War of the Worlds\' Influence

War of the Worlds' Influence on Independence Day

Two of the most popular science fiction movies over the course of the last five decades are the War of the Worlds, circa 1953, and the 1996 blockbuster, Independence Day. Although almost fifty years separates the two films, anyone who has seen both films becomes quite aware of the effect the War of the Worlds had on the creation of Independence Day. This paper will overview both movies, and then how the predecessor affected the latter.

The War of the Worlds Overview:

The War of the Worlds was an updated movie adaptation of H.G. Wells book of the same name. Heralded as one of the greatest science fiction film of the 1950s, the War of the Worlds won an Oscar for its amazing special effects ("The War"). Although divergent from Wells' book in many places, the movie still holds the same central message.

Martians have come to take over Earth and humankind appears to be doomed. Sinister looking, bowed crescent-shaped alien craft float above the cities. One glowing green eye juts from the top of each craft, firing red sparks and destroying targets at will. Despite using an a-bomb, dropped by a Flying Wing, human weaponry has no effect on the Martian craft ("The War").

In the end, armies of from around the world come together, in a show of global unity, to fight the Martian invaders. Yet, it is not military might that prevails, but microscopic bacteria that kill off the invaders. One by one, the aliens succumb to a bacterial infection from microscopic life on Earth, just as American Indians from long ago were killed off by the thousands when Europeans brought new germs and disease to the New World.

Independence Day Overview:

One July 2nd, communications systems around the world go haywire, by some strange atmospheric interference. The military's finest, at first, believe that the vast quantities of large objects hurtling towards Earth are meteors. However, they soon learn the truth, that they are instead giant alien spacecraft coming to pay a visit (Molin).

An ex-scientist, turned cable technician, discovers that this is not going to be a friendly visit, that indeed the aliens have come to invade Earth. His unheeded warnings come to fruition the following day, when the alien ships begin to obliterate major cities around the world. The military sends up their best pilots, but no amount of human technology stops the seemingly indestructible crafts.

In the end, an alcoholic crop duster joins a rag tag team of volunteer pilots, as the military has depleted their surplus. Using a nuclear weapon, the crop duster sacrifices himself and finds a weak spot on the underbelly of the alien ships. The Americans share this information with military nations around the world, and the Earthlings begin to pick off the aliens one by one. However, it is the cable technician and a lone previously un-promotable Air Force pilot, flying a recovered alien ship, and downloading a computer virus into the mother ship that spells the ultimate downfall of the aliens and saves mankind.

The War of the Worlds' Influence on Independence Day:

Anyone who has watched these two movies can draw immediate similarities. Both are built around the premise that aliens have come to invade Earth, yet, in the end, mankind survives. The most critical comparison of the two movies, faults Independence Day for figuratively stealing the ending from War of the Worlds. Of course in Independence Day the "virus" that kills of the aliens is electronic and not microbial, but the symbolism is simply too obvious.

Just as in War of the Worlds, Independence Day has the nations uniting under the common threat. No longer are national boundaries of relevance, when the fate of the world is at stake. All humankind forget their past differences and band together to fight the evil beings from space.

In addition, it appears that Independence Day echoes War of the Worlds participants' initial responses to the impending visitors. In both movies, at first there are people who are actually excited and happy at first. and, in both movies, this quickly changes as they begin to realize that the visitors are not s friendly (Hunt).