War of the Worlds (1953) - main battle scene in English (in full)

[@ericjc4979]

By 1953 standards, those special effects are mind blowing!

[@richardlangdon712]

The movie won an Acadamy Award for the special effects.

[@rebeccajames7487]

I only realised the year it was made when I read your comment and had to do a double take! The effects are amazing!!

[@patrickphilip777]

This seems almost 70s level of effects!

[@CNI2063]

It kind of looks like battle of the bulge.

[@stephenbyrne2170]

I'm sure they were.

[@ernesthill4017]

For me, the true measure of any film is: can I watch it repeatedly and still find it entertaining? This is one of those films

[@robsmoviecollection3715]

I love the timing in this scene. The tension builds as the priest approaches certain death. Then he get vaporized and Ann Sheridan screams-immediately "Fire!" and all hells breaks loose! Still a classic!

[@survivorandlover]

Ann Sheridan was played off as the usual weeping hysterical woman .. which was too bad because her role had the potential to be far more than that. And she was so easy on the eyes. The scene of her sleeping made her look angelic.

[@dynestis2875]

@@survivorandlover women wouldn't do much more either besides weeping and screaming in real life anyways.

[@ericoxner326]

"LET THEM HAVE IT!" "FIRE!"I have to hand it to them thou.The army was laying it on them.Saw this as a child.A few days later I saw my very first blimp.I miss took it for the martians.Ran into the house screaming that the martians were here for real!And they are gonna kill us.I was scared out of my mind.Then my parent explained it to me and what a blimp was.Still a good movie thou.

[@ericoxner326]

The army to their credit was laying it on them.If they did not have those force fields .Them might have some some big time damage.

[@mrgobrien]

when this started being shown on british tv the trailer would end at "fire!" - presumably so the surprise wasn't ruined when you then watched the film later.

[@PABeaulieu]

This movie is more than 60 years old and I am still amazed everytime I watch it. I have seen it for the first time in the 1980s, on Radio-Québec, as a 14 years old kid without any real movie culture. As an almost 52 years old man, in 2023, I am as amazed as i was back then, and I can still watch it on a VHS cassette bought in a flea market in 2006... :D

[@karlmark9029]

+P.A. Beaulieu This is what another planet would experience if humanity had the means to travel light years in a practical way, and had developed pan-dimensional blister screens, disintegration heat rays, and antimatter phalanx cannon. In reality, most space faring cultures have grown up, and do not use violence or aggression to resolve problems. That is the present Earth-human way. Sadly, we are immature diaper-babies that scream and throw tantrums.

[@zapkvr]

+P.A. Beaulieu Me too. All the science fiction movies in the world can't touch it for faithfulness authenticity and passion. The day the earth stood still is great but it can be a bit sterile. This is a masterpiece. Gene and Ann are wonderful.

[@qawamity]

+Karl Mark "In reality, most space faring cultures have grown up, and do not use violence or aggression to resolve problems." ... You base this statement upon all of the space-faring cultures you have encountered in real life? In reality, we don't even know if there are ANY space-faring cultures, nevermind if we can make blanket statements about their propensity for violence.

[@XMIR10C]

YOU WATCH TOO MUCH STAR TREK... ANY SPACE FARING CULTURE WILL WIPE US OUT AND TAKE THE PLANET FOR PLASTIC..

[@christhornley1664]

Even if there is advanced, intelligent life in other parts of this galaxy and other galaxies. If Einstein is right and nothing can travel at or faster than the speed of light then we will be forever isolated from one another by the sheer interstellar distances of the cosmos.

[@KlunkerRider]

First usage of what we now call "sheilds" in science fiction history, for 1953 this movie was and this is astonishingly good!

[@okamijubei]

Likely then, that was rare and never thought of before. But in today's science fiction, Star Wars, Halo, Star Trek and other science fiction media widely uses energy shields since those are very practical as a primary defenses.

[@goldencrisp4671]

Well the reason for the force fields was simple, in the book it took place around the 1890s in England and the Martian’s tripods didn’t have shields because modern warfare wasn’t as advanced as it was, as this move takes place in the 1950s in the United States so the weapons that were used in WW2 would’ve destroyed those saucers before they could even fire another shot so the inclusion of the shield was more of a necessity

[@robwalsh9843]

The Martian war machine in this movie was reimagined from a hulking tripod into an effective hover tank.

[@whiterunguard3246]

Azimov’s foundation book from 1942 already had personal and ship shields

[@danieldickson8591]

@@whiterunguard3246 Quite so. This may have been their first use in film, but I don't know enough about sci-fi film history to say.

[@drpapa26]

Amazing sound effects for a 1953 movie.

[@XMIR10C]

YES , INCREDIBLE SOUND ON MULTIPLE TRACKS LAID DOWN...

[@garbageday587]

drpapa26. And video effects too.

[@HappisakVideos]

Won the oscar for best SFX in 1953.

[@michladd24]

It was more than amazing when I first watched it in the 1980s as a child! It was AWESOME!

[@mistreme8341]

They still use the 'Skeleton Beam' sound effect to this day. They banged a steel cable with an iron pipe to make it. So cool!

[@blank557]

Those scenes where soldiers get zapped, scream for a second, and then just become black shadows is so brutally powerful. When the is commander vaporized into a skeleton, then disappears, haunted my mind for days as a kid when I first saw this movie.

[@chazremington8011]

Facts.

[@armorpro573]

Reminds me of when those incinerated by the atomic bombing left their shadows

[@danieldickson8591]

@@armorpro573 Many people watching this movie in 1953 probably had that image in their minds, only eight years after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These Martians are so coldly efficient at killing compared to humans, it makes Man in his technological arrogance feel small and helpless.

[@AlexGarcia-ze4yg]

@@armorpro573 You have to compare this moreso with Independence Day which was loosely based on this 1953 film which was based on H.G. Welles' book.

[@armorpro573]

@@AlexGarcia-ze4yg Yeah I can see that.

[@RCAvhstape]

I saw this movie on TV one night growing up and it scared the shit out of me. That heat ray has made me suspicious of street lamps ever since.

