Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Synopsis:

Donald Sutherland (Ordinary People) plays a California Public Health Inspector who suspects that people around him are being replaced by inert duplicates.

Reaction & Thoughts:

“We adapt and we survive. The function of life is survival.”

Film remakes are usually considered a mixture of homage, imitation, and blasphemy. They always stir up heated debates among critics, and movie buffs. In 1978, director Philip Kaufman (The Right Stuff and Quills) had the sheer audacity to remake Don Siegel’s (Dirty Harry) sci-fi horror classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956).

Both films were adapted from Jack Finney’s well-regarded novel The Body Snatchers, but while the 1956 movie is considered an allegory of McCarthyism and the witch hunt of the 1950s, the remake perfectly exemplifies the pessimist 1970s. It’s a valid approach, and while most remakes fall short of their expectations, this furbished version of a beloved oldie, in my humble opinion, surpasses the original in many ways.

Although the movie was made with little money, Invasion of the Body Snatchers feels like a quality film all the way from the beginning to the denouement. That’s because Kaufman’s direction is ingenious and efficient. The story is a little on the slow side, but once the horror kicks in, it becomes extremely suspenseful, delivering many blood-curdling moments guaranteed to haunt you for days and nights.

Deliberately paced but never boring, Kaufman and writer W. D. Richter (The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension and Big Trouble in Little China) find the perfect balance between science-fiction, horror and social commentary. They managed to revitalize the old chestnut with vivid new twists and turns. It is also darn scary — it’s a creepy, awfully intense, and almost incredibly downbeat movie.

There is also plenty of humor. The jokes are so cleverly integrated into the story that they never interfere with the movie’s frightfulness. Invasion of the Body Snatchers makes fun of everything from fads to pop-culture to San Francisco hipsterness. The funniest in-joke of all is the casting of Leornard “Mr. Spock” Nimoy, who plays a famous therapist known for promoting healing through release of emotional pain!

Michael Chapman’s (Taxi Driver and Raging Bull) shadowy cinematography suggests urban detachment splendidly. American jazz pianist and composer Denny Zeitlin’s music score complements the eerie sound effects (by Ben Burtt, Star Wars) well, and greatly contributes to the chilling atmosphere that persists throughout the film.

Donald Sutherland is great in the lead role. Brook Adams (Days of Heaven) plays Sutherland’s co-worker and friend. The cast also includes Jeff Goldblum (The Fly), Veronica Cartwright (The Birds) and Art Hindle (The Brood) as Adams’s boyfriend. Actor Kevin McCarthy and director Don Siegel have small roles. Robert Duvall (Tender Mercies) has a particularly sinister cameo as a priest.

Conclusions & Final Thoughts:

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a film that dares to raise some interesting questions about our detached society, and how individuality has been supplanted by collective consumerism. It succeeds in being both relevant and scary. It is safe to say that the movie will remain the definitive version of the Jack Finney story for quite some time, and frankly this is not such a bad thing. The film was remade yet again in 1993 and 2007. Highly recommended! Color, 115 minutes, Rated PG.

Theatrical Trailer: