War of the Worlds:
The Duality of Power and Weakness in
the Concept of the “Other”
Angela Beatie
Master of English Program
College of Liberal Arts and Science
Emporia State University
English 794- Alien Invasion: Critical
Studies in Film
Summer 2014, Colson
According to Nagl (1983) in “The
Science Fiction Film in a Historical Perspective”, science fiction films employ
myths as a method of presenting rational or irrational events to explain human behavior.
This is an apt characterization of the place of myth within the film War of the Worlds (1953). Within this
film there are numerous examples of the creation of myths demonstrating how
humans view power, as well as defining both humanity and the philosophical
“Other”. This can be seen as an extension and metaphor for human issues, much
as various cultures have created myths to explain their origins, their future,
and to define who they are in comparison to those around them. These types of
myth provide identity and justification for power structure, which influences
how social groups interact. The film War of the Worlds (1953) creates a
mythos demonstrating themes of power and domination as fundamental to the human
process of defining both humanity and “the Other”, as well as moral
justification for violence against “the Other”, all while appearing to
privilege religion over science.
Nagl (1983) goes on to discuss his “Global
Characteristics of Science Fiction”, including how myth originally reflected
man’s unity with life. This can be seen in the many difference creation myths,
myths explaining social norms, and providing a shared history for a social
group. In Judeo-Christianity this is evidenced in the myths of Adam and Eve,
Noah’s Ark and Jonah and the Whale. These stories provide a commonality and an
opportunity for people to socially bond through shared understanding and
knowledge. These stories define the “good” versus “bad”, the “us” versus
“them”, and the concept of the “Other”. (Kelley-Romano, 2006) In many ways,
science fiction has taken on this social norm providing stories and myths explaining
what it means to be human, and what it means to be in-human, alien or subhuman.
Science fiction uses allegories, metaphors and myths to explain the human
anxiety associated with the “Other” (often a being from a different planet, an
alien) in place of a different race, a different culture, or a different
gender. Within science fiction “themes
of menace and destruction, dominate or seen as dominant [can be seen as] an
articulation and elaboration of and defense against anxiety.” (Nagl, 1983, p. 269)
Some science fiction films negate this anxiety, while others support it. Science
fiction and the film War of the Worlds
specifically, use the myth of the other to explore how humanity reacts to an
overwhelming threat in terms of power struggles, religion and military action.
Within the
concept of the “Other”, understanding the balance of power between the majority
and the “Other” is vital. A loss of power and control is one of humanity’s
greatest fears. The importance of freedom of choice and personal preservation
is one of humans’ most sought after and violence causing aspects. Wars
routinely erupt over these issues of choice, as well as often being the
motivating factor behind support of political, social and religious movements. War of the Worlds demonstrates the
catastrophic effects of a complete loss of power for humanity, a complete
helplessness and how various people react and cope with both the unknown
assailant and their inability to fight this invader. The film also shows how humanity
defines “otherness”, and in the process also defines humanity. (Kelley-Romano,
2006)
The concept of the “Other” is seen
both in cinematic and real-life situations. Current events such as the
immigration debate, racial violence and the use of moral justification for
violence are all situations in which humans classify other groups as "the
Other", the enemy, different enough to be cause for violent action towards
them. This is in direct contrast to other multicultural, tolerance movements,
focusing on the similarities between people and attempting to dispel the myth
of the “Other”. These unifying social movements allow cooperation between many
social groups and structures (such as the military, science, education,
business and religion)
Invasion versus Conquest
Within the
science fiction film genre, there are two major categories that most films fall
in, that of an alien invasion film and a space conquest by human film. These
categories reflect the contrasting views have humans have about their dominion
and power in everything from immigration to scientific exploration. In
situations of anxiety about social conditions, a film reflecting an alien
invasion illustrates these anxieties as a metaphoric myth. Conversely, films
showing space conquest illustrate human confidence in their dominion over not
only the earth, but metaphorically their entire universe. Within science
fiction films, there are often instance and examples of both this anxiety and
confidence, but ultimately the hero usually is aligned to one of these
categories, leading the viewers to take away a message about their own place in
the world and the associated anxiety.
