WAR OF THE WORLDS

US, 2005, 120 minutes, Colour.
Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Jason Ritman, Miranda Otto, Tim Robbins.
Directed by Steven Spielberg.

At one stage, Tom Cruise’s daughter, both puzzled and terrified by the frightening events, asks whether it is the terrorists. Perhaps that is one of the reasons Steven Spielberg decided to do an elaborate contemporary American version of H.G. Wells’ classic novel.

Spielberg does not make this claim. At the time Wells published his novel (and it is a bit hard to try to appreciate how outlandish an alien invasion would have seemed to readers in 1896), Britain was concerned about warlike rumblings from Germany. When the small-budget film version came out in 1953, it was in the middle of the Cold War. In 2005, the world seems a far unfriendlier place. There are many fears, including terrorist attacks, that War of the Worlds can play on.

Steven Spielberg certainly knows how to tell stories. He has always had a passion for exciting stories and War of the Worlds is one of them. Of course, he now has an abundance of computer graphic techniques to work with, to create all kinds of disaster sequences. And, to put it mildly, some of them are both spectacular and scary. But, he has also worked with more traditional techniques of models, getting the best out of the old and of the new.

Although it is a blockbuster movie, War of the Worlds is small-scale. It is small-scale in the sense that we are not shown the world picture and what this alien invasion means for the globe. Rather, the setting is confined to Bayonne, New Jersey, the highways along the Hudson River into Connecticut with a finale in Boston. The action is virtually confined to the one family, so that the audience shares the experience of the few rather than of thousands (though, of course, they are always there in the background).

His family are very ordinary. The father is a container lifter on the docks. He lives alone, estranged from his more middle-class wife and their two children. Parenting is not his forte and his seventeen year old son, Robbie, is surly and angry at him. His ten year old daughter, Rachel, is a mixture of common sense, fears and ailments (and when called on, quite a screamer). So, this is a terrifying experience that ordinary people endure, using their wits rather than weaponry (though there is some) or the military (who appear only briefly).

Spielberg also knows how to pace his film. It starts like any working-class story, on the wharves, then at home when his ex-wife asks him to look after the kids for the weekend. He doesn’t waste any time introducing the frightening action. What makes the film all the more edgy is that, while the audience has been briefed by Morgan Freeman’s narrative about what is happening, the characters know almost nothing all the way through. They are being pursued but have little idea by what or why. When there are some quiet moments after literally earth-shattering terrors, we think there couldn’t be anything worse. And then there is.

Tom Cruise is not exactly your dock worker but when the action gets tough, we accept him for what he is and hope that he will not only save his cantankerous children but will learn to listen to them and love them. Jason Chatwin is Robbie. Dakota Fanning (who was referred to once as the whey-faced child with the frightening work-ethic) is both authoritative and fearful. Mirando Otto is the mother.

You know that Wells had a happy ending (as much as you could with all the destruction preceding it) and the film uses his theory for the defeat of the aliens – they could not adjust to the range of creatures in earth’s atmosphere. However, along the fearful way, there is quite a lot to think about: family relationships, the human response to unexplained terror, both noble and savage, and how thankful we can be to be alive.

1. Steven Spielberg and his capacity for storytelling, his long career, action stories, myths – and his treatment of aliens in Close Encounters and E.T? Aliens for the 21st century?

2. The significance of H.G. Wells’ book, for the end of the 19th century, unknown space exploration, unknown space invasion? The vulnerability of society to attack? The film versions of Wells’ story? Orson Welles and 1938?

3. Science fiction in the 19th century, imagination, the development of technology, motivation for war and peace, humans as victims? The tone of pessimism? Ultimate hope? After destruction? 21st century perspectives?

4. The 21st century and war, terror, invasions, dialogue in the film about terrorists and September 11?

5. The blockbuster style, special effects? The B-style story and style?

6. Audience response to this kind of horror and terror, vicarious experience, catharsis, what if…? The worst happening? The human response to crises, bad, heroic, wanting to save people?

7. The New Jersey setting, opposite the river from New York? The docks, homes and streets, the ordinariness of New Jersey? The roads, ferries? The climax in Boston?

