The 1956 movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers prompted many questions at the time of its release. Some said it was a statement on McCarthyism and the Red Scare in United States. Others later interpreted it as being about the spread of a disease like AIDS. These all seem like quite a stretch to be read from the movie. While certain acts of the Pod People could be read either as communism or McCarthyism, it does not seem to contain enough evidence to back this theory. The true message of the film is the desensitization of American society.
The theory that the movie is a symbol of the Red Scare is not uncommon. People argue that the Pod People represent the McCarthyism view of communism. People arguing for this point do present some good evidence to back their theory; they present the parallel between the pod peoples’ soulless actions and the way the communists act as a single entity. The pod people also make public announcements like the communists (Dirk). Though there are pretty strong links between the Pod People and American perception of communism there is no link between the protagonist Miles and McCarthy. The characteristics of the two men are much too different. While McCarthy was an unjust sometimes even cruel man, Miles fought for what is right and had faith in people.
The more believable interpretation of the film is that it is a statement of the dehumanization of people. The Pod People represent that future of what people will be, will they continue to care for each other to follow basic human responsibilities, while Miles represents what people used to or should be. The concept of dehumanization or desensitization is stated fairly clearly towards the end of the movie when Miles tells Becky, the woman he loves, that
In my practice, I've seen how people have allowed their humanity to drain away. Only it happened slowly instead of all at once. They didn't seem to mind...All of us - a little bit - we harden our hearts, grow callous. Only when we have to fight to stay human do we realize how precious it is to us…
Since it is so specifically stated that this is a problem that the protagonist is especially concerned with and recognizes in the Pod People it is clear this is a significant message in the film.
This brings up the question of whether this can apply still today and if it is to be considered a step forward or back ward as people. First, let us approach the question of whether this can still apply to people nowadays. We must ask if this problem still presents itself in society. When we look at our society, we see a lot of things that should be disturbing to people, especially in the entertainment industry. We always see shows that present us with images like dead bodies or violence, but instead of being shocked or appalled by these images we take them simply as entertainment. We even find things that should be disturbing as funny; people find humor in some of the strangest places. This shows that the theme of this movie can still be related to society today.
Now, the question of whether this is a good or bad thing is much harder to clarify. Losing sensitivity can have its advantages in that people will not be as strongly hurt by bad things in their life, and will be more prepared to deal with adversity. However, the frequent criticisms of desensitization cannot be ignored. It is commonly held that desensitization makes people numb to actions and events that are generally considered unacceptable, like violence, sexual promiscuity, and devaluation of human life. In this respect, the stance the film takes on desensitization is certainly a negative one. But it may not be necessarily true in the real world. We have to ask ourselves if being sensitive is truly the best way to live. If we were strongly affected by every bad or scary thing we saw we could not function effectively in the world we live in. To me this means that perhaps desensitization is not defiantly a good thing but a necessary change.
The main conflict, the struggle between Miles and the Pod People, represents the struggle of the good in America against the decline of feeling and sensitivity. Invasion of the Body Snatchers serves as a timeless warning to the modern world: we must protect our humanity, because it is the keystone of man’s uniqueness. While this message is one to be wary of we must also be able to find the prefect medium in order to function in our world. We must be sensitive at the right moments but strong enough to not be affected by everything that may hurt or bother us. This is shown in the movie when Miles and Becky must act as the Pod People do in order to survive. Perhaps life would be easier if we did not feel but since life is not simple we have to live in a way that is both efficient and allows us to not lose our humanity.
Works Cited
Dirks, Tom. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” 2007. 12 Oct. 2007.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Defining History ---corrections
Don Siegel’s, 1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers was a classic science fiction/horror movie based on the plot that pods from outer space were taking over the small town of Santa Mira. This black and white, science fiction movie scared many people due to its plot that mirrored Senator Joseph McCarthy’s fears of the spreading of communism. McCarthy also feared that the world would soon be taken over by communists and that everyone would suffer as a consequence; however, in the movie the people who were actually harmed felt no emotion, pain or love as if it was a better world. John Whitehead supports the view of McCarthyism in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, in his essay, “A Cultural History of Horror.”