War of the Worlds is a film which falls
into the first category, that of alien invasion, and creates myths and
metaphors for human conditions in which invasion is a source of anxiety and
fear. A current human source of anxiety could be associated with possible
invasion by a racial social group, a country, an animal species, an ideology,
or a technology. Thus this film can be seen as a metaphor about human anxiety
and possible reactions to that anxiety. Themes of power and morally justified
violence also contribute the myth, informing viewers of possible reactions to
their real anxiety and the results of these actions. For example, the character
Pastor Collins attempts to approach the aliens, reciting the twenty-third
Psalm, holding a Bible, implicitly trusting that his God will protect him
against the alien invasion. His trust is not rewarded and he is instantly
vaporized by the alien heat-ray. This is in contrast the heroic character of
Dr. Forrester, who is the only character who engages in a one-on-one fight with
an alien. He is able to wound the alien and from the alien’s blood gain
valuable insight into the alien biology. From this comparison, in times of
anxiety the superiority of scientific research over blind trust is manifest to
the audience.
The Physical Aspects and Motivation
of “the Other”
As the first step in creating “the Other”
within the myths of power, the aliens in War of the Worlds are characterized by
dramatically different appearances and biological processes. These aliens are
portrayed as being based on sets of three, as opposed to humanity basic sets of
two: two eyes, two ears, two hands, two feet, etc. The aliens in comparison
have three eyes, three digits on each appendage and their crafts group in
threes. In addition, they do not communicate in an audible manner. This lack of
communication is pivotal in the creation of “the Other”. The inability to communicate
in order to understand the motivation of the “enemy” inevitably leads to
misunderstanding and a lack of empathy, which is vital in human relationships
and is thus another way these aliens are distanced from humans and
de-humanized.
The narrator of the film informs the
viewers that the motivation of these aliens is destruction and subjugation of
the earth’s planetary resources, due to the inability of their home planet to
support and sustain them by fulfilling their needs. This is the most
significant information of the limited insight gained about the alien’s
motivation, but is not provided to the characters within the film. They are
left to wonder why they have been subjugated to extermination and to blindly
fight against their attackers. The characterization of the aliens as invaders,
with not only colonizing intentions, but the means for extermination influences
the audience’s view of them as unknowable “Others”, beyond any understanding
and human desire to understand.
Similarities in Aliens and the Humans
The key
aspect in the creation of the myth of the “Other” is the process of distancing
them, in terms of characteristics from the majority group. This focus on the
differences rather than the similarities solidifies the social definition of
the “Other” and the associated activities, such as prejudice, racism and
morally justified violence. Despite this, there are some general similarities
between the aliens and humans. Both groups appear to have blood as part of
their physiology, are susceptible to environmentally transmitted viruses and
are very concerned with sustaining their future (the aliens in finding a new
world to support them, and the humans in their attempts to stop the alien
invasion). In some science fiction films, the filmmakers reverse the concept of
the “Other”, making the aliens more human or humane and the humans
unrecognizable in their lack of humanity. This film does not focus on the
similarities and defines the aliens as completely inhumane and unworthy of
sympathy.
Power in terms of Race, Gender,
Religion
Within the human race, there are
examples of stereotyped groups, who at one point in time have been
characterized as a minority, a class of “Other”. A few of these groups appear
within the film War of the Worlds, an interesting addendum to the myth defining
humanity. In the sea of Caucasian faces, there is one individual who appears to
have a Hispanic heritage, evidenced both by his appearance and his language. He
is one of the three men left to guard the “meteor” after the fire has been put
out. He is characterized initially as a coward (he doesn’t want to approach the
craft), and thenmindlessly conforming to the social pressure of his peers (by
joining them in racing toward the craft and being instantly vaporized). This is
a very negative portrayal of his race, as part of the film’s overall theme of
social power
Interestingly enough, in this same
scene, one of the three men argues that “everything human doesn't have to look
like you and me." This is a very intriguing comment in the face of the
dramatic emphasis that this film places on separating and defining humanity and
the “Other”. This comment can be seen as an ironic statement, especially in
conjunction with the three men’s quick demise soon after this statement. In the
film War of the Worlds, humanity is
strictly defined with similar physical traits as one of the ways of identifying
the alien who would cause pain with complete apathy.