[@Jaymindrew1990]

Helium Road Those Christmas light projectors look similar.

[@Curas1]

Helium Road Hahaha this was supposed to be my post, how'd you copy it before me ? Oh so true. Lol

[@PeterEvansPeteTakesPictures]

My God! Me too!

[@ZuluRomeo]

Funnily enough, in the nuke scene in Independence Day, one of the wrecked streetlamps shown in the night vision aftermath is twisted around so far that it resembles the heat ray from this movie. I wonder if it was a deliberate homage.

[@jakemoore8095]

I remember wanting one of those streetlights when i was a youngling. I thought they looked like these machines. There is just something so iconic about these Martian War Machines even though theyre technically wrong compared to 2005 movie. I still want one of these Martian War Machines.

[@punkrockpub]

One of the Greatest Battle Scenes in Cinematic history!!!

[@jurassickaiju14]

66 years later, and this is still probably the best alien invasion film ever made. Even if it isn't exactly faithful to the source material, the sense of fear and dread and all out _hopelessness_ by the film's climax make it an incredible work of art.

[@richardlangdon712]

I think H.G. Wells would have approved of the updated version.

[@eriknervik9003]

@@richardlangdon712 He would’ve had to. The martians as depicted in the original novel would’ve been slaughtered by World War Two and later era weapons. In the novel they actually kill several tripods but in the Victorian era they didn’t have mobile artillery platforms with crews that can hit moving targets, except in the navy (which kills the most tripods in the book) Now move on to 1953, they have tanks, anti tank rifles, small mobile artillery, and air support. HG wells tripods would’ve been massacred without the shields as plot armor

[@danieldickson8591]

By the end of the movie, Mankind has lost the war. Nothing we did made any difference. The Martians are just mopping us up. All the film's protagonists can do is wait for death. The film asserts we survived due literally to the grace of God.

[@thepeanut2681]

​@@danieldickson8591 well, micro bacteria and shit, but the OG tripods would get smoked in this era, let alone 2005

[@mrcaji4401]

Nearly 70, yes 70 years old. This scene would pass today on effects and the firing noises are brilliant. Prefer this to the later remake but then I'm just getting old I guess.

[@advancedgraphicimagery-ken6795]

One of the greatest films ever made.....

[@brianpaschal7755]

You're exactly correct about that, seriously!

[@Joshua0810]

You're so right! This is one of my favorite movies of all time.

[@alucard624]

Hands down one of the best science fiction films ever made still to this day.

[@sammythesuesarthouse]

@@alucard624 try metropolis ;)

[@gezzarandom]

Yup, three types of film in one, war science fiction and horror.

[@hankmurphy3882]

That deep electronic thumping at :51 is terrifying. I love that sound effect. This movie is an underrated masterpiece.

[@nickmitsialis]

Yes THOSE Sound effects! Especially the heat beam and that 'future photon torpedo' sound. I've remembered them since I saw this on TV in the early 1960s--and it scared the crap out of me as a kid.

[@danieldickson8591]

These aren't the sounds of our guns or artillery or missiles. They're totally new to us, heightening the feeling that mankind is facing a threat like nothing before.

[@eurodoc6343]

Its like an evil electronic heartbeat.

[@junekomarrano2059]

The makers of this flick depicted the Martians as having a pretty good tactical assessment skills. Let the defenders fire first, evaluate their fire power and location, then return fire where needed.

[@genghispecan]

Yes, that's my favorite bit in this scene, watching the Martians hold and survey the resistance around them, then suddenly going weapons free and opening up on the surrounding Marine positions with devastating fire.

[@willwozniak2826]

No shields, these martians would have been toast....

[@ernesthill4017]

On the battlefield, one of the principles one abides by is you don't shoot at something unless you have a reasonable chance of killing it. To do otherwise is is to draw enemy fire down on your own position

[@mrgobrien]

@@ernesthill4017 but they didn't know about the forcefields - but yes the futile continual fire was I think a goof which real soldiers wouldn't do - if your fire has no effect you cease firing and move somewhere else?

[@hisdudeness8328]

@@mrgobrien not enough time. The Martians let the military fire at them for about a minute before unleashing hell. By the time they were even starting to notice the shields, it was too late.

[@INFILTR8US]

This scene scared the hell out of me as a kid. The death of the priest had a profound effect on me. The idea that the universe was indifferent and apathetic towards our culture and beliefs shook me to my core. Haven't looked back since

[@75216garrison]

haven't looked back since when, the film shows that however indifferent the universe may be there is a purpose to everything. even disease which defeats them in the end.

[@INFILTR8US]

That's a good point, however the microbes did not purposefully defeat the martians, they were just doing what nature programmed them to do

[@INFILTR8US]

ha ha just turned 33

[@TheGroundedAviator]

Too be fair though we humans can (and I said can) be no different too each other... sadly.

[@imapotato2349]

Welcome to nihilism

[@CoLeMaWeSoMe]

I’m currently 21, and I saw this movie in a little theater with my mother when I was about twelve. This scene was so vibrant, tense, exciting, and scary that it made me question why movies today don’t have these kinds of sequences anymore. Sure they’ve got action, but this is a fireworks display! You can’t help but watch, it’s a beautiful spectacle of hard work and ingenuity. Some shots, even now, I’m not sure how they pulled off. Those invisible force fields sure are fun to look at.

[@stephenmcguire7801]

There is on line the essay George Pal wrote for the sci-fi mag Astounding. He explains in some detail the many effects created, and some rejected, like the tripod legs which required dangerously powerful electric charges fro Tesla coils. Mentioned in other sources was the rejection of a 3-D process (due to expense) for the penultimate L.A. attack sequence. My! that would have been astounding, esp because it would have been exclusive to those scenes.

[@danieldickson8591]

Today we have slicker technology, but this is an example of Art.

[@jmcsquared18]

2:40 I love how Dr. Forester already had an explanation for their ray. That it stopped meson interactions from binding protons to neutrons, thus separating atoms into nothing but subatomic particles. Very cool to include the science in with the sci-fi.