Whitehead states in his essay “A Cultural History of Horror” that the film was not as scary as presumed by many audiences. They actually found the more understandable world depicted as being reassuring, even if such an understanding was only a monstrous plot or cover-up. “Joseph McCarthy and his anti-Communist banter used the same rationale” (Whitehead). This comfort and ease was shown in the movie by the people after being affected by the pod. Affected people felt no emotion, they could not love, cry, or be angry. They felt as if it was a perfect world, just as McCarthy felt without communism. Becky, Dana Wynter, was frightened to go to sleep because she loved the doctor, Miles Bennell, yet once she was taken over; she believed everything was ok.
In Invasion of the Body Snatchers, everyone in the town but two innocent people have been taken over by pods that came from outer space. Of those taken over by the pods, they immediately felt safe and protected, they showed and felt no emotion, and everything was just simple and plain. Those who had not been taken over felt a sense of fear, they wanted to love and feel. During the height of McCarthyism, people were accused of being communist and were not accepted, as were those who had not been taken over by the pod. Those accused of communism lost everything: jobs, families, and many were taken to jail.
Although we have not repeated the days of Joseph McCarthy and his paranoia regarding the spread of communism, we have had our trends that mimic the plot of the movie. For example, the free loving sixties with rampant drug abuse could fit this bill or the money and cocaine addicted eighties might as well. In both events you were looked down upon if you were not a cocaine addict In the eighties or abusing drugs in the sixties. It was something you were supposed to do. In the late nineties, many thought that the Internet would provide a means of greater government control and intrusion into our lives and now especially with today’s generation we would feel as if we were lost without it.
Having read about McCarthyism and watched the movie, I agree that the movie was based on McCarthyism and its over the top fear of communism. McCarthyism is a term used to describe, “a period of intense anti Communism suspicion in the United States that lasted roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s”(wikipedia). The movie does seem to have been influenced by McCarthyism in many ways.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers shows unprepared people not knowing how to face the invasion of the pods and simply giving in, turning into a shell of a person with no fear or emotion. This movie is unquestionably science fiction, but it is good and I recommend it to everyone. I struggle watching black and white movies and I thought it was surprisingly good.
Overall I think many older people would enjoy this movie because they can connect easier with the McCarthyism theory due to their age and time; whereas younger audiences may not understand the history behind Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Workscited
“McCarthyism.” Wikipedia. 9 Oct. 2007. 12 Oct. 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mccarthyism.
Whitehead, John W. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” Rev. of A TALE FOR OUR TIMES. Gadfly Online. 2007. 12 Oct. 2007 http://www.gadflyonline.com/11-26-01/film-snatchers.html.
Katie Creel 3
“Invasion of the Body Snatchers”
Although many believe “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” is based on Communism or McCarthyism, the conspiracy of the pod people is actually the basis of the movie. The pod people are trying to seize the town; and, therefore, they are forming a conspiracy to take over the entire population.
This movie does not show McCarthyism because there is no form of heroism in the movie. For example, since the pod people are determined to take over the bodies of other humans, they cannot be considered heroes. Communism is also not an issue in the movie because the pod people are trying to take over the citizen’s bodies, and are not trying to control the souls that are currently in the bodies.
When this movie was first released it was considered a horror/si-fi “classic” film. Today, however, the movie is neither classified as scary nor as a si-fi film. For example, now-a-days, people consider movies such as “The Ring” scary, not “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” Although the times have changed, as well society, this movie should not be classified as a scary si-fi movie.
The beginning of the original script of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” was quite different than the script used in the released movie. In the original script, the doctor was not shown in the beginning, however, in the revised one, the doctor was shown to prove he survived the pod people. This revision was not dramatic enough to sustain the movie’s classification of scary.
Even though this movie is a “classic,” today’s people should not watch it. Because this movie does not have McCarthyism tendencies, it is a thing of the past because the pod people were trying to corrupt the town by creating a conspiracy. Also, communism is not found in the movie, because the pod people are trying to take over the people’s bodies, not control of the individual’s lives. Today “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” is not considered a horror or a si-fi film because it does not compare to the true horror displayed in scary films of today, such as “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
Overall, this movie did not relate to McCarthyism or communism. Also, it should not be considered a classic horror film. The movie would have had a stronger horror tendency if the pod people actually took over the town.
“Invasion of the Body Snatchers”
Although many believe “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” is based on Communism or McCarthyism, the conspiracy of the pod people is actually the basis of the movie. The pod people are trying to seize the town; and, therefore, they are forming a conspiracy to take over the entire population.