8. The computer graphic effects, the models, Spielberg’s pre-visualising of the sequences by videoing the locations and planning the scenes? The combined effect? Editing, pace, John Williams’ score?

9. The plausibility of the plot: the prologue, Morgan Freeman’s voice and tone? Alien envy? Why did they strike in the 21st century? Burying the Tripods, the method of activating them, the complete ruthlessness, destruction of Earth and human beings, the taking of the blood, its pouring out? The creatures, the small Earth creatures and cells, evolution on Earth and the destruction of the aliens? The epilogue spoken by Morgan Freeman?

10. Tom Cruise as Ray, his container work at the docks, his skills, work with other men, working class? Separation from his wife, her visit with her new husband, her being pregnant? Bringing the kids? His home, living by himself, the empty fridge, his lack of parenting skills? The children surly and their reactions to him? Not wanting to stay with him? Robbie taking his car? Ordering out? Rachel and her decisions about food and health? Watching the television? The family setting for the crisis?

11. Themes of family, the focus, the limited focus on a small family, dysfunctional? Their having to learn, values emerging? The terror they experienced? The limits of the screenplay by focusing on this one family, their struggle, their not having any information about what was happening? The audience sharing their point of view?

12. The changes in the weather, the appearance of the sky, the backyards in New Jersey, the clouds, the winds? Ray and his fears, going to the junction, the crowds of people at the junction, the special effects for the ripping of the road, the collapse of the church? The people running away? Robbie and his taking Ray’s car, Ray finding him, the panic?

13. The television reports, the radio reports – some information but not enough? The television reporters and their wanting a story? The military appearing – guiding people, the trucks going past, but the limits of the information given?

14. The decision to go, trying to reach Boston and Ray’s ex-wife? The resistance, the fears of the children, the angers and bewilderment? Ray and his making sure that Rachel didn't see what was happening? The mechanic discussing the car – and his sudden death? Taking the car, driving through the countryside, seeing the destruction, seeing the Tripods, the wrecks? The interactions of Ray with his children, sleeping, driving?

15. Rachel and her age, Dakota Fanning’s screen presence, sure and authoritative? Her ability to control life, her coping – yet her screaming, Ray not wanting her to see the destruction, the singing device for calming herself, her reliance on Robbie? A better bonding with her father? Sharing the terror with Ray, his trying to protect her – leaving her on the hill and the couple trying to rescue her, his getting her back?

16. Robbie and his age, the baseball cap, different team from his father, his surliness, blaming his father? Driving without the permit? His outbursts? Helping Rachel? His heroics to help people onto the ferry? On the hill, his wanting to see more, arguing with his father? Reappearing at the end?

17. The Tripods and their being visualised, the height, their effect? The sounds? Their destruction, the destruction of the cars, people? The burning train rushing through the level crossing? The blood gushing forth when they were destroyed? Taking people, the clothes falling from the air, Ray and Rachel in the pod, its being like a prison? Ray and his use of the grenades and their falling free?

18. The crowds, crowding around the car, the threats, the violent mob, the gun, the shots, the killing of the hijacker? Ray and his children in the diner watching? The military, helping people to the ferry, the Tripods appearing, the threats, going on the boat – the ferry leaving and its not being full, Ray’s appeal, the friends left behind? Pushing forward? Robbie and his rescuing the people – and the visualising of the capsizing of the ferry?

19. The family’s escape, travelling forward, going up the hill, the fire, the military?

20. The loner, his hiding Ray and Rachel, his family destroyed, his motivation, his sense of being on a mission? Ray and his sleep, his fears, arguing with the loner? The invasion of the Tripods, the spying mechanism going through the cellar, Ray restraining the man, the detailed search, the ability to hide from its visuals, the attack on it? The noise, the three creatures searching, their being summoned back? Ray and his clash with the man who was trying to help but who was mad?

21. Ray, taken, the rescue?

22. The final arrival in Boston, the experience of the travel, his ex-wife seeing him on the road, the reconciliation, Robbie present? The guest appearance of the original stars of War of the Worlds as his ex-wife’s parents? The happiness in the being reunited – and the possibilities for the future?

23. The collapse of the Tripods, the final destruction, breathing the air, the microbes? How much hope – and how much ability to rebuild the world?