One insightful contradiction in this
film is the contrast between the religious influence and explanation provided
by the narrator, as opposed to the lack of religious power exerted within the
film. The example of Pastor Collins’ death and the inability of the churches to
withstand the attack of the aliens all project the impotence of religion as a
powerful saving force, but in contrast to that the narrator uses religion and
the power of God as the explanation for the survival of the human race, ending
with a dramatic “humanity was saved by the littlest things, which God, in His
wisdom, had put on this Earth”, and a ringing chorus of “Amen”. It will be
argued below that this correlation of God’s power and the instance of the virus
do not necessitate a causal relationship, but in terms of the myth and message
of the film, religion is in fact just as impotent and unreliable as the
military.
Ironically,
it was their very status as human that saved the people in War of the Worlds. The very biological agents that killed the
aliens do not affect humans. It could be interpreted as a naturally occurring
part of the earth (of which humanity is a part of and can be identified within)
that destroyed the aliens, not a deity reaching down and interfering. The earth
and it’s natural processes (as understood by science) protected her
inhabitants.
The instance
of casualties in this film also brings insight to the balance of power and
dominion within the film. The first interaction with the aliens occurs when
three normal local men attempt to make contact with the aliens, waving a white
flag and shouting, “We're friends!” Their decision to approach the alien craft
shows a distinct lack of self preservation knowledge, and an innocent trust
that the alien will understand their benign intentions. The three men are
callously vaporized by a heat-ray, as the first casualties of the alien
invasion. Subsequently, Dr. Forrester and the sheriff of Linda Rosa investigate
the scene and are attacked by the same ray, but survive and escape to raise the
alarm. This contrast of the three men’s guileless trust and Dr. Forrester and
the Sheriff's experience and knowledge informs the viewer about a myth of
superiority within humanity. It is implied that Dr. Forrester and the Sheriff
are able to avoid death because to their superior skills, knowledge and
associated status, whereas the other three men were not valuable assets to humanity. This speaks to an elevation of the class of
scientists that is seen throughout this film.
Another example of commentary on the
theme of power and dominion is the military's inability to damage the Martian
crafts, even with an atomic bomb. The military bravado, as evidenced by Colonel
Heffner’s comment that shooting has “always been a good persuader” is quickly
decimated. The military is rendered inefficient and impotent, while the
scientists experience some success learning about their enemy, deducing from a
blood sample and electronic eye (collected by Dr. Forrester, the most eminent
of these scientists) that the aliens are physically weak and anemic. The
scientists are the best hope for stopping the alien invasion, and are given six
days to come up with a solution. Dr. Forrester’s dedication and focus on
finding a solution also give the implication that he really could find a way to
stop the alien horde, if not for the rioters who steal the truck and scientific
equipment necessary.
The religious tone of this film does
present a conflict to the seeming promotion of Science. But in the narrator’s
final commentary states, the Martians are destroyed by Earth’s virus and
bacteria. It is implied that this was a product of religious intervention, but
in the modern understanding of biological science, it is possible for human
scientists to create and manipulate bacteria and virus. It was the earth based
natural biology of earth that defeated the aliens. An important part of how
humanity defines itself is it’s myth of connection to nature. In different
cultures and throughout history, the connections between humans and
earth/nature have been conflicted and cause for debate, from an ecological to
postmodern perspective. It can be argued that “human culture itself (it’s social
organization, the built environment, material and artistic productions) belong
to an interlinked planetary ecosystem and is therefore every bit as ‘natural’
as a termite mound or a bird’s nest” (Hughes, p. 23). As a result, human
identity can be constructed as part of the nature in which humans live in and
by which they are shaped, including the associated bacteria.
