War of the Worlds is acclaimed director Steven Spielberg’s attempt in applying H.G. Wells’ frightening story to the contemporary world. While no stranger to the alien visitation genre with his blockbusters Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T., War of the Worlds is of stark contrast to these films. Where in he explored humanity’s innocent fascination in his past movies, he brings out the ugliness of cruelty and despair in this brutal pictorial.
I will warn you now, do not expect much plot-wise. There are no twists or turns and the story is pretty simple. Aliens, fueled by some unknown hatred for Mankind, prepare to attack Earth with devastating consequences. In the meantime, Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise), a divorced crane-operator, has to take care of his children for the weekend. While not relishing this fatherly responsibility, his job is made harder by his apathetic daughter Rachel (Dakota Fanning), and his rebellious teenage son Robbie (Justin Chatwin). Then come the colours in the sky, followed by lightning storms and before you know it, the aliens have invaded in their giant tripod machinery, bent on wiping out everything and everyone. Ray collects his stunned family and escapes, this beginning their dark tale of survival.
This show will hit you hard. Spielberg seems determined to punch the audience with every form of emotion within. He teases us with reflected images of the aliens, never fully revealing them until destruction is nigh. He makes us fear these gigantic monsters and can move us with human loss and anguish. There are humorous moments as well as dramatic anguish. War of the Worlds grabs and pushes us onto an emotional roller-coaster that keeps us constantly on the suspenseful edge. With the addition of superb CG and a brilliant cast, his direction results in a powerful narrative of events.
The cast themselves deserve praise. Tom Cruise is cast perfectly as a selfish, intense father who redeems himself unknowingly. The raw feelings he portrays and his immersion in the frailty of his character are testaments to his ability as an actor. Dakota Fanning is an astounding actress, who manages to touch us more readily than most actors today. However, it is not just these megastars that make the characterization so strong. The many extras are convincing as well. They show what it is to be terrified and sure enough, I was.
But it is the director who deserves the most praise. By telling the story through the Ferriers’ eyes, he tears away their innocence and hopes piece by piece. This is especially so for Rachel, who repeatedly witnesses horrifying, disturbing events; while her father tries in futile to protect her from them.
Spielberg depicts the aliens as cruel invaders intent on extermination and their hunt for humans pains us to witness. Their cold brutality, spurred on by the futility of human resistance is mortifying. I was floored by the heaviness of despair that surrounded the defenders. This feeling of hopelessness was no doubt very well-conveyed.
The pacing is furious, with deaths beginning within twenty minutes and perhaps accumulating in every five. The sense of urgency is strong as the Ferriers and other survivors trek desperately to safety. It is this pace that builds the movie up… and ultimately fails it. While long, the ending is rushed and inconclusive, leaving me quite unfulfilled. I would have wanted the movie to go on much longer, if only to get a better finale than what was given.
As said before, the movie is not strong plot-wise. Rather, the film has a realism that most presently do not. It scores many points for inspired acting and Spielberg’s powerful vision. For me, it was never about the aliens at all, but the reiteration of humanity’s desire for survival amidst the most dire of circumstances.
