Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Cult Movies - Invasion of the Body Snatchers

"The ultimate horror in science fiction is neither death nor destruction but dehumanization, a state in which emotional life is suspended, in which the individual is deprived of individual feelings, free will, and moral judgment."
Carlos Clarens excerpt from An Illustrated History of the Horror Film
Don Siegel's classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) is easily one of the most thrilling and enjoyable sci-fi/horror films ever made. Siegel brilliantly begins his film with a depiction of the sleepy town of Santa Mira as a silly merger of Leave it to Beaver and The Andy Griffith show. Once the viewer feels comfortable with the tame Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) and the goofy town people, Siegel begins to slowly turn the screw. A half an hour into the film you're sweating bullets, mesmerized and horrified. Invasion of the Body Snatchers is pure cinema at its finest. Gorgeous black and white cinematography, brilliantly composed shots, sly editing and a script that has you (gasp!) actually caring about the characters.
The plot concerns the amiable Dr. Bennell who upon returning to his town of Santa Mira notices a bizarre epidemic. His office has been receiving patients who believe their friends and loved ones have been replaced by look alikes. They look, speak and generally act as they once did but seem cold and detached. When the good Dr. Bennell investigates he can't see any surface difference in the community but senses something is amiss.
It's not until Dr. Bennell sees a sickening transforming cadaver at his friends house that he realizes something is definitely rotten in Santa Mira. When investigating his friends greenhouse he stumbles upon the horrible conspiracy. Huge pods are producing people that resemble town folks! As the town folks sleep the pods begin to take on their physical characteristics until they completely erase the original person.
Dr. Bennell and his sweetheart Dana Wynter (Becky Driscoll) soon realize most of the town have been replaced by the sinister pods. The pod people promise a life without pain but the sickened couple plan on running for their lives and most importantly, avoiding sleep. This leads to memorable, tension filled scenes of hiding in closets, cars and caves to avoid the mass of possessed town folks.
The original ending has the half mad Doctor screaming out to passing automobiles "You're Next!" Allied Artists found this ending to intense forcing Siegal to add an ending where Bennell is able to convince doctors and police officers in a neighboring town of the spreading takeover. Both endings I find completely satisfying but after an hour of horror the idea that the humans have a chance to fight back is appealing.

Many studies have been written on the underlying message of the film. Siegel stated in 1956, "the majority of people in the world unfortunately have allowed themselves to become pods, existing without any intellectual aspirations and incapable of love." The film has been described successfully as being a warning again Communism and conformity, two pressing issues of the 1950's.