In War of the Worlds, are humans characterized as part of “nature”? Or
are they a separate invasive class who simply take advantage of natural
resources? The latter characterization is how the aliens are introduced in this
film, while the humans in this film are presented as part of nature, a
component of planet earth and one of it’s resources. The success of this earthly
and natural infection in destroying the alien race is ultimately another
support of the elevation of science in the understanding of the balance of
power in this film. A deity may have created the initial bacteria, but it was
natural bacteria forces, as understood by science, that were the proverbial
nail in the coffin.
The humans are not the only
earthlings affected by the alien invasion. There are scenes of horses
stampeding, deer running for cover and birds is flight, all emphasizing the
idea that the entire earth as a whole is under attack by the aliens. It can
additionally be argued that humanity it’s self is “inextricably enmeshed within
the biosphere” (Hughes, p. 38)
Within
science fiction, “a pristine natural world… has historically been crucial to
our sense of who we [as humans] are”(Hughes, p. 37). Humanity identifies with
the earth, as they are part of the interconnectedness of nature. In fact it “no
longer makes sense to discuss ‘human’ identity as something distinct from
either nature or technology” (Hughes, p. 37). In this way, the alien invasion
of the earth is a metaphor for very personal invasion, an assault on the human
and earthly collective. Dr. Forrester, as the protagonist of the film is
charged with “restoring narrative order and control over [humanity and] their
own stories” (Hughes, p. 37), by stopping the alien invasion and infection of
Earth.
Power: Human vs. Alien
In terms of
power it is quickly obvious that the aliens dominate the humans in terms of
military and technological ability. The aliens quickly use their ships and
heat-waves to attack strategic points and inhibit communication between the
humans. They are portrayed in the film as powerful beings, until the scientists
analyze the alien blood and discover a potentially fatal flaw in their genetics.
But in terms of technology and firepower, nothing that the humans do even
causes the aliens to pause in the sacking of humanity.
At the point
of no return, both the scientists and the military seem supremely confident
that the use of the atom bomb on the alien ships will decimate the invading
force. As Booker (2006) comments, this is a bomb that is “ten times more
powerful than anything ever used before.” The military even attempts to
compensate for the possible effects on the human population, by evacuating
people into remote areas, as shown in various visuals of concourses of people
interjected into the scene in which the military drops the bomb.They also done
protective gear and give specific instructions to those observing the blast.
The military fully expects this weapon of last resort to destroy the aliens.
The military leaders specifically seem confident in their power, but on the
proof that their weapons are completely ineffective they are forced to hand
their hope into the scientists and their knowledge of biology as the ultimate
offensive weapon. The narrative of the superiority of science over military is
of great importance in understanding the seemingly conflicted portrayal of
religion in this film as discussed earlier. The happy accident that saves
humanity from utter destruction is due to the alien’s misunderstanding of the
biological effects of the earth on their bodies. In this comparison, the humans
have a superior understanding on the earth’s biological and chemical make-up, which
makes them superior in the scientific understanding of earth. This power shift
is the pivotal factor which leads to the alien’s demise and defeat.
In the scene
where the scientists are packing up and attempting to escape Los Angeles, in a
metaphor for this emphasis on knowledge as the savor of humanity, Sylvia drives
the school bus, full of people and scientific supplies and instruments away
from the city. This school bus is evidence of the importance of knowledge and
scientific exploration that is humanity’s best chance at survival. The vehicle
could have been a tank (referencing military domination) or any other number of
vehicles, but the choice of the school bus is illustrative of the importance of
education and knowledge, in contrast to military action.
