SSC Film Studies

In what ways can

War Of The Worlds

Be allegorical?

War of the world was originally a book, written by the author H.G.Wells, and was releases in 1898, during time of paranoia and Fear. The book consists of 3 main themes: Paranoia, Fear of “Others” and the Fear of Annihilation.

In 1898, The British people were afraid of cultural destruction, Immigrant and the end of their world. They were basically afraid of people from other countries coming over, taking over and changing everything. People felt threatened by immigrants, that they were a threat to the British culture and their ideologies. The fear of annihilation was the fear of the British Empire collapsing. At the time, Britain was the biggest super power across the world, as they were in charge of numerous countries, and they felt that immigrants might change that. 

So H.G.Wells brought the book out at this time, so it could interact with the fear for the British population, as the book consists of Aliens, “others,” (immigrants) coming to Earth and changing everything, or destroying everything, bringing the collapse of the British empire, and eventually ending the world. This book adapted to the fear at this time that it could be brought released at any time period, when there is paranoia or fear.

In 1938, The War Of The Worlds radio show happened in the U.S.A. In this time period, The American population were afraid of the rise of the Nazi party and fascism. They were also afraid of foreign nations, who were allies of Germany such as Japan and Russia. But most of all America, and most of Europe were afraid of another World war and Nuclear Technology.

Once again the War Of The Worlds was released, but as a radio show. The use of the Radio was clever, because this was the first ever time that people could turn on a radio, and only hear bad things about the War and the Nazis, and this added to the fear. So the radio how tapped into peoples fears as they thought it was real, because The Aliens connoted the Nazis. The radio show dealt with Aliens taking over, they were still changing cultural ideologies, his time however the aliens were making the world fascist. War Of The Worlds was once again brought out, and re-imagined to tap into the fears of the population.

The first War Of The Worlds was released in 1953. The film was made at a time of Paranoia and Fear. This time the people were paranoid of Nuclear Annihilation, and the USSR. The fear of “others” was directed at the Communists. At the time, the official term of immigrants in the US, was Alien, so when war of the worlds was release in cinemas, every time the word “alien” was mentioned in the film, people automatically though of Russians, so this adapted their fear, as in the movie aliens were destroying every thing, so the word alien reinforces the idea that Russians are very dangerous. There was also fear of Word War 3 and a communism infiltration and ideological shift; changing the minds of people.

The movie was released as it dealt with the ideas of “other, taking over, Russians taking over. In the film the Aliens are from the Red planet, this also reinforced the idea that the aliens were Russians, as Russia was known as the “Red State.” So this was brought out at a great time, as most the people were afraid of a Communist take over, and the aliens allegorically represented the Russians perfectly.