trauma and her hitting the ants? his being bitten and taken over by the ants? His suffering? Decisions, collaboration? The confrontation of the Queen Ant? The ants defeating and devouring him? The allegory of the arrogant scientist? Jim and his abilities, investigation of ant language and communication? His sending out sounds? his human concern, the family, the girl? Her disappearance? His decision to go to confront the Queen Ant? The ants overpowering him, his taking off his protective guards, his being led to the girl, in the ant caverns? The ants gradually taking over the humans? that they could do the ants' will?

6. The family, their destruction, the girl and her being rescued, trauma, letting the ants escape? Her wandering out, becoming an ant?

7. The themes of ant intelligence vs human intelligence? The onward march of the ants and their ability to take over the world completely? Ecological parable? Warning to humans about their relationships with nature?