Invaders From Mars (1953) – Film Review

Director: William Cameron Menzies
Cast: Helena Carter, Arthur Franz, Jimmy Hunt
Certificate: PG

By Sarah Morgan

If you’re ever offered a chance to watch a film touched by William Cameron Menzies, grab it and don’t let go until the final credit has rolled.

This is the man for whom the title ‘Production Designer’ was created (by super producer David O Selznick, no less), a visionary genius who was behind some of the most stunning movies made from the 1930s to the 1950s. He knew a thing or two about special effects as well, and was no mean producer and director either.

Menzies is perhaps most famous for the futuristic British drama Things to Come, based on an HG Wells story, and Gone with the Wind, for which he won an honorary Oscar. He’s said to have influenced the likes of Brad Bird and John Carpenter, while Martin Scorsese has described him as “genius, [whose] influence was incalculable.”

“Common foe”

Now there’s a chance to see one of Menzies’ most impressive works, 1953 sci-fi tale Invaders from Mars, courtesy of a BFI UHD and Blu-ray release; it is every bit as stylish as you would imagine.

At the centre of the tale is young David McLean, an avid stargazer who spots what appears to be a flying saucer land in the sand dunes near his family home. His father goes to investigate, disappears, then reappears later – but it’s clear he isn’t quite himself.

Other folk, including David’s mother and the local police chief, also seem to have undergone personality transplants that turn them into rather unpleasant versions of the their previous selves. Luckily, a kindly scientist and a doctor believe David is right to be concerned by this turn of events, and work with the military to find out what’s going on.

At first glance, Invaders from Mars appears to be a typical Cold War sci-fi adventure, a forerunner of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, in which good, stand-up, God-fearing, paranoid Americans must work together to thwart a common foe, but stylistically it’s very different indeed, with Menzies adopting odd angles to baffle the eye and give an unsettling feel to the entire story.

“Deeply affecting”

There’s a very good reason for it too, and it’s not just to cover up the lack of budget available to pay for bigger sets and more explosive special effects. Let’s just say that it ends up rather reminiscent of the 1945 British horror classic Dead of Night, and leave it at that – here’s hoping that’s not too much of a spoiler for anyone.

I’ve been told by several people how frightened they were when they first saw the movie as children. This was, however, my first viewing, and I can’t say I was left terrified (the aliens, known as mutants, pronounced mute-ants, are dressed in zip-up green crushed velvet outfits, which spoils things a little), but it is a deeply affecting production, thanks mostly to Menzies.

His work is explored further in the special features, which also include a wealth of interviews with famous fans, as well as Menzies’ granddaughter and Jimmy Hunt, who played David.

Sarah Morgan( Writer )

Sarah Morgan studied film journalism at post-graduate level with the BFI and has been writing about TV and film for PA Media’s newspaper, magazine and new media customers since 1996. She’s also written for a wide range of other publications, both online and in print, including the book Offbeat and Intermission magazine, and is a regular contributor to the Talking Pictures TV podcast. When she isn’t watching movies, she’s collecting and reading vintage crime and horror paperback books or, for her sins, watching her beloved Sheffield Wednesday.

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