FIVE MILLION YEARS TO EARTH

UK, 1967, 98 Minutes, Colour.
James Donald, Andrew Keir, Barbara Shelley, Julian Glover, Duncan Lamont, Bryan Marshall, Peter Copley, Edwin Richfield.
Directed by Roy Ward Baker.

Five Million Years to Earth is British science fiction. It is a continuation or a sequel to the Quatermass Experiment of 1955 which featured Brian Donlevy. This material is presented in a quite interesting and didactic way: moral science- fiction. It was directed by Roy Ward Baker who, along with Freddie Francis, has directed so many of the horror films and science-fiction from Hammer studios.

1. Was this satisfying science-fiction? How enjoyable, why?

2. Why do audiences enjoy science-fiction? The presuppositions for audiences, science, progress, imagination, fantasy, fears and dangers, warnings? How did this film illustrate this?

3. How credible was the story in this film? Was it presented credibly? The gradual build-up of a normal situation to a most strange one? How convincing and engrossing?

4. How did the film try for authentic atmosphere? London, The Tube, the army, people, the mass media etc.

5. How interesting was the Martian background, the struggle of the past, the meaning of this fable for modern audiences?

6. What did the film say about modern man's capacity for confronting such a fable? The evil influence of the story?

7. How did the film emphasize evil, the devil, destructive powers, control? The importance of investigating the background of the particular location and the origins of evil myths? Then illustrated in the present?

8. Could audiences sympathise with Dr. Roney? The modern scientist, his joy in the discoveries, his earnestness, the fact that he was immune from the evil, the quality of his heroism and self-sacrifice? How convincing?

9. Dr. Quatermass: as compared with Roney, his expertise, his fears, his being taken over by the evil and yet his struggling? Could audiences identify with him?

10. The character of Barbara for feminine interest? Her role in the theme and the imaginative power she had? The potential for evil? How well was this used in the film?

11. How did Breen and the military mind contrast with the scientists? The scepticism, the final fascination and destruction?

12. How interesting was the effect of this evil on people, the violent movement, the destruction, the scenes of death and mass murder, the final crisis?

13. Comment on the visual effects, of the Martians, of the space-ship. of the devil at the end etc.

14. How credible was the final solution? The impact of the ending?

15. what was the quality of this film as science-fiction? What values was it best exploring?