[@isaacclarke4259]

So, from my understanding, the heat ray device and quantum disintegrator weapons, literally gutted, ripped, and tore atoms apart. Down to the atoms most basic components. Quarks? If I'm not mistaken.

[@williamfleishman178]

Dr. Forester obviously missed his calling as a Star Fleet science officer.

[@ste309w]

@@williamfleishman178 I'm surprised he didn't suggest reversing the polarity of those 105mm HE shells. One thing I've learned from watching Star Trek, is that usually does the trick in this kind of situation.

[@williamfleishman3750]

@@ste309w Don't forget the 3 inch guns on the Shermans. I wonder what idiot decided a Sherman tank should go up against an alien fighting machine.

[@ste309w]

@@williamfleishman3750 the stock footage officer.

[@cthompson5518]

For 1952 or 53 special effects, this looks great. Way ahead of it's time for sound and visuals. Looks as good as 25 years later when Star Wars came out.

[@Scifogon]

1953.

[@thederekduvallshow4806]

You should see what Criterion did. Looks so beautiful you could cry. Masterpiece.

[@Big73Bang]

This was mind blowing for me to watch in the early 80's when I was a kid. Even the concepts depicted here hold up now against modern movies of similar subjects.

[@jdewitt77]

It's amazing how well this movie holds up so many years after it was made.

[@danieldickson8591]

The film craftsmen who made this movie were true artists. The brilliance of their art transcends technological advances, making it timeless.

[@PanzerMecha]

"They killed a priest! That's it, OPEN FIRE!!"

[@JBMSTRIKER71]

right

[@davecrupel2817]

Matt Kowaleski Aliens: "Where is your god, now?" rrrrrrrrrrRRRRRSSSSSZZZ _ZZZSHHHHEEWWWW_ *PEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEW*

[@Crrrow]

that and four locals and a police officer. The US Army was in full right to fucking carpet bomb their asses.

[@Crrrow]

I still have to say i think this... D Day in saving Private Ryan.. The battle of Hoth in the Empire Strikes back.. Have to be some of the most amazingest battle scenes of 20th century Cinema, They didn't have any of the shit we have now, back then when they did this fight scene they worked with what they had. Everyone involved with this movie had real conviction and this is why i consider it to be one of the most culturally relevant films of the era. This was the first real "Alien Invasion" movie.

[@MsXizan]

PASTOR, not a priest.

[@RW4X4X3006]

They can shove CGI where the sun don't shine. This film keeps on, keepin on!

[@MalcolmBrenner]

It was the result of George Pal’s low budget and the cumbersome Technicolor cameras, which wouldn’t film in slow motion! This sequence is some of the best special effects of 1950’s technology, the other being the Monster from the Id attack in “Forbidden Planet”!

[@danieldickson8591]

There's something substantial, tangible, about the "feel" of real props and sets, that CGI still can't capture.

[@RW4X4X3006]

@@danieldickson8591 With modern cameras and equipment, and a lot of skill (which is certainly the main attribute here) they might be able to pull it off. CGI has removed the craft from the craft.

[@jurassickaiju14]

Maybe it's just because of the generation I was born in, but I really don't see anything inherently wrong with CGI. Doesn't mean I don't think what I see here is impressive. I'm perfectly fine with CGI, but I won't deny that I like the tangibility that practical effects bring.

[@RW4X4X3006]

@@jurassickaiju14 Inserting CGI here and there is all good. They can do some awesome things with it. But to base an entire film into it - Just lame.

[@chrisaguilera1564]

This content has a viewer discretion warning? The sound effects of the war machines are still some of the best visuals ever put to the screen.

[@Easy-Eight]

I suspect it has a warning because it shows a Christian in a positive light.

[@Thee6the18oth61onth]

@@Easy-Eight More likely when you hear the screams of the soldiers just before they are vaporized.

[@Easy-Eight]

@@Thee6the18oth61onth I sell sarcasm detectors for $99.99 each. Please leave your debit card number, full name, and three digit security code on the reply.

[@wyomingwindage135]

"Let em have it!" *"FIRE!!"* That part to me is so freakin awesome. Loved this movie since the day I saw it.

[@bisembert]

Utterly brilliant movie for 1953...I always put the volume high in order to enjoy the awesome sound effects. .

[@octaviogarcia6959]

I remember watching this on TV as a 5 year old kid back in 1998. This movie completely blew my mind! Good times.

[@geoffwilliams4478]

My family had the VHS tapes of this and I watched it a lot as a kid back in the EARLY 90's.

[@warriorsorb1111]

I was 6 when I saw this. Funny enough it was this scene I walked in on (my dad was watching it at the time) and I went "COOL" from watching the war machines open fire and I sat down and watched it. I'm 30 now and I still love this movie

[@Monsterboy2341]

I swear the heat ray sound effect is a total eargasim to me.

[@pr9383]

It's somebody banging a suspended steel cable. They tune it just like a guitar string. They speed up or slow down the recorded sound too. They still use that effect today. It's super effective! Hope I didn't ruin your eargasm!

[@ericoxner326]

@@pr9383 Your right I have heard it used in other shows.Filmation and hannabarbra used it in cartoons they made.Even heard it in transformer cartoons.

[@kyokogodai-ir6hy]

The skeleton beam is the same sfx used for photon torpedoes in Star Trek TOS. This movie is so incredible, yet you would be hard pressed to find a yoot who would sit through it.

[@gregbernstein6430]

Two hauntingly beautiful sounds; one from snakehead(the red death ray), and the green death rays, one sounding just as beautiful; as the other!!

[@TheGreatLlamaJockey]

Agreed that’s some damn good sound design for the 50s

[@josephastier7421]

*Priest:* "And I shall dwell in the house of the lord forever" *Martians:* "On your way then!"

[@MalcolmBrenner]

Joseph Astier LOL!

[@eric777100763]

It wasn't a priest it was a Protestant minister.

[@keithlange2573]

The Mor-Taxans/Morthren killed a pastor? That was low.

[@thecheeseman6898]

They where just trying to help

[@ErykaSoleil]

@@eric777100763 Good catch, thanks for the reminder.

