ALIEN HORROR SUMMER - NO. 9: WAR OF THE WORLDS (2005) MOVIE REVIEW
Overshadowed at the time by its star’s odd off-screen behavior, this Alien Invasion thriller, that is very coded in 9/11 imagery, is Steven Spielberg putting on an absolute clinic, once again reminding us that he has no equals.
by Nate Lemann
TO NOTE: "A Quiet Place: Day One", which we reviewed here, is now No. 10 on our "Alien Horror Summer" countdown.
Its a shame that the media circus surrounding Tom Cruise’s odd, off-screen behavior overshadowed what may be the most underrated film in Steven Spielberg’s career. Based on the famed H.G. Wells novel (and the infamous radio broadcast hoax from Orson Wells), screenwriters David Koepp and Josh Friedman take an unconventional approach for the time: instead of looking at leaders of the global response to an alien invasion, we ground the story with a dysfunctional family trying to survive the horrific attacks.
Tom Cruise is Ray, a dock worker who is a bit of shit father. He is separated from his kids’ mother (Miranda Otto in her follow-up to her “Lord of the Rings” role) but still has strong chemistry with her, though she is re-married to a nice guy. His two kids, rebellious teenager Robbie (Justin Chatwin) and wise beyond her years Rachel (Dakota Fanning), basically have to care for themselves when they are dropped off to stay with their dad for the weekend, while Mom and new hubby head down to Boston. The complex dynamics are set up very quickly: Robbie hates his neglectful and selfish dad. Rachel is a bit more forgiving but trusts Robbie more than Ray to take care of her. Ray is a charmer and thrill seeker (what probably made him attractive to their mom), but he is no man of responsibility, initially only showing a concern for himself.
After an odd lightening storm hits close by, Ray goes to investigate while the kids stay home. The lightening they observed only struck one place, but multiple times (a statistical improbability more rare than winning the lottery while riding a horse and hitting a bullseye from miles away). As the ground shifts, a mechanical tripod like creature emerges and immediately lays waste to the crowd. Ray narrowly survives but is coated in the ash of the dead (a major illusion to survivors at ground zero). Ray grabs the kids and steals the only working car, narrowly escaping as the tripods lay waste to their neighborhood in stunning fashion (the bridge flipping sequence is set up so well early on with establishing shots and once the carnage unfolds, you will need time to pick your jaw off the ground).
The film follows Ray and the kids as they look to reunite with their mom, Ray initially looking for someone to dump these kids on. The film is extremely coded in 9/11 iconography, drawing parallels to a sudden attack on an unsuspecting population of everyday civilians. There are many more instances of mass tragedy that are grimly evocative and can be triggering for those with dark memories of those fateful September days in 2001. It is an especially brave choice coming out so soon after the tragedy to depict terror on this human scale. It may have been one of the reasons the movie didn’t play as well with audiences at the time, looking for more escapism from a summer blockbuster than a sci-fi retelling of a recent mass trauma event. The film gets even more controversial for the time, depicting Robbie as a vengeful kid looking to join up with soldiers they come across and get back at the space invaders, a commentary on the “righteous” bloodlust in the wake of the 9/11 tragedies that sent a generation of young men into an endless war they had no hope in winning.
Aside from the thematic representation, this maybe of the most unheralded work of the Spielberg and Janusz Kamiński partnership. Every frame is light magnificently and has a softness to it that feels like we are watching a painting come to life. The use of light is especially evocative and brilliant work from the famed DP. The staging and blocking of this gets more and more elaborate, with stunning amount of one-take shots that are so well done and subtle, it is the epitome of cinematic. Spielberg must be recognized as one of the true born visual storytellers. His natural talent and shot composition is second to none: he is the greatest director of all time for a reason. The majesty of how he films the tripods, and the accompanying horror, is awe-inspiring. Don’t even get me started on “The Wizard of Oz” shot in this. It's not talent: its a higher power speaking to us through his lens.
Cruise nails this despicable role so well. He borrows that cocky asshole persona he honed so well in the ‘80s and puts a fun twist on it. They way he yells at these kids at times and breaks down when faced with true responsibility is so believed. His character arc is well earned and earnest in a way that doesn’t feel hokey. He is also widely funny in this:
Ray: “They came from somewhere else…”
Robbie: “Somewhere else…? Like Europe?
Ray: (Yelling and Sarcastic) “No, Robbie! Not like Europe!”
Fanning acts circles around Chatwin, really in another class of child actor as she had already proved in Tony Scott’s “Man on Fire”. She is one of the better child actor criers I’ve ever laid eyes on. Tim Robbins is the other big role in this, coming off of his Oscar-wining turn in “Mystic River” a year prior. An actor of his caliber adds shades and new dimensions to a crazed character who doesn’t have lot dimensionality on the page but comes to life in his ever capable hands. The other real stars here are the great ensemble of character actors in this (when Amy Ryan popped up for a brief moment, I audibly gasped). There aren’t many other big roles in this film, but the feel and tone of the background actors really brings nuanced reality to the proceedings. The casting directors on this deserve a huge round of applause.
While the film runs out of gas in the closing minutes and has a twist that was much maligned at the time, this is still the most well-made film on the list, inspiring both awe and terror in its audience.
FINAL RATING: 4.5/5 Stars (A 9/11 parable that is both intimate and massive in scale; see it if only to observe Spielberg firing on all cylinders)
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