The War of the Worlds (1953) is the first movie I can clearly remember ever seeing, on TV.  I was about five, and a storm killed our power about halfway through the broadcast.  I was sent to bed thinking the Martians were destroying the world, and I was terrified.  Awakening to a bright, beautiful day, I was introduced to the power of the cinema.  I’ve been a huge movie fan ever since.

Having seen this movie so many times, I was astonished when, one day in my teenage years, I noticed that during the prologue of the Solar System, Sir Cedric Hardwicke fails to mention the planet Venus.  My guess is that the screenwriters couldn’t construct a valid reason not to have the Martians go to Venus instead of our Earth, and so just ignored the Mysterious Planet.

For its time, this updated version of the H. G. Wells novel chronicling an invasion of Earth by soul-less Martians is quite dark and brutal.  The Martians know no mercy; their advance is fast, destructive and deadly.  One scientist figures that the Martians can conquer the world in just six days.  “The same time it took God to create it,” another intones.  This religious subtext is present throughout the film, preordaining the miracle that will save Earth at the moment when all seems hopelessly lost.

The human story that precedes the Martian invasion is a bit hokey but I don’t care.  As a leading atomic physicist, Gene Barry gets better and better as the stakes rise.  The sequence in the farmhouse is unforgettable, as Barry and Ann Robinson are surrounded by a nest of Martians.  Byron Haskin’s film displays a great use of color, sound and special effects.  Best of all, it avoids pandering to juvenile elements.  It is a thoroughly adult story about the end of our world, and it is truly fantastic.  My rating:  ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆.  (10:4).