Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)
The archetypal alien invasion infiltration movie, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers quickly became a classic entry into the genre – occupying popular culture with themes that are instantly recognizable, almost 60 years later. Adapted from Jack Finney’s 1954 novel The Body Snatchers by Daniel Mainwaring, and directed by Don Siegel, the film tells of a secret invasion of a small American town. A local doctor discovers that aliens are replacing humans with duplicates grown in pods – although they lack the capacity for emotion and humanity.
The film is a clear statement against conformity and the loss of individuality. Released at a time when fear of communism and McCarthyism was rife in post-war America, the ideas of dehumanization, secret infiltration and vulnerability to betrayal were upper-most in the minds of the audience at the time. As those concerns periodically re-surface, so does the film – with three remakes having been completed to date.
Published: Jul 9, 2014 01:05 pm