Power: Human vs. Human
Another reference to the power
structure within humanity is the incidents in Los Angeles, when the human
rioters turn on each other. Here is a situation where the dramatic changes in
the power structure, caused by the alien invasion have collapsed the social
structure to the detriment on the entire human race, destroying their last best
chance of defeating the aliens. Those people who do not make it out of the city
quickly turn on each other. Violence becomes the norm as the people attack each
other for any semblance of advantage, pulling people from vehicles and
destroying goods. Interestingly, in these scenes, only men are shown looting
and attacking each other. When Sylvia and Dr. Duprey (the female scientist) are
attacked, this scene is not shown, and the viewer only hears about it later. In
terms of understanding power structure, this is important because the female
characters are not given the quality of assertive violence, but are
characterized as pure victims, without any complexity of confidence and
authority.
In the midst of this scene of chaos,
as the looters destroy his instruments and supplies, Dr. Forrester desperately
tries to make them understand that he and his knowledge and abilities are the
last best hope for human survival. He appeals to the social authority of the
police, who once again acknowledge their complete lack of ability to use any
social power to control the looters. They simply recommend he join them in
escaping the city, running away instead of taking a stand. In anguish,
Forrester cries out "Fools, they cut their own throats!"The looters
and people left behind have shed their visage of humanity and its associated
compassion and “human-ness” to become a seething mass of imaginary “Other”
which Dr. Forrester must fight against in his quest. With the dramatic shift in
power and the associated panic, even humanity is not enough to bind people
together, but often leads to the process of separation and distinction within
social groups. These looters not longer see themselves as Californians or
Americans, but as individuals each fighting for their survival. At the very
moment when the people need to come together against the common enemy, the
alien, they splinter into ineffective groups, fighting against each other and
against Dr. Forrester: their last, best hope.
Power: God vs Alien…. vs Man
The
influence of the narrator gives the film War of the Worlds a very distinct
theme of the power of God versus the power of the invading alien. As discussed
elsewhere, it is only the narrator who uses God’s power as the explaining force
for the virus that kills the aliens, in contradiction to the other evidences
that natural biology as understood by science is the savior of humankind.
Putting that explanation aside for a moment, the myth of a powerful creator who
is involved in humanity’s preservation is very powerful in creating a myth of
human superiority, through the intermediary of their God. In terms of
interplanetary conquest, the action of destroying the aliens sends a message
that the Earth is protected and will not be easily conquered or colonized. This
“superiority” of the human race is read as victory from a human perspective, a
proof in the myth that the humans of planet earth are powerful and morally
justified in defending themselves, even to the extermination of any invader.
This allows them to use every method possible to protect themselves, because
the audience identifies with the human heroes or protagonist. (Torry, 1994)
Human Characteristics
In keeping with the understanding of
anti-human or “the Other”, this film also creates a myth about the humans and
their characteristics. This is especially seen in the treatment of gender
relations, as well as character’s economic status. The character Sylvia,
despite the invasion and associated panic, never alters from her simplistic
identity as the American woman of the 1950s. She has an education and a career,
but even that is minimalized in Dr. Forrester's comment about her thesis on
modern scientists: "Did it do you any good?", alluding to the worthlessness
of education for women, especially education which distracts from her womanly
role and duties.
Sylvia’s preoccupation with Dr.
Forrester and her romantic intentions toward him are obvious from their first
encounter, with a comedic moment of mistaken identity to lighten the moment.
Throughout the alien invasion, she depends on him absolutely, deferring to his
expertise and judgment without fail. She is one of the few female characters, a
character whose purpose seems to be to demonstrate the hero (Dr. Forrester)’s machismo
and heroic attempts to save humanity.After crash landing the plane, she even
falls asleep in his arms, forgetting for a moment about the aliens, and
demonstrating her complete faith in his masculine and scientific abilities.
When he is knocked unconscious by the collapsing farm house, she takes on the
typically female role of nursing him back to health, waiting for his masculine
decision making skills, rather than take on any responsibility herself.