This movie does not show McCarthyism because there is no form of heroism in the movie. For example, since the pod people are determined to take over the bodies of other humans, they cannot be considered heroes. Communism is also not an issue in the movie because the pod people are trying to take over the citizen’s bodies, and are not trying to control the souls that are currently in the bodies.
When this movie was first released it was considered a horror/si-fi “classic” film. Today, however, the movie is neither classified as scary nor as a si-fi film. For example, now-a-days, people consider movies such as “The Ring” scary, not “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” Although the times have changed, as well society, this movie should not be classified as a scary si-fi movie.
The beginning of the original script of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” was quite different than the script used in the released movie. In the original script, the doctor was not shown in the beginning, however, in the revised one, the doctor was shown to prove he survived the pod people. This revision was not dramatic enough to sustain the movie’s classification of scary.
Even though this movie is a “classic,” today’s people should not watch it. Because this movie does not have McCarthyism tendencies, it is a thing of the past because the pod people were trying to corrupt the town by creating a conspiracy. Also, communism is not found in the movie, because the pod people are trying to take over the people’s bodies, not control of the individual’s lives. Today “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” is not considered a horror or a si-fi film because it does not compare to the true horror displayed in scary films of today, such as “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
Overall, this movie did not relate to McCarthyism or communism. Also, it should not be considered a classic horror film. The movie would have had a stronger horror tendency if the pod people actually took over the town.
Paper #3 Revised!
Kinley Perno
The 1956 film Invasion of the Body Snatchers, is a film that critics have been analyzing and interpreting for many years. The main character is a small-town doctor in California named Miles Bennell. When he returns from a convention, he finds that a few people in the town have had instances where they don’t recognize their relatives anymore. They look and act the same, but they say there is just something different about them. It is later found out that alien pod plants are being planted and grow humans that replace people’s bodies when they go to sleep. When the people wake up they realize what has happened and accept it. They then try to recruit more people. Dr. Miles Bennell, Becky, Jack, and Teddy are the only people who are trying to fight against the pod plants, and save the Earth from being dehumanized. When first watching the film, I was going to argue it was a B-grade sci-fi/horror film, but by the end of watching the film and reading some research, I decided it is definitely a politically charged film. Although Invasion of the Body Snatchers has been a film of much discussion throughout the years, it is a perfect example of Communism and McCarthyism because of the fear and paranoia of the unknown.
The essay written by John Whitehead, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers: A Tale for Our Time”, explains many of the ways people have interpreted this movie, like Communism and McCarthyism that have come from Invasion of the Body Snatchers. He talks about how people have interpreted the movie in a variety of ways. Some of them seemed legitimate while others seemed far-fetched, such as the spreading of AIDS. During the Cold War, many people were worried about the atomic bomb and feared death. This lead to the threat of the communism, which scared many Americans that the government might take away simple freedoms. The essay by Tim Dirks explains the film the same way, as an allegory for Communism and McCarthyism. Communism is defined as, “a theory or system of social organized based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state” (dictionary.com). This is a perfect definition for Invasion of the Body Snatchers because all the people are in common after being taking over by the pod plants. McCarthyism is described as, “the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, especially of pro-Communism activity, in many instances unsupported by proof or based on slight, doubtful, or irreverent evidence” (dictionary.com). Critics use McCarthyism to explain the movie because the film depicts fear and paranoia of the “other”. Communism might be a better description of the movie because McCarthyism is described as the accusation of disloyalty, whereas Communism described a common social organization.
After reading these essays and then watching the movies, my expectations were mostly met. At the beginning of the film, I couldn’t really see the political aspects. I just saw it as a B-grade sci-fi/horror film. It wasn’t until the end of the film when Dr. Miles Bennell is running wild through the road screaming, “Look! You fools! You’re in danger! Can’t you see? They’re after you! They’re after all of us! Our wives…our children…they’re here already! You’re next”, I started thinking of the film as a political allegory. That line makes it sound like he is warning people that the communists are already there and taking over people, so to watch out because they will be taken over next. It happens to them while they are asleep. It is like they are unconscious and don’t know what is happening to them. He says that they can’t do anything about it, because it is almost like they are brainwashed. Once they are brainwashed, they enjoy what has happened to them. While some of the thoughts that were discussed in the reviews seemed overblown such as the AIDS epidemic or spreading of disease, this particular one is reasonable.
