The alien invasion films of the 1950s exploited the fears of the time to create strong feelings of paranoia, with the ultimate goal of creating conformity in audiences. The films I will be watching are Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Day the Earth Stood Still. An alien invasion film is an aspect of science fiction films in which other life forms from different planets come to earth to enslave, harvest beings for food, steal the planet's resources, or destroy human life. They were popular in the 1950s due to the use of special effects and creative stories. Many science fiction films introduced indirect expressions of concern and anxiety about the communist invasion of America and the possibility of a nuclear holocaust. These fears were expressed in various aspects, such as scientists trying to create a dangerous experiment that often led to the release of horrible mutants, the terrible effects of radiation on a living being, aliens manipulating humans using mind control. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Although both government and private groups discouraged criticism of U.S. policies and expressions of fear over national security during the Cold War, producers of science fiction films were generally left alone by government regulators and groups private individuals who tried to shape public opinion. Controversy over the development of atomic weapons and the potential consequences had been suppressed in public debates and other film genres,2 but could be recast in stories about mutant ants and grasshoppers, pods taking over people's minds, space travel, and destruction nuclear. of civilizations on other planets. By displacing narratives across different times and/or worlds, the science fiction genre satisfied public anxiety about the bomb and communism. In most films, the scientists and/or military managed to defeat the enemy, providing reassurance that these threats could be overcome. In films where destruction had already occurred, the ending offered hope and redemption. Therefore, science fiction films of the Cold War era can generally be interpreted as supporting the idea that Americans would be able to cope with external threats to their security. While details in interpretations vary, most accept that the film is, at least largely, an allegory for the loss of individual autonomy. What is perhaps most curious is that Body Snatchers' supposedly allegorical message has been linked to both ends of the political spectrum: some have read the film as a reflection of right-wing paranoia about communists taking over the American way of life , while others see it as a symbol of left-wing paranoia about McCarthyism. It's natural to read into the film what we know about the 1950s: The national rhetoric of that time was steeped in anti-Communist obsession, and many Americans feared being overwhelmed by an outside force intent on uniformity. Body Snatchers can easily be read as a call to fight the mindless conformity of mass society and the soulless aliens who dialogue like: "Join us: life will be much simpler and better." The film's overall setting in small-town America could easily be anyone's hometown within the country; thus his image seems distinctly American, rather than belonging to a specific region, and takes on symbolic resonance for the country as a whole. But while the film is undeniably a portrait of individualism....