American Film Exam Answer

Compare how key messages and values are explored in the two american films you have studied in reflecting the period they were made

 Using the film War of The Worlds that we have studied we can see there are many themes and messages that reflect America at that time and what was happening in society. A main issue in society at that time was the threat of terrorism and the constant fear of others destroying society and main ideologies.

 The use of protagonists and antagonists gives the movie WOTW meaning and purpose and helps comment on society at this point in time. It provides the story in the narrative. The aliens being the antagonist threat representing 'others' and terrorists against the protagonist Ray and his family who represent that typical regular American family. The antagonist/protagonists are essentially binary oppositions which are good vs evil. This is all the basis of most films and is what makes the narrative easier for the audience by giving it purpose. The aliens representing terrorists hugely reflects the time the film it was made and how things were at the time. At one point in the film Rachel directly refers to the aliens as terrorists and this shows the fear and paranoia surrounding that time and how even the youngest of children knew that at that time there was a constant fear of annihilation. The speed and surprise of the alien attack contributes to thoughts of how terrorists could attack at any moment without warning and cause destruction. 

An important device used to reflect the time of 9/11 and paranoia following the events that happened is the way in which aliens kill people. The use of dust and smoke is exactly like the rubble and crumbling buildings of 9/11. Looking at exact 9/11 footage and the scenes in WOTW we can see the similarities and how the smoke/dust clouds symbolise the deaths of people and how terrorists murdered them. There are other similarities and links between 9/11 footage and WOTW scenes, the people react in the same way. In WOTW the people are standing around, coming together to watch and wait to see what happens, this is the same in the 9/11 footage up until there are loud noises and the scene climax's to the attack from the 'others'. 

Looking from a Laura Mulvey perspective in terms of woman's representation, we can see how times have changed compared to older movies such as IOTBS. Although there is still stereotypical roles, such as Rachel needing protection constantly whereas Robbie being male can protect himself and even go off on his own, representations of woman have improved. The stereotyping and male gaze is not as explicit as it is in IOTBS where the character Becky couldn't even get dirt on her face and has to look pristine for men, there are still some aspects that are still common in WOTW. Woman are still seen as passive and weak compared to masculine active men.

The ending of the film gives some sort of resolution and the narrative follows Todorov's theory of reinstating the equilibrium. Near the end of WOTW the audience can see the aliens machines are slowly falling and being destroyed, not being able to handle being in this world. As Rays family represents all the good American values and the typical good family the fact they have survived and the aliens are now being destroyed is a clear metaphor that America is representing itself as someone who cannot be beaten by terrorists and will always come out on top.

These clear links between WOTW and the terrorist attacks show an explicit reflection between the times the film was made and the issues within the film, this is also seen in IOTBS.

Looking at the film Invasion of the Body Snatchers we can also see that the film reflects the time that it was created. It is shown through its themes, narrative devices and the representation of woman. The film was created in the time surrounding James McCarthy and the communism issues. The whole story and narrative is a metaphor for the 'red scare' and it is clear who each person represents. Miles represents the normal average person in society and then the pod people represent James McCarthy and his followers. How slowly each persons ideologies and beliefs change is how James McCarthy would turn each person into his follower otherwise with great consequences so that the majority of people being normal average society into the minority underneath McCarthy's followers. So when each person in the movie is slowly taken over and you can't tell who is what or follows what it is a great representative of society at that time.

Looking at representation of not only the pod people but also men and women can tell us what kid of time and type of society that this film was set in. Compared to WOTW it was made a lot earlier so how woman are compared to how men are, are very different. Becky's character as mentioned before has to look perfect throughout the film even though Miles is sweating from running and looks like a mess. This is to create a perfect image of woman and give the 'Male Gaze' something to look at. Also in this point where Miles and Becky are running Becky even trips, falling over and saying she can't go on, then Miles has to carry her and take a masculine dominant role. This is very stereotypical portrayal of women and how they behave. A Negative representation. Whereas it is the complete opposite for men, as Miles carries Becky and takes role as the hero character (Propps theory) he is a lot more dominant and powerful, having to look after the princess character, Becky. The fact he is the hero and protagonist means he gets to last until the end of the film because he is a lot stronger than a woman, as Becky eventually gets turned into a pod person. The pod people being representations of McCarthy's followers means at this time in society it was thought only men could stand up to McCarthy and woman were passively just sitting and watching, which we can actually see in other films based around this time such as 'Good Night & Good Luck'.

The ending of IOTB does not follow Todorov's theory of narrative, which means there isn't a reinstating of the equilibrium from the start, nothing is resolved and it leaves the end open for interpretation. This can reflect the time and comment on how James McCarthy and his followers were still ever present in society and it was up to the public whether to do something about it or not. It shows how, just like in life, no one has done anything about it, how everyone is mindlessly being brainwashed and turned into a passive follower, or in the movie's case a 'pod person'. 

In each film WOTW & IOTBS we can see similarities and how they both link to society in their time of production. How woman's representations have changed over time when looking at both films and how from the threat of communism has gone to the threat of terrorists tells us how distinct each time is and there is nothing else these films could be a metaphor for.