SSC Film Studies

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

Even though the two films were made in different time periods, they both use the same type of genre, narrative and representation on how they approach the situations that they were in during the time.

Both of the films (War of the Worlds and Invasion of the Body Snatchers) use the same type of genre that is science fiction. Sci-fi can represent and highlight key themes that other genres can’t. The key theme throughout War of the Worlds is post 9/11 and terrorism. It is recurring and highlighted by the iconography that is shown such as; the dust clouds, videos of the scene taken through camcorders, and the main hint of 9/11 - the plane crash. The two films use codes and conventions and what if… scenarios which represents the paranoia and fear of the unknown.

They both have recurring themes that are the fear of others, fear of the unknown and paranoia as is represents and emphasises what everyone was feeling at the time. The fear of others is shown through the characters of the pod people and the aliens; the pod people are represented as being McCarthy’s followers because the film was made to portray McCarthy as being a horrible, dark person. Miles is represented as being the society at the time, and the pod people are McCarthy’s followers (McCarthism). The aliens in the film War of the Worlds are represented as the terrorists of 9/11; this is shown through the iconography.

Both of the films treat women as being passive as opposed to men who are seen as active. In Invasion of the Body Snatches the woman relies upon Miles to save her, as she is portrayed as being weak and vunreable. She needs Miles to get her out of danger at all times such as when Miles has to carry her into a small cave so that they could hide and Miles thinks of the plan to get away from the pod people. However, in War of The Worlds, the woman is perceived as being quite dominant. When she drops the children off at Ray’s house, she snoops around and tells Ray what is wrong with his place (they still share a bedroom, no food in the fridge). She isn’t seen quite a lot throughout the film, but she reunites with the family at the end which is why she is treated as being passive. The woman that was about to get on the boat is seen as passive because she needs Ray to save her. Invasion of the Body Snatchers supports Laura Molvey’s theory of the Male Gaze; that women are shown as being inferior to men and that they are just there for male’s pleasure.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers and War of the Worlds both follow the same narrative. They use similar binary oppositions, which are good vs. evil, humanity vs. others and so on. But in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, there is a lack of a resolution, there is no closure; only one person believes Miles at the end of the film, which isn’t going to make a deep impact because it is too late as the pod people are spreading. War of the Worlds, however does have a resolution as the aliens and the tripods were destroyed at the end due to the fact they were not immune to some disease that humans are. Ray also proves that he can look after the children, and forms a better bond with Robbie and Rachel.