“From the moment the invaders arrived, breathed our air, ate and drank, they were doomed. They were undone, destroyed, after all of man’s weapons and devices had failed, by the tiniest creatures that God in his wisdom put upon this earth. By the toll of a billion deaths, man had earned his immunity, his right to survive among this planet’s infinite organisms. And that right is ours against all challenges. For neither do men live nor die in vain”
The archetype post-9/11 movie, which is probably better as an artifact than as a movie itself. Man, Spielberg sometimes seems like he has more frame to use than anybody else. The atmosphere(everything is grey, wet and dirty, like ground zero during 9/11), really does evoke a haze of even now what that time period was like. I’ve taken notice that after 9/11 most main characters in action/thriller movies were much less vulnerable (Jurassic Park — DR Alan Grant is a nerdy weak professor who doesn’t know how to fight, Jurassic World — Chris Pratt/Owen Grady is a ripped ex-marine who is constantly carrying a weapon and is super competent). Robbie, the son, screaming and yelling that he wants to go to war and fight these things is probably an eerily portrait to the American pysche at the time, while Tom Cruise, the parent just wants to protect his poor children from the invaders . Thematically its a little weird because like for 80% of the movie the film says “humanity will turn against each other in its time of need” ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ7Pj4qrTCQ) but then randomly does a complete 180 at the ending (saved by a solider) (https://youtu.be/Ck7NepZGA_g?t=300), and the above quote is kind of a metaphor that our innate (goodness, americaniness, guts??) whatever will ultimately defeat our enemies for us.
WHAT IS SUPER INTERESTING THOUGH: This was the first of Two Spielberg films released in 2005, the other one is Munich. If War of the Worlds is Spielbergs American side, Munich is his Jewish side. And oddly, at least compared to this movie, much more introspective , unsure if “Operation Wrath of God” was a good thing or not. As a character in the movie says:
“We’re Jews, Avner. Jews don’t do wrong because our enemies do wrong…
Avner: We can’t afford to be that decent anymore
I don’t know if we ever were that decent. Suffering thousands of years of hatred doesn’t make you decent. But we’re supposed to be righteous.”
I just find it very odd that one film is extremely aware of the moral quandaries of vengeance via military might, while the other really never explores this. Maybe one is a blockbuster and other is awards bait? Maybe he’s trying to just capture the feeling of fear in the time in one , and not the response? What do you think?