[@mpw1986]

Some interesting trivia, the martians where supposed to be in tripods, but the special effects at the time made it to expensive and not very believable, the actor who played the col who gets vaporized had to sit still for a good 20 minutes to archive the effect. All the army scenes where done at the National guard training base in mew Mexico.The movie still holds up well even today!

[@teutonicknight9417]

As a ten year old boy fascinated by Sci-Fi and anything “outer space,” watching the original War of The Worlds for the first time was practically a life-changing event. The sight of these awesome Martian Warcraft rising from the pit was beyond amazing! As Dr. Forrester alluded to, they gently elevate and maintain a fixed altitude with barely-visible, anti-gravity magnetic lines. And then they SLOWLY advance forward, instilling awe and wonder (note the mood-setting score during that particular scene from 0:00 to 0:53). But then, wonderment shortly morphs to terror, what with their ominous looking manta ray-like shape, the sinister “cobra head,” and those chilling, UNNERVING SOUNDS they make! After the Martians incinerate the town pastor (a Man of God!), all hell breaks loose as the U.S. Amy unloads everything it has at these invaders. The enemy, protected by their electromagnetic bubble shields, at first look around with contempt at these pathetic armaments. After apparently asking themselves, “That’s all they’ve got?” the Martians unleash THEIR terrifying weapons: the cobra head heat ray, and the phenomenal green plasma pulses that vaporize their targets. To a ten year old boy, this battle scene becomes an instant classic, and holds up very well after some seven decades! The imaginative creators of these death Machines from Mars hit it completely out of the park for the 1950's. It’s really hard to envision any other hostile warship from another world than the ones which appear in this film classic. But, we’ve been holding back. We have our “Secret Weapon;” the one which will undoubtedly destroy these advanced extraterrestrials once and for all. So we drop the ultimate annihilation: a thermonuclear H-Bomb on their initial “nest”. When the mushroom cloud and smoke clears, the field commanders radio the forward observers: “What do you see?” Their stunning reply: “They haven’t even been touched!” Now the military is truly dumbfounded; no earthly weapon can defeat the superior technology of the Martians…it appears to be Game Over for humanity - TILT! So the Martians proceed to destroy our cities for days on end. And they continue to wreak destruction until the exact moment that they hit a church where people have been praying. At the very moment they attack a house of God, their war machines begin to fall to the ground, as they die from breathing in deadly microbes that we are immune to. We are thus saved by the “littlest things” that cannot even be seen, despite all our massive firepower and nuclear bombs. This is RICH!

[@calanon534]

Your summation of this classic masterpiece of film-making is succinct and wholeheartedly agreed with.

[@danieldickson8591]

While I always found the acting and dialogue often stiff and stilted, visually and thematically the movie is pretty compelling.

[@2msvalkyrie529]

I'm ashamed to say I only discovered the genius that was H G Wells recently . For lack of anything better to do I started listening to an audiobook of WOTW . 5 minutes in I couldn't stop listening .! I was spellbound for almost 3 hours by a book written in 1897 . So, basically , at the age of 49 despite being well read and supposedly intelligent. This film is magnificent but if you enjoyed it find out more about the guy who wrote it . ( And The Invisible Man and the Time Machine amongst others. ! )

[@gezzarandom]

Humanity wasn’t beaten yet, they were working on a biological weapon, having failed to breach their defences.

[@gangstagamegangstagame4467]

@@2msvalkyrie529 yeah the book is much better then the films

[@robwalsh9843]

By far one of the best conflicts between humanity and an alien military in sci fi movie history. You really get a sense of hopelessness in this movie. The Martians are just too powerful.

[@themagus5906]

Yes...that's why the movie ended the way it did. We needed a divine intervention, and it happened. Thank God; He wanted us to live and go on.

[@reidmason2551]

The bit at 1:29 where the snake-head cannon just looks around at the army is one of my favorite special effects scenes in any movie. You can just feel the contempt the Martians have for their opposition. It's amazing how they were able to give these ships so much personality with both design and effects wizardry. And I really, really dig the action in this scene. Even techniques that should feel dated, like the repeated overlays of the snake-head and the wing tips of the ships over the army footage, serve to make this battle creepy and unnerving. Unlike the Spielberg movie, where we never got to see any real action scenes or even a decent view of the tripods, the airships in this movie not only get tons of money shots, but they get to kick some serious ass. This movie didn't skimp on the action at all, or on freaky moments like the soldier burning alive. I think that's one of the reasons this movie holds up so well. Even for 1953, this is a brutal film. As for Reverend Collins...you can tell by the Psalm quote that he knew he was more than likely going to die. But he clearly felt that risking his life for a chance at peace was worth it, so props to him for having major cojones.

[@SILVERCAMARO999]

I know they did a heck of a Job, u can feel the opposition of the martians in retaliation. The coolest Battle scene here!! Nice lookin Red on your Arm there Reid. Say Hello 4 me.

[@DrownedInExile]

Agreed. It could also be a deliberate tactic by the Martians, to help induce terror and hopelessness in their enemies. Though I don't agree that we saw too little of the Tripods in Spielberg's version. If anything, we saw too much of them. They were too showy and over-designed. 1953 Tripods, there's something so creepy and menacing about them. The only thing I wish, is that the film followed the book where the Army was able to destroy one or two enemy Tripods, showing they aren't indestructible.

[@geoffwilliams4478]

No argument from me on that

[@ZuluLifesaBeech-]

@@DrownedInExile Respects to the gallant crew of the HMS Thunder child and Her Majesty's Horse Artillery.

[@rowlandbuck2703]

So nice to see this remastered. When I was a kid you could barely tell it was color through the broadcast lol

[@standingstone777]

It cost $2m to make and won an oscar for it's special effects. A lot of work and skill went into this movie, even down to re-creating real street scenes in Los Angeles in miniature.

[@Timbrock1000]

EXCEPTIONAL VISUAL AND SOUND EFFECTS, EVEN BY TODAY'S STANDARDS. No CGI, no green screens, no lasers, no synthesizers, no digital anything. Just pure old fashioned creativity and good cinematography.

