Battle of the Worlds (Blu-Ray Review)
**The Film Detective’s Special Edition of “Battle of the Worlds” comes out Tuesday, August 9. This is a review of not just the film, but the Blu-Ray as well.
I would love to know how “Battle of the Worlds” avoided getting the “Mystery Science Theater 3000” treatment for 60 years. Antonio Margheriti’s sci-fi film feels like it would be right up their lane for skewering, especially in the performance by Claude Rains. At the same time, though, it’s not incompetent like a lot of the films they delivered to the Satellite of Love over the years- it’s just kind of ridiculous, at times. That said, “Battle of the Worlds” is not exactly top tier sci-fi from the era, but it is entertaining to watch, and once again, a good addition for The Film Detective to give to genre fans.
An Italian production, “Battle of the Worlds” tells a story as old as science fiction is- an alien presence is a threat to Earth. At the start, The Outsider looks like a large-sized version of the asteroid in “Armageddon” (or, as film historian Justin Humphreys mentions on the audio commentary, “Don’t Look Up”). There’s more to The Outsider than meets the eye, though, and for that reason, Professor Benson (Claude Rains) is both terrified and fascinated by it. When it first arrives, he hopes to see it destroyed, but as its orbit around Earth commences, he feels as though there’s more to learn about it. Exploring it becomes an option for him; but, as its threat becomes more pronounced to everyone else, that could be deadly.
The low-budget qualities of this film are obvious from minute one, but at the same time, there’s something alluring about this movie in how it approaches the visual aspects of the film. Because of the European locations, this doesn’t feel like a cheap sci-fi film from the States, but something distinctive; in a way, it’s hard to believe any of this is intended to take place on Earth- it all looks like it takes place on another planet. The screenplay and most of the characters are perfunctory, but the production design and cinematography makes this look quite unique for its limitations, as does the use of stock footage for impact.
By this point in his career, Claude Rains was going between celebrated films and B-movies like “Battle of the Worlds,” but it’s a credit to his professionalism that he gives his performance in this film his all, and makes this film tons of fun to watch. He is hamming this up quite a bit, but also in a way where we feel what he is feeling throughout the film. His changing feelings towards The Outsider are palpable, and understandable, which is what makes a performance great. He gives heart and a sense of wonder to “Battle of the Worlds” that, sometimes, the film’s budgetary limitations cannot create.
Blu-Ray Presentation
The Film Detective is really great in not only giving us interesting films to watch, but presenting them in a way that makes us realize that, regardless of how well-known or obscure the film is, it’ll be worth our time. The film is restored from a 35mm print into a 4K scan, and it highlights the film’s unique visuals, from the European locations to the production design to the cinematography by Marcello Masciocchi, which uses color in an otherworldly manner, especially when some of the characters go to The Outsider. The film’s sound mix is wonderful, as well; there’s nothing overly complex about it, but the way it highlights the score by Mario Migliardi, and a unique sound design. For that reason alone, this disc would be worth picking up for genre fans.
I’m of mixed mind on the extras for “Battle of the Worlds.” There are only two features on the disc, but the sheer volume of information in those features is admirable and rich. First up is a brief visual essay on Antonio Margheriti called, “A Cinematic Outsider: The Fantastical Worlds of Antonio Margheriti”. This makes me all the more curious to learn about the director, and watch more of his films, especially one that seemed to inspire Stanley Kubrick in making “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Next up is an audio commentary by film historian Justin Humphreys, who gives the film a tremendous amount of respect, the listener a great deal of information, while also acknowledging the film’s limitations. There’s also the requisite color booklet with an interesting essay for the release- in this case, Margheriti’s World, by author Dan Stradley, which delves more into the director’s life.
Film Grade: A-
Audio & Video: A
Bonus Features: A+
“Battle of the Worlds” is an interesting entry in The Film Detective’s physical media collection. On the one hand, it’s more low-budget and cheap-looking than something like “Flight to Mars,” or “The Dancing Pirate,” but on the other hand, it feels like a more thought-provoking film in the vein of “The Capture” or “Girl on a Chain Gang,” along with giving us a performance by Claude Rains that is worth checking out. If you’re a fan of science fiction, it’s not out of the question to call this essential.
