Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) Review - By Michael J. Carlisle

Title: Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Year: 1978
Director: Phillip Kaufman
Country: US
Language: English

A spiritual sequel and remake of Don Siegel's 1956 original, Kaufman's film remains the definitive version of Jack Finney's oft-adapted novel The Body Snatchers. The book itself first appeared as a serial in Collier's Magazine in 1954 and expanded into hardback publication. Critics were not receptive to it at first, claiming it lacked originality. Indeed media regarding reds under the bed (the thought that anyone, even your next door neighbor could be a stranger/communist) wasn't new or innovative. Kaufman, thankfully, removed any cold war political subtext for his picture and made the film more alarmingly relevant.

 In San Francisco, a group of people discover the human race is being replaced one by one, with clones devoid of emotion.

When Director Philip Kaufman set out to remake Invasion of the Body Snatchers with screenwriter W.D. Richter for United Artists, he chose his hometown San Fransisco for the setting. This decision was wise, as San Fransisco was the birthplace of Generation Me.  During the then-modern late 70's everyone's own self-involvement was too preoccupying to detect that something horrible could happen around them. The same generation struggled in its search for identity against an urban expansion movement that signified social homogenization. It's a hopeless world for characters whose narcissistic drives make them perfect targets, not unlike our current culture where the individual remains physically isolated yet somehow gratified by social media.

Continuing into the current day, San Fransisco's cityscape has been reshaped dramatically by separated people from one another,  creating physical and social borders. Modern architecture enhances the fetishized indulgence of the Self, to where entire cities look outward at their community with suspicion and confusion, wondering, Who are these people? with an appropriate level of paranoia.Depicting an entire an entire culture bent on self-discovery, but no longer knows who their friends and family are, Phillip Kaufman creates a remarkable analysis regarding North American society starting in the late 70's. 

With a budget of under $3.5 million, and a sizeable portion of that going to the haunting post-production sound FX achieved by sound designer Ben Burtt (of Star Wars fame), Phillip Kaufman relies on inventive camerawork, incredible acting and bizarre writing to get the story across to his audience. Invasion of the Body Snatches is endlessly entertaining.