[@reidmason2551]

There are bluescreen shots of the ships in the final rampage on Los Angeles. They were mostly saved for scenes where Gene Barry had to be in the same shot as the ships.

[@Martinsleep]

These effects are so good, i need to watch this film.

[@DrForrester87]

I love how Sylvia tenses up the moment the colonel blurts out "who's that?" She knows immediately who they're talking about and what he's doing. Gotta give him props. He was willing to give peace one more chance. Shame the Martians weren't obliging.

[@danieldickson8591]

Real men of peace are among the bravest of us.

[@charleswest6372]

Horrified me as a kid. Hope we never meet such aliens

[@keithlange2573]

The More-Taxans didn't give a damn about peace. They wanted our world, and we were vermin in the way.

[@DrForrester87]

@@keithlange2573 Clearly. Worse if you go by the novel.

[@keithlange2573]

@@DrForrester87 Where they used us as food?

[@olternaut]

Man I loved this scene. The alien ship design and weapons are much better in my opinion than the Tom Cruise version. Absolute slaughter!

[@ameliaarroyo4516]

I personally love both this one and the 2005 version but the 1953 is still by far my favorite of the two. It's got this certain charm to it and the graphics were outstanding for the '50s!

[@EhWotWhy]

No CGI it was all physical models, pyrotechnics and camera tricks. No computers at all.

[@JohnPMitten]

It doesn't need the noisy effects of today's non-actors. The actors of my day were the effects. They were such good actors compared to Tom Hanks.

[@WHOARETHEPATRIOTS475]

@@JohnPMitten actually I think if tom hanks was alive when this movie was being filmed it would've been a greater movie

[@ericoxner326]

After the war it was found out.The government had shipped then some new coke to mars.In stead of coke cola classic.They took it as an act of war.

[@danieldickson8591]

@@WHOARETHEPATRIOTS475 Tom Hanks is a great actor by any era's standard. But the cast in this film aren't its high point. Most of their acting is pretty wooden. Except for ol' reliable Les Tremayne as General Mann, the very embodiment of American steely-eyed determination.

[@dinomate01]

I loved this movie :) The Special Effects were years ahead of their time

[@rhenvao2844]

Martian 1: They're shooting at us. Lemme kill them! Martian 2: Not yet. We only need to wait and assess where they're firing from. They can't touch us. Martian 3: Those are a lot of guns. Martian 1: Now can I shoot them? Martian 2: I've tagged their positions. Weapons free.

[@NorthernNorthdude91749]

Martian 3: Native weapons impacting shield. Power loss nonexistent. Martian 1: Native armored vehicle. Firing! Martian 2: Good kill, hostile vehicle atomized. Shift fire to infantry.

[@davidwillard7334]

Martian 1 HOHH ! HOOHH !! HOOHHHH !! The humans ! Turn Red ! then into Black Dust ! Lower Rays intensity Levels , to Fire level , Which looks like a human looking position ! Ahead ( The Command post ) Martian 2 and 3 understood ) Martian 1 Fire when Ready

[@melshorse]

After all these years, still the greatest si-fi battle sequence ever produced.

[@danieldickson8591]

I would rank a few others with it, but in depicting a modern military against greatly superior technology, IMO it remains unmatched.

[@NeilPower]

Sometimes you just can't beat practical effects. Love how the army threw everything at the Martian machines but it was like trying to stop tanks with arrows and rocks.

[@richardlangdon712]

Still holds up today. A real masterpiece and classic.

[@indigenoustruthspeaker3129]

This is the greatest sci-fi film ever with this special effects in the sound effects it makes any sci-fi fan should definitely buy War of the Worlds 1953 and also should buy War of the Worlds 2005 at the end of the film to get me a list of the two original actors of the 1953

[@joshs4594]

Those war machines are still the best alien vessels in sci-fi films. The design looks more other worldly than others. Well ahead of its time.

[@richardlangdon712]

Funny thing is they didn't have the budget to design and build a mechanical tripod that was described in the original story. So instead, they came up with a futuristic manta shaped tripod that levitated on magnetic legs which was way ahead of its time and made the movie the success and classic that it is.

[@GoGojiraGo]

@@richardlangdon712 What's cool and a missed opportunity is that Ray Harryhausen had dome some test footage for a WotW movie idea using stop-motion animation of the Martians as they were described in the book, tentacled blob creatures. Much as I love how this turned out imagine if Harryhausen had done stop-motion Tripods and Martians for the film.

[@eurodoc6343]

Many comments on how amazing the visual effects were for the time and how well they still hold up. Equally impressive to me is the work of the foley artists, which has none of that cheesy theramin sound that was so frequently used in 50s sci-fi. That sound particularly of the main energy weapon warming up is just terrifying.

[@hammerheadshark5321]

Who else likes this one better than the 2005 version?

[@MrBasildonboy]

As do I.

[@jojobon3213]

Me as well

[@Selica76]

I do! :-)

[@starwarsunfiltered7848]

Most of the internet. I'll tell you this, though. The 2005 version is an underrated movie. Flawed, but still filled with excellent scenes and acting. Give it a rewatch.

[@DaRkLoRdZoRc]

@@starwarsunfiltered7848 Thanks for saving me the time typing a much longer version of this comment.

[@TheStumyu]

KZbin community has flagged this as inappropriate or offensive... to whom? FFS This is amazing!

[@danieldickson8591]

IMHO this is still the best depiction on film of a modern military pitted against greatly superior technology. These Martian war machines aren't just beautiful and frightening, they look truly alien, not like something a human would design.

[@ryanb7649]

My favorite part of this movie is just before this...when the first machine slowly rises up out of the crater while that ominous music plays.

[@Moronvideos1940]

This version is absolutely the best. It won many awards and thanks for the wonderful upload

[@JRFrancisco20088]

Cool battle scene. Pretty graphic for 1953.

[@darkstardavros]

Still one of the gnarliest alien Vs mankind battle scenes I've ever seen. Even 70 years later it still stands up as one of the best there is. I believe that it got an academy award for best special effects. I'm not surprised. Scared the bejeezers out of me as a kid and still makes my blood run cold even now.

[@HalfLifeExpert1]

To this day the moment when the order is given to fire gives me chills

[@burtonwilliams5355]

My father was in Korea -- pounding out rounds from a 105 and 155 - and he could never watch this movie.

[@georgecramer5276]

I remember first seeing this movie back in the mid 60s when I was 7 years old . Man me and my cousins were glued to the TV that Saturday night. The movie had us captive with its special effects for that time.I miss those days.

[@robertflores4537]

Well, yes the 1953 film actually had the BATTLE, whereas 2005 film skipped most of the battle really

[@TheNotverysocial]

+Robert Flores The 2005 film's military tried to hold off the tripods until the civilians escaped. Many were too dense to take their chance and run. Both movies ultimately fall short of the book where they actually get their "Awesome" moment.

[@roompang]

Robert Flores No, they did had A battle scene

[@keithode1737]

There was no battle scene even approaching this in the 2005 version. That always pissed me off.

[@Tebok73509]

Keith Ode Yeah. The remake focused on a family - The dad and his two kids. It was from their point of view while the original focised on the government and military trying to stop the invasion. There was a small battle scene in the remake but nothing big. 😭

[@PrehistoricLEGO]

I guess Spielberg didn’t want to top this one

[@mickypoo4622]

As the alien ship sees the defenceless priest approaching and descends towards him there is the change in its sound which quickly becomes a louder and more rapid pounding that is just the epitome of approaching and unstoppable evil. It never fails to fill me with a feeling of inevitable doom.

[@XMIR10C]

so many effects going on here - death ray, martian shield, army attack

[@VancouverTVGuy]

Two types of death ray, in fact - the red one from the periscope and the green ones from the wingtips of the Martian machines, while the electromagnetic shields resembled glass domes.

[@CLASSICALFAN100]

And, in 1953, it would be 30 more years before the 1st personal computer was rolled-out. That's right, the old-time IBM-PC! Special effects took WORK then...

[@eazystreet5507]

In the end it was Trump that destroyed the Earth.

[@xaenon]

It's worth noting, too, that the Army shots were not special effects. Stock footage and standard film footage, mostly, aside from where the Martian death rays were involved.

[@josephkearney9319]

The Marines were portrayed by the Arizona National Guard and the sequence was filmed during an actual live fire exercise. The exercise was exclusively for use in the movie.

[@Diomedes01]

An absolute classic. Amazing effects considering it was 1953. I still remember watching this for the first time in the 1980s when I was young and being just amazed. One of the first of the new wave of science fiction movies that were not the 'B movie' type that normally existed in that time. Another great classic is Forbidden Planet.

[@sidneyfrederickson3941]

Wells's book was a critique of European Colonialism "This is what happens to less developed cultures when Europeans invade, You bring weapons they have no defense against, crops that ruin their environment and diseases that wipe out people and animals." "Forbidden Planet works because it's an adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Tempest."

[@SNATCHYDBS]

The Voice of the Priest calm and Peacefull the tension builds as we all know he walks to his death.... yet atill he walks forward in utter clarity .. a great scene for a movie 60 years old " it still quite scary and a classic sci fi .. Im glad its still got the same effect and impact it had the forst time i saw it as a child. .. the sound wffects are glorious for such an old movie. 👍💯👍the boom boom ray gun is amazing ..

[@McdonaldsInFallujah]

Awesome effects, I never knew they had these effects back then

[@TricksterDa123]

This is just a guess, but I think George Pal, in 1953, was both trying to differentiate his film from, and build upon, the famous Orson Welles 1939 radio broadcast, which would have been within the living memory of most of the adults who would have gone to see his film upon its release. The "white flag scene" where the three civilians try to make first contact with the Martians is kind of an anagram of the "first sighting" in the radio broadcast in which a reporter describes a group of policemen approaching one of the machines with a white flag only to have a heat ray obliterate everything in sight. The destruction of Los Angeles in the 1953 film is also inspired by Welles' broadcast in which a blow by blow description of the machines' inexorable march across New Jersey toward New York City convinced millions of radio listeners that an invasion was actually occurring. The country in 1939 was fighting its way out of a Depression, and Japan and Germany were invading China and Poland, respectively. War looked imminent everywhere and people were frightened. In 1953, the US was mired in a seemingly endless war in Korea against "Godless Communism," and Stalin had eastern Europe in an iron grip. The West was scared to death and atomic war seemed imminent. When the priest is killed early in '53 version by the soulless machines it is like a metaphor. The quote from Welles' novel that the Martians were slain by "littlest creatures that God, in His wisdom saw fit to put on this earth," is used in both the '53 and 2005 versions and appears in roughly the same place in both films. In '53, that quote reminds us of the power of faith and how it separates us from the faithlessness and evil of tyrants (Communists) and in 2005 it reminds us that not even science, intellect or the cool efficiency of modern technology can account for some of the unexpected mysteries of life. Steven Spielberg saw George Pal's version in the movie theaters as a little boy and when he made his version, like Pal did with Welles, Spielberg both tried to differentiate his film from Pal's while building upon it. He may have hewed a little more closely to the novel, but he also found the story a perfect vehicle for addressing his own issues concerning father-son relationships, something he has done in a few of his past films. Finally, let me add my own two cents about the special effects in the 1953 version: I was eight years old that year. I saw the film on the big screen. It thrilled me and frightened the daylights out of me at the same time. But, my younger brother and I begged our big sister to let us see it again. I can tell you young people out there that, prior to 1953, those special effects did not exist in films. The sound, the miniatures -- no one had ever seen anything quite like it before. The movie raised the bar, like King Kong did 20 years before, like Hurricane did in 1939. Pal's version has lasted because it was a groundbreaker, and a lot of SFX people will tell you that much of what we enjoy today even in the realm of CGI would not necessarily have been possible were it not for visionary producers like George Pal and the teams of creators they brought around them. H.G. Wells wrote a timeless novel in the late 1890s, and the fact that three different artists in three different generations from 1939 to 2005, have been inspired to retell that story in two different mediums to powerful effect is a true testament to the power of artistic vision.