However, this film is relevant to people today. There was the scare after September 11 pertaining to all the new rules stated in The Patriot Act, but it doesn’t seem to me like the same loss of freedom as they are speaking of in the movie. The earlier issues seemed to deal more with dehumanizing people and having a monotone society, whereas The Patriot Act is theoretically safety precautions, and continue to be less and less of a monotone society. The Patriot Act has the potential to violate civil liberties, whereas the Invasion of the Body Snatchers involves the loss of people’s thoughts and identity. I think people today should watch this movie for fun, but not as a political allegory. It had an interesting plot line, and it was also pretty humorous. The fact that there were no special effects and the acting was horrible, definitely classified the movie for people today as a B-grade sci-fi/horror film that they should just watch for pleasure. People could also watch it as maybe learning some of the political views of the time or if they are interested in that time period. They shouldn’t watch it expecting the movie to be relevant to political views today.
Works Cited
dictionary.com. 10 October 2007.
dictionary.com. 2007. 10 October 2007.
Dirks, Tim. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956). 1996-2007..
Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Dir. Don Siegel. Perf. Kevin McCarthy. 1956.
Whitehead, John W. Gadfly Online . 1998-2007..
The 1956 film Invasion of the Body Snatchers, is a film that critics have been analyzing and interpreting for many years. The main character is a small-town doctor in California named Miles Bennell. When he returns from a convention, he finds that a few people in the town have had instances where they don’t recognize their relatives anymore. They look and act the same, but they say there is just something different about them. It is later found out that alien pod plants are being planted and grow humans that replace people’s bodies when they go to sleep. When the people wake up they realize what has happened and accept it. They then try to recruit more people. Dr. Miles Bennell, Becky, Jack, and Teddy are the only people who are trying to fight against the pod plants, and save the Earth from being dehumanized. When first watching the film, I was going to argue it was a B-grade sci-fi/horror film, but by the end of watching the film and reading some research, I decided it is definitely a politically charged film. Although Invasion of the Body Snatchers has been a film of much discussion throughout the years, it is a perfect example of Communism and McCarthyism because of the fear and paranoia of the unknown.
The essay written by John Whitehead, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers: A Tale for Our Time”, explains many of the ways people have interpreted this movie, like Communism and McCarthyism that have come from Invasion of the Body Snatchers. He talks about how people have interpreted the movie in a variety of ways. Some of them seemed legitimate while others seemed far-fetched, such as the spreading of AIDS. During the Cold War, many people were worried about the atomic bomb and feared death. This lead to the threat of the communism, which scared many Americans that the government might take away simple freedoms. The essay by Tim Dirks explains the film the same way, as an allegory for Communism and McCarthyism. Communism is defined as, “a theory or system of social organized based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state” (dictionary.com). This is a perfect definition for Invasion of the Body Snatchers because all the people are in common after being taking over by the pod plants. McCarthyism is described as, “the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, especially of pro-Communism activity, in many instances unsupported by proof or based on slight, doubtful, or irreverent evidence” (dictionary.com). Critics use McCarthyism to explain the movie because the film depicts fear and paranoia of the “other”. Communism might be a better description of the movie because McCarthyism is described as the accusation of disloyalty, whereas Communism described a common social organization.
After reading these essays and then watching the movies, my expectations were mostly met. At the beginning of the film, I couldn’t really see the political aspects. I just saw it as a B-grade sci-fi/horror film. It wasn’t until the end of the film when Dr. Miles Bennell is running wild through the road screaming, “Look! You fools! You’re in danger! Can’t you see? They’re after you! They’re after all of us! Our wives…our children…they’re here already! You’re next”, I started thinking of the film as a political allegory. That line makes it sound like he is warning people that the communists are already there and taking over people, so to watch out because they will be taken over next. It happens to them while they are asleep. It is like they are unconscious and don’t know what is happening to them. He says that they can’t do anything about it, because it is almost like they are brainwashed. Once they are brainwashed, they enjoy what has happened to them. While some of the thoughts that were discussed in the reviews seemed overblown such as the AIDS epidemic or spreading of disease, this particular one is reasonable.
