Invaders from Mars (1953)

“Invaders from Mars” (1953) starring Helena Carter, Arthur Franz, Jimmy Hunt, and directed by William Cameron Menzies.

David (Jimmy Hunt) awakens one night to see a flying saucer land in his back yard. His father heads out the next morning to investigate and comes back a changed man. David’s mom then starts acting funny also. Problem is no one will believe David that his parents are behaving differently.

There is much in this film that shows it is an allegory for communism and its infestation into the hearts and minds of the American people. With that in mind, choosing the British version on the DVD became an interesting choice. What would the British censors show that the Americans would not? There wasn’t much of a difference except for the end. The film actually has two different endings. One is a happy ending the other is a brilliant nightmare. Which ending belongs to which country is for you to discover.

The film is very in your face when it comes to explaining things. An interesting scene that seems like an old school film strip educates us about Flying Saucers, Mars, UFO visitors, and our galaxy. We get a lot of quick and fact based knowledge, as accurate as it could be for the time, which will help make the film believable. This scene, like every other inside scene, has very stark lighting giving the film an industrial look. Actors are often shot in front of plain walls with minimal props and set directions. This creates a lot of one camera set ups that encompass all the actors in a single shot. Much of this film is paid homage to by Tim Burton in “Mars Attacks” but the police station from “Edward Scissorhands” is clearly from “Invaders from Mars”

The costumes of the Martian’s Mu-Tants are laughable but it is something that again makes this film incredibly endearing. The Mu-Tants are very Oompa Loompa esq., they don’t say anything but who ever came up with the way they moved really added something to these green velvet covered monsters.

The stock footage in the film is actually put to good use and is believable. It is not long and drawn out like many other science fiction films of the day. Everything in this film is under tight budget and it shows on screen but director William Cameron Menzies tells a story that lasts a life time and captures a moment in time when Americans started to get this great fear on the unknown.

There are a few quick things to take notice of while you are watching the film and a few quick unaccredited cameos to look for. The first is Barbara Billingsley, the mom on “Leave it to Beaver”, the secretary of our brilliant scientist, who delivers a few lines. Then Todd Karns, George Bailey’s brother from “It’s a Wonderful Life”, plays a gas station attendant and friend to our young hero. Now if you watch the British version, look for a falling set piece that shouldn’t be falling during the films final climax. However the melting explosive wall coverings of the Martian ship are truly unique “items”. If you are really interested in its origins you’ll look it up for yourself.

“Invaders from Mars” is an exceptional film that marks America’s beginnings of the cold war and our perpetual fear of what we do not understand.