Did Speilberg Give It A Pacifist Spin? Or Was That In The Original Story
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — War of the Worlds
winomaster — 9 years ago(December 29, 2016 11:39 PM)
What I could not fail to notice is that the story has this theme running through it where everyone that tries to fight back against the aliens, succeeds only in making things worse. The military, the guy in the basement, etc. But in the end, if we just hide and avoid annoying the aliens, the bacteria or viruses in the environment will rescue us.
The lesson they are trying to send to the audience is that its better to be a pacifist. That is an attitude that was running wild in the US right until the Japanese bombed us at Pearl Harbor. Pacifism is a ridiculous philosophy. It is not more noble. It is more selfish. Americans who where spouting pacifist sentiment in the 1930's were saying the world can go to hell in a handbasket, future generations can go to hell. As long as I don't have to pay more taxes to restore order to this worldas long as I or my children don't have to fight.
What I wonder is was pacificism just a feature of the original book? Or was it Speilberg's philosopthy. Or maybe it was Both. Speilberg has made a number of movies about war. But I have to wonder if he has an agendato show all the horror of war and thereby make pacifists of us. If this is the case, he needs to gain a better understanding of the reasons we are compelled to fight defensive wars. No one likes to have to assume this burden. But the alternative is that others make war to solve their problems at the expense of your well being. -
winomaster — 9 years ago(December 29, 2016 11:57 PM)
I just thought to look up H. G. Wells the writer of the original novel. I found this on Wikipedia: " He was also from an early date an outspoken socialist, often (but not always, as at the beginning of the First World War) sympathising with pacifist views"
So the pacifism is in the original book. But perhaps shared by Spielberg.