However, this film is relevant to people today. There was the scare after September 11 pertaining to all the new rules stated in The Patriot Act, but it doesn’t seem to me like the same loss of freedom as they are speaking of in the movie. The earlier issues seemed to deal more with dehumanizing people and having a monotone society, whereas The Patriot Act is theoretically safety precautions, and continue to be less and less of a monotone society. The Patriot Act has the potential to violate civil liberties, whereas the Invasion of the Body Snatchers involves the loss of people’s thoughts and identity. I think people today should watch this movie for fun, but not as a political allegory. It had an interesting plot line, and it was also pretty humorous. The fact that there were no special effects and the acting was horrible, definitely classified the movie for people today as a B-grade sci-fi/horror film that they should just watch for pleasure. People could also watch it as maybe learning some of the political views of the time or if they are interested in that time period. They shouldn’t watch it expecting the movie to be relevant to political views today.
Works Cited
dictionary.com. 10 October 2007
dictionary.com. 2007. 10 October 2007
Dirks, Tim. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956). 1996-2007.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Dir. Don Siegel. Perf. Kevin McCarthy. 1956.
Whitehead, John W. Gadfly Online . 1998-2007.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Connected Fear
Paper 3 Revision
In the 1950s, there existed a Cold War between America and Russia. During this time, there was a paranoia that Russia’s communistic beliefs were going to inflict on the American society. Communism was an unfamiliar form of lifestyle to Americans, and the idea of change was terrifying to them. They feared their liberty was going to be destroyed by an unfamiliar political power. This fear controlled American’s everyday lives. Some Americans even went to the extent of searching for communists in the government, a time period in the United States referred to as McCarthyism. Invasion of the Body Snatchers was a horror film that was produced during the McCarthy era. The producers did not intend to represent this conflict between McCarthyism and Communism; however, in retrospect, the movie can be viewed as a model of the fear the American people demonstrated. The intensity of horror presented in the movie about the foreign pods taking over humans connects to the real life situation of the McCarthy era. Invasion of the Body Snatchers contains several parallels to the controversy between McCarthyism and Communism by presenting the same paranoia experienced by both the movie characters and the American people.
Communism was a huge concern for the American population. People were frightened by the controlling nature of a communistic society. They did not like the idea of being imposed on by communistic values, because they viewed these values as constricting and horrible. Invasion of the Body Snatchers has a controlling theme similar to the controlling nature of communism. Miles, the main character, and the other characters are terrified of foreign pods invading their bodies and stripping them of all emotion. They did not like the thought of losing their souls. At first they were in denial, because each of the characters could not believe something could actually take over their bodies, changing their personality and physical being. For instance, towards the beginning of the movie the police officer did not believe Miles when Miles told him about Becky’s body/pod was growing in the basement of her house. The police officer was naïve along with the rest of the town. They thought Miles and Becky, who did believe in the foreign pods, were crazy. By the end of the film, everyone realized the threatening situation of pods existing. At this time, horror struck the people living in Santa Mira, the setting town of the movie.
Audiences across America saw the movie. They viewed Invasion of the Body Snatchers as being realistic. The fear they initially had of communism sweeping over the nation grew. They saw their worst fears come to life on the screen, being taken over by a foreign invader that would control their lives. Critic Whitehead states, “The mob hysteria, the sense of paranoia, the fascist police, the witch hunt atmosphere of the picture certainly mirrors the ills of McCarthy’s America” (Whitehead 1). The idea being vividly presented to them made everyone’s mind stir. The writers of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers do a very good job in intensifying this fear by the dialogue used. In the beginning of the movie a little boy says, “Don’t let her get me,” about his mother. Towards the end of the movie Miles screams out, “They are like a disease spreading through the whole country.” This dialogue creates an image inside of their head that is similar to the image of what the people think about communism; an image of an unknown pod or idea spreading across the nation converting everyone into some type of inhuman enemy. This image is the connection of communism to the movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers, creating a more frightening film to the American people, who were already afraid of a different lifestyle.
