Any true fan of art must have a good grasp and appreciation of its historical roots. Like “The Twilight Zone” to television or The Beatles to rock n’ roll, the history of cinema is founded on road paving classics that, while not always equal in terms of entertainment value to todays blockbusters, nonetheless had an intangible hand in their creation. When asked to recite a list of infamous horror titles, the usual candidates are always given: 70s and 80s slasher pieces where the carnage is carried out by the likes of Mike Myers, Freddie Krueger, and Jason Voorhies generally top the list. Often overlooked is one of the true originals to the genre; “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”
The 1956 sci-fi/horror crossover (one of the first hybrids in that genre as well) was shot in 20 days with a budget of $350,000, and expectantly suffers from the restraints of being made in an era where toilets were deemed to vulgar to show on screen and husbands and wives occupied separate beds at night. With the psyche of the American populous being rendered fragile at best, horror movies sadly hold punches like a heavyweight champ taking a dive.
“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” deals with a then revolutionary theme of an alien invasion of earth. While benign in terms of violent intentions, the alien’s nondescript attack is in actually far more sinister – the foreign being claims a host body, and slowly consumes the conscience and the soul, leaving friends and loved ones with an exact replica of a person they once knew, loved, and cared for, who in reality is just a hollowed out shell of their former self.
Playing out in a similar fashion to another 50s sci-fi/horror gem, “The Twilight Zone,” “Snatchers” employs slowly building tension to accompany its riveting plot in the display of the story. Though unintentional, the black and white film only adds to the ambiance.
As is the case with most old movies, the acting borders on disgraceful. Characters seem unrealistic in terms of how they should be in the situations provided, and most lines are delivered in a way that makes you assume the budding star or starlet is just over-showcasing their talents for Hollywood.
The lead protagonist is Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy), your prototypical 50s era leading man; toupee like perfect hair, clean shaven, and flawless smile. The movie is revealed in flashback form as Bennell attempts to explain the alien invasion of his small California town to the authorities.
In the backdrop of the mayhem, Bennell teams up with his love interest Becky (Dana Wynter), and friends Jack and Teddy as they begin to decipher the scope of the invasion. Serving as an additional antagonist to the aliens is psychiatrist Dan Kaufman (Larry Gates) who preaches that the entire town is simply suffering from mass hysteria.
Its hard to imagine a time when human beings had yet to send satellites into space or step foot on the moon. Director Don Siegel (“Dirty Harry”) weaves a chilling tale in terms of dealing with the absolute unknown. Though several aspects suffer from time period induced handcuffs, Siegel still manages to turn out creepy scenes nonetheless.
Still though, I would have loved to have seen what could have been done if the film had been offered the production aspects of today. One truly terrifying scene depicts a “pod body” on a table slowly coming to life as the would-be victims wife watches in terror. Though creepy, it could have been so much more.
The original ending would have been a thing of cinematic perfection that would have made Rod Serling or M. Night Shyamalan smile, but fearful of how the public would react to a grim conclusion, Siegel was forced to change it at the behest of the studio. The result is so watered down you can spot where the corporate thumbprint takes over from a mile away.
“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” set the framework for an endless list of horror movies with alien and outer space themed backdrops. In the 58 years since its release, “Snatchers” can be thanked for more grisly horror gems like “Alien” and “The Thing” and no doubt had an influence on mega hits like “Star Trek” and “Star Wars.”
“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” was successfully remade in 1978 (we’ll be covering that next October). In the end, the original film probably won’t scare anyone, but its a good solid watch and recommended for its historical value and overall impact on cinema.
by – Matt Christopher
