The Extremes of Fear: An Analysis of Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Now reviewed as a B-rate horror film, the 1956 movie, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, contains a plethora of fear symbolism. The movie depicts the mass panic that swept the nation during the Cold War with subtle references to both McCarthyism and Communism. Many critics try to focus it on one or the other, but in fact it is actually demonstrating the fear caused by both groups. The protagonist, Dr. Miles, and the antagonist, the pod people, are misinterpreted as heroes and villains. In reality, the pod people and Dr. Miles represent two opposite responses to fear; Dr. Miles being overly cautious and the pod people being to relaxed. Neither achieve a happy medium that understands that some things should be feared, but should not control there life style. Both attitudes have been reflected recently in history. The overly cautious Dr. Miles represents people’s attitude during the Cold War and the pod people illustrate desensitized version of our nation six years removed from the tragic incident of nine-eleven.
Fear can not be allowed to control ones life and that is exactly how Dr. Miles reacts to the pod peoples threat. His attempt to warn humanity of the impending alien takeover gains him the inaccurate title of hero, because his over cautious approach to fear is no more heroic than the pod people. Opening in a mental hospital, the doctor is ranting and raving about the aliens and the need to be wary. His tirade is very similar to a McCarthy follower who would have gotten all worked up about the threat of communist infiltrating the nation. Dr. Miles, finally slightly calmed down, gets to explain his story and tells the gentleman that he had just returned from a trip out of town. His opening monologue screams paranoia and fear. “As soon as I had arrived, I knew something was different. Something evil had taken possession of the town,” said Dr. Miles. As in the Cold War, neighbors would become suspicious of friends and co-workers almost entirely on a whim. As the story progresses, the doctor uncovers the pod people’s plot and as they grow in numbers so too does his fear. His panic grows to the point where he stops sleeping because he realizes that he is one of the last people not taken over by the pod people. This is just another example of how fear has completely altered him and his life style. At the end of his story, he is running down the interstate screaming, like a madman, that the aliens are coming to take over. Throughout the Cold War, people feared a nuclear threat that never surfaced and it altered there entire life just like Dr. Miles. People should let fear affect some decisions in there life; however, the doctor’s approach is far to extreme and life altering.
The pod people are the alien invaders that take over human’s minds and bodies as they sleep by forming copies of their victims in pods. While they are seemingly the same person, family members realize a subtle difference. “He looks the same, he has the same memories, and acts the same, but something is different.” This minute difference is that pod people show no emotion; they have become desensitized. At the doctor‘s office, a small child realizes the difference between his real mother and the pod impersonator and screams, “Don’t let her get me.” He is still fearful, yet when the pod people get a hold of him he is completely changed. His fear has completely disappeared because he ignores it. Expressing no emotion, the pod people rationalize that emotion is the cause of all the world’s problems and without it world peace would ensue. Jack, one of the doctor’s friends, stumbles upon his pod before it has taken his spot. The only difference is that he the pod has no distinct features such as finger prints. There lack of features is symbolic to there dehumanization because they lack passion. It is also another similarity to communism. To be a uniform emotionless society, most critics believe is symbolic to communist ideals, but it just an extreme way in dealing with fear. By dismissing the problem, it does not just disappear. Currently, we are debating, on a daily basis, whether or not to stay in Iraq and, just as the pod people, we hope that by pushing it aside and returning home it will simply go away. The problem with this philosophy is that no problem is ever solved by ignoring it.
While the black and white color might be a turn off to most modern day viewers, this movie still has a very relevant message for audiences today. Not only does it apply to fear, but to any emotion. It also sends a powerful message about finding a happy medium in any goal you strive to achieve. A majority of the time, extremes are never a positive. A skinny kid that does nothing, but sit around and play video games is hurting his body by not doing anything. A body builder that takes steroids is slowly destroying his body by trying to be too fit. Both these are extremes that have to do with taking care of yourself. So, if nothing else this movie gives a valuable life lesson in the way you go about trying to accomplish something.
Fear is a necessity of life. Some fear should be pushed aside like a child fearing the monster under the bed, but even animals experience fear to aid them in survival. To be completely fearless puts people in harms way. However, to let it completely control you causes the individual not live their own life. Since, both McCarthyism and Communism are apparent it is an injustice to specify this movie to just those two ideals. This movie is meant on a much broader scale of coping with fear. Dr. Miles and the pod people extreme approaches are both understandable approaches as proven with there application in history, but that does not make them appropriate. This movie’s message more than precedes its time.