Critics like John Whitehead agree that Invasion of the Body Snatchers do fit the Communist metaphor saying:
The alien pod people perfectly fit McCarthy’s profile of Russians and, not coincidentally, American schoolteachers. The Soviets were considered ice cold, outwardly peaceful but very authoritarian and emotionless. Many Americans even considered Russians a different species who, because of their disbelief in God, were soulless and wanted to destroy Americans or turn them into Communist clones. (Whitehead 3)
The connection to communism is unmistakably seen in the movie, even though the producers did not intend to represent the two political views. This unintentionally act can be noted by a critic, Whitehead, when he quotes the editor of the movie Al LaValley. Whitehead writes, “If the pods in Invasion seem to incarnate the popular image of a communist totalitarian state, it is only because the government-dominated, bureaucratic, and conformist fifties was itself creating an America like this picture of Soviet Russia” (Whitehead 5). They produced a science fiction horror movie dealing with alien pods taking over earth, which is a common theme in science fiction movies; however, the audience of America took the horror to a next level. They viewed the film as representing their present day fear of Communism spreading through America. The connection they saw in the movie with reality caused their fears to grow. McCarthyism supporters were consumed in this fear to the point where it disrupted their lives. People went to the lengths of making everyone sign a loyalty petition to prove they were “good” citizens and not communists. They even searched within the government. Everyone was skeptical of each other. In the Invasion of the Body Snatchers Miles becomes skeptical of all his friends, because the transformed were indistinguishable from the unaffected people. This mistrust Miles experiences is the same as the McCarthyism supporters felt with society, another parallel characteristic between the movie and reality. The multiple similarities add to the effectiveness of the horror of the movie, and to the growth of the fear within the audiences’ minds.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers intensified the fears that people felt during the McCarthy era, a result that was unintentional by the movie producers. The horror movie frightened its audience through the idea that people could be taken over by a foreign being. Americans were already scared of the spread of Communism, so they were already vulnerable to the idea of an emotionless, controlled society. This horror movie achieved its purpose of scaring the American people through its theme of aliens invading people, but unintentionally it did connect to the paranoia in the situation of that era, McCarthyism versus Communism.
Works Cited:
Whitehead, John W. "'Invasion of the Body Snatchers'-A Tale for Our Times." Gadlfy Online. November 2001. 4 October 2007. www.gadlyonline.com/11-26-01/film-snatchers.html
In the 1950s, there existed a Cold War between America and Russia. During this time, there was a paranoia that Russia’s communistic beliefs were going to inflict on the American society. Communism was an unfamiliar form of lifestyle to Americans, and the idea of change was terrifying to them. They feared their liberty was going to be destroyed by an unfamiliar political power. This fear controlled American’s everyday lives. Some Americans even went to the extent of searching for communists in the government, a time period in the United States referred to as McCarthyism. Invasion of the Body Snatchers was a horror film that was produced during the McCarthy era. The producers did not intend to represent this conflict between McCarthyism and Communism; however, in retrospect, the movie can be viewed as a model of the fear the American people demonstrated. The intensity of horror presented in the movie about the foreign pods taking over humans connects to the real life situation of the McCarthy era. Invasion of the Body Snatchers contains several parallels to the controversy between McCarthyism and Communism by presenting the same paranoia experienced by both the movie characters and the American people.
Communism was a huge concern for the American population. People were frightened by the controlling nature of a communistic society. They did not like the idea of being imposed on by communistic values, because they viewed these values as constricting and horrible. Invasion of the Body Snatchers has a controlling theme similar to the controlling nature of communism. Miles, the main character, and the other characters are terrified of foreign pods invading their bodies and stripping them of all emotion. They did not like the thought of losing their souls. At first they were in denial, because each of the characters could not believe something could actually take over their bodies, changing their personality and physical being. For instance, towards the beginning of the movie the police officer did not believe Miles when Miles told him about Becky’s body/pod was growing in the basement of her house. The police officer was naïve along with the rest of the town. They thought Miles and Becky, who did believe in the foreign pods, were crazy. By the end of the film, everyone realized the threatening situation of pods existing. At this time, horror struck the people living in Santa Mira, the setting town of the movie.
Audiences across America saw the movie. They viewed Invasion of the Body Snatchers as being realistic. The fear they initially had of communism sweeping over the nation grew. They saw their worst fears come to life on the screen, being taken over by a foreign invader that would control their lives. Critic Whitehead states, “The mob hysteria, the sense of paranoia, the fascist police, the witch hunt atmosphere of the picture certainly mirrors the ills of McCarthy’s America” (Whitehead 1). The idea being vividly presented to them made everyone’s mind stir. The writers of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers do a very good job in intensifying this fear by the dialogue used. In the beginning of the movie a little boy says, “Don’t let her get me,” about his mother. Towards the end of the movie Miles screams out, “They are like a disease spreading through the whole country.” This dialogue creates an image inside of their head that is similar to the image of what the people think about communism; an image of an unknown pod or idea spreading across the nation converting everyone into some type of inhuman enemy. This image is the connection of communism to the movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers, creating a more frightening film to the American people, who were already afraid of a different lifestyle.