Nagl (1983)
notes that in science fiction, “a love story, although secondary to the plot
[can be]... utilized both for emotional relief from the thrills and as a thread
by which to hang the plot” (p. 265). In War of the Worlds, this type of
emotional relief can be seem in the seemingly random domestic scene in which
Sylvia and Dr. Forrester are stuck in an abandoned farm house and play out a
relatively normal dinner, Sylvia completing her ‘wifely’ duties preparing food
and talking about family, Forrester playing the strong figure. This scene
provides an emotional intermission within the film, an opportunity to reflect
on what has happened, while imagining the future of these two people whose
lives have been so violently interrupted. She even tells the story of being
lost and "praying for the one who loved me best to find me", setting
up the climactic finale in which Forrester finds her in a church and they wait
for destruction together. These types of scenes, the church scene, and the farm
house scene all work together to inject reminders of the character's humanity
compared to that of the aliens. They do this by using and creating myths about
human characteristics that will cause the audience to identify with the human
characters.
The
character Sylvia has a few close encounters with the aliens, at one point even
coming face to face with one of them. She is terrified and rants about how the aliens seem to “murder everything that moves”. Which
brings up the issue, how or why is it that Sylvia survives these encounters?
She is not the powerful scientist hero (as depicted by Dr. Forrester) and her
primary purpose as a character is to provide him heroic opportunities to
display his brilliance. But why is it that she is the character that seems to
have the closest interaction with an alien being and yet survives? On the
examination of the eye that Dr. Forrester brings back for scientific analysis,
one of the scientists comments, “let’s see why they are so interested in you”,
referring to Sylvia. The issue is never explicitly resolved, as the escape from
Los Angeles takes precedence in the plot.
One explanation for
the alien’s lack of interest and assault is her identification as a woman, and
therefore an “unpredictable alien in a patriarchal world” (Mitchell, 2006, p. 120).
Women have historical and culturally be seen as a threat to the status quo of
male domination. Both Sylvia and the alien characters can be characterized as
‘alien’, defined as a “position [of] someone or something at the margins or on
the outside, to indicate that they are, paradoxically both powerless and a
threat” (Mitchell, 2006, p. 120). It is glaringly evident that Sylvia, as a
woman does not have power, either to save herself or anyone else, but also a
threat to the patriarchal order, especially with her educational background,
independence and career. Thus, while the alien genuinely terrifies her, within
the plot of the film she does not come to any physical harm by the alien,
because of the social alignment of women as an “Other” similar to the alien
“Other”. This is a very intriguing example of science fiction “shift[ing] the
scope of the culturally intelligible, revealing the non-naturalness” of the
human notion of status and power of females. (Mitchell, 2006, p. 116)
Conclusion
Science
fiction has a role within current culture in exploring gender, culture, race,
identity, authority and power, how they are manifest and experienced by humans
by creating myths justifying human behavior. “Rather than attempting to posit
ideal future worlds, science fiction can help us to grapple with some of the
conundrums of our present world by working through their possible conclusions
and outcomes” (p.125). War of the Worlds has influenced science fiction films since its
release in 1953, as the classic story of alien invasion. Films such as Independence Day (1996) have reflected
on many of the same issues, but with different myths and outcomes through the
plot of “alien arrival/alien attack/ ineffective human counter-attack/alien
defeat through the agency of a virus” (Pirro, 2011, p. 32). In the case of Independence Day, the lack of a
religious intervention is blatant, as humanity creates their own virus to
defeat the aliens, a computer virus further projecting humanity’s ability to
save it’s self and not rely on divine intervention. Defining the enemy as “the
Other”, with specific physical traits and motivation, intrinsically defines
what it means to be human, for better or worse, especially in terms of power
and morally justified violence, as seen in War
of the Worlds.
References
Booker, M. K. (2006). Alternate
Americas: Science Fiction Film and American Culture. Westport, Conn: Praeger.
Haskin,
B. (1953). The War of the
Worlds.Action, Horror, Sci-Fi.
Hughes, R. (2013). The Ends of the
Earth: Nature, Narrative, and Identity in Dystopian Film. Critical survey.,
25(2), 22–39.
Kelley-Romano, S. (2006). Mythmaking
in Alien Abduction Narratives. Communication Quarterly, 54(3), 383–406.
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Mitchell, K. (2006). Bodies That
Matter: Science Fiction, Technoculture, and the Gendered Body. Science Fiction
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