In what ways can 'War of The Worlds' (2005) be considered allegorical?

The 2005 adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel ‘The War of The Worlds’ can be considered allegorical to today’s current events because the major themes of the story are considered universal and can be understood by any culture no matter the setting or time period, often appearing at times of social upheaval. The modern interpretation of the book in the Tom Cruise film, while updated, remains fairly accurate to the original publication in 1898; over one hundred years after release. Even today, the threat of invasion by foreign powers provides the background for tons of different stories – not just science fiction.

The theme of paranoia and the distrust of authority remains a point of interest in the 2005 adaptation. In the age of web browsing, Facebook profiles and the controversial Patriot Act passed by the US government in an effort to curb terrorist activity in the wake of the 9/11 attacks  – it seems that society can no longer keep their private lives so confidential; producing the effects of paranoia that someone is always watching. The film version can be considered allegorical of the private lives we lead, unaware of an unseen threat be it Martians, terrorists or your own government and leading to the inevitable suspicion of someone behind your back; never materialising each time you look.

Fear of annihilation, the extinction of your species and a fear of the ‘end’ pervade the world of each generation. Especially in the age of nuclear deterrence from as far back as the 1940s, living under the fear of ‘the bomb’ has hardly ever ceased despite the best efforts to create unity between nations. This fear, a major theme of War of The Worlds, may be the back bone to the theory that this film is an allegory for the on-going war in the middle-east. Throughout the film, soldiers are shown as ineffective against the Martians and the human race scatters in fear rather than fighting back. The ash effect from the vapouriser weapon of the Tripod could also suggest that the film is an allegory for the effects of the 9/11 attacks, conjuring up imagery of the towers falling to the ground in a cloud of ash. 

The final major theme is the fear of outsiders, especially the connotations of the word ‘alien’. The Martians are commonly seen, even in the original story, as symbolic of the relationship between immigrants and natives – a touchy subject for many people. The word ‘alien’ is also used not just with fictional beings from other worlds, but for people from foreign countries to your own. Human nature means we must shun these ‘aliens’ because ‘they’re not like us’, leading to a conflict between the two on what the nature of their migration really is. Resulting from the 9/11 attacks, the Muslim community have suffered because of the acts of a few men claiming to be of the same faith; this means that there is a growing paranoia and fear of these people especially in the United States, with their countless associations in society with terrorist acts.