Critics like John Whitehead agree that Invasion of the Body Snatchers do fit the Communist metaphor saying:
The alien pod people perfectly fit McCarthy’s profile of Russians and, not coincidentally, American schoolteachers. The Soviets were considered ice cold, outwardly peaceful but very authoritarian and emotionless. Many Americans even considered Russians a different species who, because of their disbelief in God, were soulless and wanted to destroy Americans or turn them into Communist clones. (Whitehead 3)
The connection to communism is unmistakably seen in the movie, even though the producers did not intend to represent the two political views. This unintentionally act can be noted by a critic, Whitehead, when he quotes the editor of the movie Al LaValley. Whitehead writes, “If the pods in Invasion seem to incarnate the popular image of a communist totalitarian state, it is only because the government-dominated, bureaucratic, and conformist fifties was itself creating an America like this picture of Soviet Russia” (Whitehead 5). They produced a science fiction horror movie dealing with alien pods taking over earth, which is a common theme in science fiction movies; however, the audience of America took the horror to a next level. They viewed the film as representing their present day fear of Communism spreading through America. The connection they saw in the movie with reality caused their fears to grow. McCarthyism supporters were consumed in this fear to the point where it disrupted their lives. People went to the lengths of making everyone sign a loyalty petition to prove they were “good” citizens and not communists. They even searched within the government. Everyone was skeptical of each other. In the Invasion of the Body Snatchers Miles becomes skeptical of all his friends, because the transformed were indistinguishable from the unaffected people. This mistrust Miles experiences is the same as the McCarthyism supporters felt with society, another parallel characteristic between the movie and reality. The multiple similarities add to the effectiveness of the horror of the movie, and to the growth of the fear within the audiences’ minds.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers intensified the fears that people felt during the McCarthy era, a result that was unintentional by the movie producers. The horror movie frightened its audience through the idea that people could be taken over by a foreign being. Americans were already scared of the spread of Communism, so they were already vulnerable to the idea of an emotionless, controlled society. This horror movie achieved its purpose of scaring the American people through its theme of aliens invading people, but unintentionally it did connect to the paranoia in the situation of that era, McCarthyism versus Communism.
Works Cited:
Whitehead, John W. "'Invasion of the Body Snatchers'-A Tale for Our Times." Gadlfy Online. November 2001. 4 October 2007. www.gadlyonline.com/11-26-01/film-snatchers.html
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
how to have a relaxing camping trip
It’s a beautiful fall Friday afternoon, and you are getting ready for the world’s greatest camping trip ever! Its crisp and sunny, the leaves are crunching under your feet as you load the jeep up with sleeping bags, tents that take an hour and a half to put together, safety equipment, rope, food packed in coolers, and the most important thing, lighter fluid ( a very essential part of very camping trip, seriously, never forget it.) You have our route mapped out, which should always be your first step: picking a state park and how to get there. Secondly, registration is fairly different in every campsite but normally the registration building is located in some sort of wooden building near the entrance of the park. If you get lost, don’t worry! There are park rangers everywhere. This brings me to my next point; never ever bring alcohol in a state park. The beer idea might be fun for awhile until you get kicked out, or set something one fire, or a bear breaks into your cooler and gets drunk. Always remember it is all fun and games until someone gets hurt.
So now that you are registered, we set up camp! This is my least favorite part of the whole camping experience; however it is the most imperative to you. Ok, so you need to pick the most level spot to lay your tent down. Try to avoid the rocks. They are not fun to sleep on. When one builds a tent, lay the tent out first so it looks like the 2-D version of what it will be. Next, assemble the poles, and always read directions! Last, do not forget the steaks. Tents tend to fall down when it is windy and people get stuck. The whole ordeal is not a pretty sight at two in the morning. Nextly, make sure that the food is very far away from the tent. This is just so we avoid contact with nasty bugs, sticky people, and bears. Normally around state parks there are bear boxes to lock the food and used plates in. If there is not, this is what you do. Grab the rope and throw it over a high branch limb. Attach the food bag to the rope and pull to the required anti-bear height. Now that we have the shelter and the food situated. It is time for warmth and lighter fluid!!!!