[@guilhermehank4938]

TricksterDa123 perfect

[@TheOmegaVision]

The "white flag scene" comes from the original book, where the narrator's friend Oglivy and some other astronomers approach the Martian cylinder with a flag symbolizing peace between worlds and are the first to be incinerated.

[@Dannyvegas1701]

Who flagged this as inappropriate. It's a battle scene from a sci-fi film made almost 70 years ago. What's offensive about it?

[@chrisbearden3796]

Exactly some idiot probably got offended by something in it.

[@AtomicFire1972]

Odds are that it was trolls. Or KZbin's shitty algorithms working their "magic" again.

[@fabianmonge6765]

I think they are offended cause the Martians killed the Pastor

[@bobbob-sv4mk]

Let em' have it! That's how you give an order! Fire!!! That's the face you gotta make when you say it

[@Quick-Silver206]

Perhaps Sgt. Johnson of Halo 2 referenced this scene when he said "Let 'em have it!"

[@tedthesailor172]

Even today, you couldn't better the tense drama and wonderful conflict editing of this scene...

[@mariosalinasjr.9234]

Have any of you ever notice that the classics are always better than the remakes.

[@SuperGman117]

That's because of bias. I've written another comment explaining it.

[@SuperGman117]

***** I've only complained about the things in this scene, grow up.

[@pulsar235]

Sorry but in this case, the 2005 War of the Worlds is way more original than the 1953 version. We have to stop saying that classics are always better than remake (although 2005 wars of the worlds was not really a remake of this movie), indeed some remake are better (sometimes even way better and more accomplished) than the classics although I must admit that it's not common. The 2005 version offered an original and singular atmosphere that you can't find in another apocalyptical movies.

[@petercampi2840]

Except for: The Thing from Another World (Remade as The Thing, 1982) The Fly (Remake 1986) The Blob (Remake 1988) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Remake 1978) Fantastic Voyage (Remade as Inner Space, 1988) Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (Remade as Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 2011) Battle for the Planet of the Apes (Remade as Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, 2014, extended to War of the Planet of the Apes, 2017) The Mummy (Remake 1999, also the 1959 remake was good too)

[@AfterYourSalami]

Mario Salinas Jr. I like the old one to

[@stevenray8737]

0:55 is how Super Metroid fans felt back in 1994 when Mother Brain killed the baby metroid! But seriously, love this film to bits. It must have been incredible back in the 1950s, along with other sci-fi greats such as Forbidden Planet, When Worlds Collide, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms and THEM! The action and performances are so energetic.

[@mistreme8341]

With a simple glass dome used to cover cakes, they created the most effective deflector shield effect ever. It looks real because it IS real! Completely practical. This movie was genius.

[@3rdalbum]

And the way the shield appears and disappears within the same shot is genius. I don't know how they accomplished this with 1950s technology.

[@goatwarrior3570]

Crazy to believe in 2021, but once upon a time, America was capable of producing good movies.

[@Mooncat222]

I saw this when I was 6 years old and that scene with the priest stayed in my memory and the only scene I remembered as my thought then was "It doesn't work" well, LOL I didn't lose my faith altogether - I still believe in spirit and the loving energy we all can tune in to. The new version is very good as well :-)

[@lennysavino5701]

This movie was way ahead of it's time; with visual and sound effects on par with Star Wars.

[@johnalang]

These special effects still hold up today

[@Quick-Silver206]

I think the heat ray looks kinda neat.

[@franthofcoralion444]

Maybe for still good in 80s but certainly not today

[@RW4X4X3006]

Merciless incinerating machines - The meat and taters of you're fucked!

[@rhenvao2844]

I disagree. While not anything special today, they are, indeed, a marvel for the time, which isn't a knock against the film. Some things age well, others don't. But that doesn't mean the effects can't be appreciated for being accomplished with what they had. We could have easily made effects like this today, but back then? Likely not as easily. Same for CGI. Toy Story may not look as good as the stuff we get today, but at the time, it was something special because it was the first full CG animated feature.

[@danieldickson8591]

@@rhenvao2844 There isn't just technology to these effects, there's art. The sounds, the colors, the shapes, the movement, give this scene a power that goes beyond just how slick they are.

[@hankreager244]

Great special effects for 1953 !!

[@TheRealMediaMan]

This scene is amazing. The way the aliens are almost ... evil. They way they seem to almost take offense to the holy man. Her scream with the red lights and command to fire... and all hell unleashed. Phenomenal

[@dojoguitare]

they're not evil, they're indifferent and methodical. Remember: "with intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic"

[@ak9989]

My favorite Scifi movie of all time. Gene Berry and Ann Robinson, were in the 2005 movie, as Ray's in laws, that come out of their home in Boston at the end.

[@paulward4268]

WTF ?? I have something.to say here. I was just searching for War of The Worlds 1953, found this amazing clip, and clicked to view it. And a message from YT came up, informing me that : "THE FOLLOWING CONTENT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE KZbin COMMUNITY AS INAPPROPRIATE OR OFFENSIVE TO SOME AUDIENCES." I'm sorry??? WTF? So I'm basically being told that at this present time (July '22), there are now people in this world who can't handle a pivotal scene from a Classic movie of the '50s? Is that it?? Well what a perfect illustration of the Fxxking Sad and frankly ludicrous level we have sunk to. There are things in this world that warrant criticism - but I never thought I would see it attached to something like an adventure film from my past. Maybe it's time the Martians came back and finished us off after all.

[@ShriekingHyperFixator]

I think it's because a Pastor died or maybe they said a slur ( I haven't seen the whole scene )

[@reidmason2551]

@@ShriekingHyperFixator A pastor gets killed and countless people get burned alive. It's a pretty violent sequence.

[@spiderman170383]

While I liked the 2005 version, I loved this film as a kid, and gave me nightmares. And I still love it to this day. The effects were ahead of their time.

