This could have been an interesting science fiction film : no special effects, no space ships, no flesh and blood monsters. It could have been a tale about contact with beings from another world. Instead, it was made as a Cold War pot boiler, complete with highly principled Americans with religious fervor and evil empire Russians who are not about to tolerate religious worship.
Was it just an accident that the character of the President of the U.S. bears a striking resemblance to Dwight Eisenhower? And the film was made in 1952...the year before Ike became president.
The story had real possibilities, including another scientist (than the Peter Graves character) who was involved in the contact with beings on Mars, which could have made for a thinking person's film about human-non-human communication. While there were very real fears and international conflict in 1952, the producers gave in to the Red Scare and made a period piece out of what could have been a thoughtful movie.
Was it just an accident that the character of the President of the U.S. bears a striking resemblance to Dwight Eisenhower? And the film was made in 1952...the year before Ike became president.
The story had real possibilities, including another scientist (than the Peter Graves character) who was involved in the contact with beings on Mars, which could have made for a thinking person's film about human-non-human communication. While there were very real fears and international conflict in 1952, the producers gave in to the Red Scare and made a period piece out of what could have been a thoughtful movie.