This is my favorite part and my job when we go camping, I am the fire starter. To build the perfect fire, one must start small. Around the campsite there should be fallen brown twigs. Pick the dry brittle ones. Normally one has to rummage through the dried leaves and pines needles to find them. Make sure the twigs aren’t green. If they don’t snap, do not use them because they will not burn. Take the collected twigs and stand them upright, like a tipee. Then roll up a ball of paper (any kind will do) and pour lighter fluid on it. Place the unlighted soaked paper into the middle of your tipee. Then ignite it and slowly add to the flame while increasing in stick size. Soon you should have a have a blazing fire. You and your friends should than gather round to cook dinner. My family normally makes hobo dinners, which is uncooked steak and frozen potatoes and any other kind of vegetable you would like. Douse it in some steak or hot sauce. Put in foil and then set it by the coals to cook. Never put the hobo dinner directly in the fire. This dish takes about thirty minutes and is easy clean up and yummy, especially after a long day of setting up camp. After dinner equals relaxation time, fishing, Frisbee, cards, and reading are all included in this. Eventually it will grow dark and everyone will gather by the fire to swap ghost stories or make smores (which is just as essential to the trip as lighter fluid.) ghost stories are particularly scary in the woods when its chilly. The stars shine brighter, you cannot see anything but each others faces, and the slightest scampering or snapping of twigs makes people jump and scream. One by one people start moving off to their tents to go to sleep and crawl into their sleeping bags. Then you wake up in the morning and go fishing. See camping in its self is about down time and relaxation. It is about getting back to nature and being with family and friends, just as long as you have the basic necessities to camp, like tents and food, you should be great. The camping experience always creates itself just make sure you bring lighter fluid because it is not fun being cold and hungry.
So now that you are registered, we set up camp! This is my least favorite part of the whole camping experience; however it is the most imperative to you. Ok, so you need to pick the most level spot to lay your tent down. Try to avoid the rocks. They are not fun to sleep on. When one builds a tent, lay the tent out first so it looks like the 2-D version of what it will be. Next, assemble the poles, and always read directions! Last, do not forget the steaks. Tents tend to fall down when it is windy and people get stuck. The whole ordeal is not a pretty sight at two in the morning. Nextly, make sure that the food is very far away from the tent. This is just so we avoid contact with nasty bugs, sticky people, and bears. Normally around state parks there are bear boxes to lock the food and used plates in. If there is not, this is what you do. Grab the rope and throw it over a high branch limb. Attach the food bag to the rope and pull to the required anti-bear height. Now that we have the shelter and the food situated. It is time for warmth and lighter fluid!!!!
This is my favorite part and my job when we go camping, I am the fire starter. To build the perfect fire, one must start small. Around the campsite there should be fallen brown twigs. Pick the dry brittle ones. Normally one has to rummage through the dried leaves and pines needles to find them. Make sure the twigs aren’t green. If they don’t snap, do not use them because they will not burn. Take the collected twigs and stand them upright, like a tipee. Then roll up a ball of paper (any kind will do) and pour lighter fluid on it. Place the unlighted soaked paper into the middle of your tipee. Then ignite it and slowly add to the flame while increasing in stick size. Soon you should have a have a blazing fire. You and your friends should than gather round to cook dinner. My family normally makes hobo dinners, which is uncooked steak and frozen potatoes and any other kind of vegetable you would like. Douse it in some steak or hot sauce. Put in foil and then set it by the coals to cook. Never put the hobo dinner directly in the fire. This dish takes about thirty minutes and is easy clean up and yummy, especially after a long day of setting up camp. After dinner equals relaxation time, fishing, Frisbee, cards, and reading are all included in this. Eventually it will grow dark and everyone will gather by the fire to swap ghost stories or make smores (which is just as essential to the trip as lighter fluid.) ghost stories are particularly scary in the woods when its chilly. The stars shine brighter, you cannot see anything but each others faces, and the slightest scampering or snapping of twigs makes people jump and scream. One by one people start moving off to their tents to go to sleep and crawl into their sleeping bags. Then you wake up in the morning and go fishing. See camping in its self is about down time and relaxation. It is about getting back to nature and being with family and friends, just as long as you have the basic necessities to camp, like tents and food, you should be great. The camping experience always creates itself just make sure you bring lighter fluid because it is not fun being cold and hungry.
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