Originally released as a novel in 1955, The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney has been adapted several times for the screen. The most successful and widely known being the 1978 version Invasion of the Body Snatchers starring Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, and Leonard Nimoy.
Film
The film opens in the vast deep space of our universe, where a race of alien creatures are forced to abandon their dying world. Riding solar winds the race of aliens make their way to Earth in hopes to inhabit a new planet, eventually landing in San Francisco. The gelatinous creatures assimilate with whichever they come in contact with, initially plant leaves; one of which is brought home by Elizabeth (Brooke Adams). The next morning her boyfriend becomes emotionally unattached and after seeing a doctor played by Leonard Nimoy the problem appears to be widespread. After some investigation and interesting sequences we determine the alien’s intentions; to replicate and replace human beings. The aliens are only able to replicate humans when they are asleep and once fully formed the original human body turns to dust. The ultimate goal: to replace the human race. Of course this is met to some resistance as the film follows the exploits of a group of humans who try to stop the plot. It proves rather difficult when they realise they can’t determine who is friend and who is foe, leading to its suspenseful conclusion.
What I like most about The Invasion of the Body Snatchers is the change in context from the original. While most of the place remains intact and the characters as well, the focus on the story changes from a communist allegory to a character driven plot. The battle becomes that of the mind; fear and paranoia. To compliment this dark and psychological ambience is an impressive score that really adds to the overall atmosphere of this film that manages to keep you captivated throughout.
While the plot of the story is quite unique I feel that it alone would not have made this a decent film, but instead it’s a combination of several aspects. The cast; all very well suited for their roles, take what could otherwise be deemed as bickering and annoying characters and make them human. The score; ominous and dark this soundtrack gives you a great science fiction vibe and keeps you well involved. But first and foremost I enjoyed the cinematography often consisting of hand held cameras. The inclusion of these scenes made me feel more involved in the film.
What I enjoyed most about this film is the energy it gives. I felt the story is more about us then the characters at hand. The sub context of the film and the thoughts it evokes really take the driving seat and the specific plot seems to be a medium. Sure, some people will see this movie as a glorified Twilight Zone episode; and while it is far from being considered one of my favourites, I feel there is more to it and is worth checking out.
Video
Presented in 1080p 1.85:1 aspect ratio and encoded in MPEG 4, Invasion of the Body snatchers makes its way to Blu ray with an above average video transfer. Considering the film is over 30 years old I was quite pleased. There were of course a few draws mostly regarding the age of the film; but it is more than made up for with sharp levels of contrast and great details. The best of the scenes are in the daylight, and they tend to suffer in low light situations, which do encompass much of the film. This is countered very nicely though with its bright colors and skin tones. I remain very pleased with the overall quality of the transfer, especially considering the age of the film.
Audio
MGM has included a5.1 DTS HD audio track that leaves very little to be desired. The strong point of the audio track has to be within the vocals which are always clearly delivered and emphasized. The channels are all very well utilized and equally used to make for an extremely even channel separation. The sound effects of the film are brought to life, and the musical score performed by Denny Zeitlin comes of extremely ominous and ever present. The audio track of this film is sure to please fans, and I doubt it will be bettered anytime soon.
Special Features
The features of this film don’t offer anything more than the latest DVD release of the film, and taking into account their disappointing nature I’m surprised they didn’t spruce up in this department for the Blu ray release. There are a small scattering of interviews with the cast and crew, as well as a look into the cinematography and sound effects. Like I mentioned before, there is a lot left to be desired in respects to the special features, so don’t hope for anything more than it’s previous release.
- “Re-Visitors From Outer Space, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Pod”
- Practical Magic: The Special Effect Pod
- The Man Behind the Scream: The Sound Effects Pod
- The Invasion Will Be Televised: The Cinematography Pod
- Trailer
Final Thoughts
The concept of the film is quite unique, and is executed rather well. There are of course some draws to the film but for the most part I remain quite impressed. My main complaint is the pace of the film, which at times can drag on but if you stick around it becomes worth the few drawn out scenes. The video transfer on this film is generally positive considering the age of the film, but I was left wanting more. The audio is a shade better than the video and left me quite satisfied. The low point of this disc is the collection of features, which hardly kept me entertained. Still at the end of the day I would recommend this disc for fans of the film, but otherwise I would stick with a rental.
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