[@hv3926]

I saw the 1st prime time showing as a little kid in the late 1960s and it scared the hell out of me like nothing else before or since. The house scene still gives me the creeps.

[@andrewmorton395]

Same as me

[@xander66644]

The special effects are phenominal in this film. This is 1953!!!! I know some action pictures made within 5 years ago that pale in comparison!

[@BeinMusic]

Awesome

[@janegrey4374]

I was born in 1957 and saw this movie on TV as a very young child. My Dad was a fan of sci-fi movies. This movie did it for me with its special effects. I was mesmerized and have watched the evolution of special effects over the decades. However, this movie is still amazing to watch.

[@xaenon]

Am I the only one who thinks that despite its dated special effects, this film was far superior to the 2005 Tom Cruise remake?

[@3rdalbum]

The energy shield effect is amazing for the time, how the shield only appears when it is taking incoming fire and then disappears again.

[@themagus5906]

Yes, I would guess that the kinetic energy is dissipated into photonic (light) energy, like an EMP. They used the same effect in the Star Trek movies with the "shields". How the Martians projected it (like a clock dome) is anybody's guess. And why would it not be like a cube, or better yet, a geodesic sphere? The Martians did everything in threes; how about a three-sided pyramid at the base, surrounding each war machine? All fun things to think about.

[@forrestgumball]

Damn those Martians actually got so butthurt they demanded an inappropriate video disclaimer.

[@therikerp]

Why is there a disclaimer on this as being “inappropriate or offensive”? This is better than most stuff made today.

[@Focusyn]

Pardon my French, but this movie scared the Heck out of me

[@Laceykat66]

It is the terrific sounds. They are iconic.

[@Bailers426]

French? you goddamn Canadian.

[@mountainman679]

Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus I wonder why? Did the WW2 explosions get to you.

[@mungo9000]

I got a warning that said, "The following content has been identified by the KZbin community as inappropriate or offensive to some audiences." Who the hell complained about this?

[@msluqmanofficial4394]

Graphic violence ?

[@rprince418]

Some snowflake somewhere.

[@leefairclough2852]

absolutely brilliant effects it pioneered the way of making other si fi movies.

[@luthermcgee3767]

I like the Beam that neutralized matter-"Nothing remains." As les Tremaine had stated. Those hit wasn't even able to finish their screams.

[@007Thanos007]

One of the VERY FEW times that I EVER had nightmares watching movies......was when I saw this movie as a kid, where the general gets vaporized down to his skeleton. Very few movies in my entire life ever affected me in the way that that one scene did.

[@jpgiuliotti]

Agreed. This movie (especially this scene) was able to get over on the audience that Earthlings and our vaunted military might were no match for the Martian manta-ray ships. Their menacing look and sound and unstoppable-calculating pattern destruction was very scary when I first saw it and even now for that matter. I totally get that they took liberties with the ship design (flying vs. walking tripods and set the story in the 50s) but man it really worked and didn't diminish the dominance of the Martians at all.

[@ussling]

The man zapped is a Colonel, not a General.

[@stephenmcguire7801]

It took over a hundred matte paintings just to create the effect of the colonel getting vaporized.

[@ussling]

@@stephenmcguire7801 A lot of work, but the old effects are better than modern CGI.

[@kcheznyc]

Love the rough special effects.

[@bentshuang9062]

I didn't know Peter Parker's boss was in the army fighting aliens

[@Godzilla691138MW3]

Bents Huang XD

[@grizzl360]

“Fall back to the command post, while your at it get me pictures of Spider-Man!”

[@dariusgreysun]

Lol I thought the same

[@shortsontap99]

would have been better if you'd have said J Jonah Jameson rather than 'Peter Parker's boss' 🤣🤣

[@bigjosh2517]

“Why isn’t Parker getting pictures of this? He’s fired!”

[@melshorse]

Ater all these years this still remains the superb science fiction battle scene few if any can duplicate.

[@markmccummins8049]

Considering that this was made in ‘53 - masterpiece!

[@odyssey21thcentury41]

greatest science fiction war movie ever made, why there's no movie director of this level working on modern SiFi production today? Are we such a disaster?

[@Rockesb888]

The Priest scene left a lasting impact on me when I watched this movie as a child. I interpret it as you need to fight evil with extreme force, not compassion and forgiveness.

[@markjgaletti57]

Extreme force, no compassion or forgiveness is the only way to fight evil. And that evil today is the Socialist Democrat politician

[@danieldickson8591]

These Martians aren't evil. They're just higher up on the food chain. Evil exists as deliberate denial of and opposition to compassion and forgiveness. The Martians simply lack those qualities. They don't want to cause us suffering, they just want us out of their way.

[@veryinteresting2208]

This scene with the the pastor getting killed made me cry when I was a child. It still does.

[@darthbrooks4991]

1953 and more drama and better effects than most movies in 2019.

[@sammcdonald769]

Total benchmark for special effects, amazing for 1953. 😎

[@thereviewranger4187]

1:30: Tripod 1: "They seem to be shooting at us. Can we shoot them back?" Tripod 2: "Not yet. Let them have a little fun." 20 seconds later... Tripod 2: "NOW!" Tripod 1: "HELL YES! IT'S KILLING TIME!"

[@Mr.SM2939OLD]

The Review Ranger Those are not Tripods those are Martian War machines

[@Mr.SM2939OLD]

Ender Skies Martian War machines has no legs it can fly

[@WHOARETHEPATRIOTS475]

what if it's a fetish on their planet ? Could they be masochists ?

[@Scifogon]

@Nob the Knave Yes, you can even see some white lines under the three holes of the war machines.

[@danieldickson8591]

It's a fun way to express the Martians' sentiments, but I doubt "minds vast and cold" would react that way. I think of them calmly assessing the tactical situation while safely under their protective blisters, identifying the enemy locations, numbers and weapons, before starting to methodically eradicate them.

[@Biggcriddi_the_hedgehog]

0:50 Man all he was trying to do was Communicate with the Martians and the only price he got was a one way ticket to the shadow realm. Martians didn't even give him a chance especially after already being pretty hostile too