Compare the contexts of your chosen films.
In your answer you may consider:
Social, cultural contexts (e.g. attitudes and beliefs at the time).
Historical, political contexts (e.g. key events at the time).
Production (e.g. technological, institutional).
In the social context, a notable similarity in Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (Don Siegel, 1956) and E.T the Extra-Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg, 1982) is the repeated use of Point-of-view (POV) shots throughout the film. This places us in the position of the main characters and immerses us in their experience, whether it is what E.T is exploring or what challenge Miles Bennell is facing. When it comes to mise-en-scène, both films are filmed on location. Don Siegel does this for Invasion of the Bodysnatchers because the real locations in real life America make the film look recognisable to the audience, and the audience feel that the film is something that could happen in ‘their neighbourhood’. Steven Spielberg films on location for E.T for the same reason. In E.T, we see normality as a 1980s suburban middle class America, and this is very similar to Invasion of the Bodysnatchers but instead we are shows the perceived normality ofthe 1950s.
On the other hand, there are differences when it come to the overall editing of the two films. In Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, the film is bookended which turns it into a circular narrative (the plot end in the same place it started), and it is divided into a series of episodes by prolepsis. In E.T, there is a majorly linear narrative with continuity editing. Invasion of the bodysnatchers has a more complex narrative, as to hook the audience who want to know what the reason was for Dr. Miles’ hysteria at the beginning of the film in the hospital. However, Spielberg keeps the editing very simplistic in E.T as to cater for the young target audience and make the film easier for them to understand. The two films also differentiate males and females in their own way. In Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, males have a very positive portrayal. There are seen as the protectors, problem solvers and fighters, for example Miles persuading Becky to keep running during the chase, and carrying her when she got too tired. The females, such as Becky Driscoll and Teddy Belicec, are shown to be constantly frightened and weak - damsels in distress. In E.T, there are some clear gender differences, such as the older brother, Michael Taylor, wanting to be a terrorist on Halloween, and Gertie Taylor, wanting to dress up as a cowgirl and also dressing E.T up in feminine clothes. Though some gender stereotypes are evident, the film is not particularly and overly gendered so that it can appeal to the broad audience of all children.
One of the major differences between the two films is the portrayal of aliens . In Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, the aliens are the enemy - they are an evil species, plotting to take over humanity without anyone noticing. On the other hand, in E.T, the aliens are just seen to be exploratory creatures meaning no harm, their touch is sweet and delicate. Aliens are portrayed as villains in Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, and the complete opposite in E.T.
Both films ave the same science fiction genre and the same alien invasion sub-genre . However, because of the different portrayals of aliens, they have different hybrid genres. Some hybrid genres for E.T could be comedy, love and relationships, which contrasts starkly with Invasion of the Bodysnatchers hybrid genre being horror.
Both films are suitable for younger audiences ,with Invasion of the Bodysnatchers having a BBFC rating of PG, and E.T having a rating of U. There is mild threat in both films, in E.T for example there is tension when both Elliot and E.T are thought to be dying, and in Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, there is the threat of being taken over by extra terrestrial forces. Interestingly, in the 1950s, Invasion of the Bodysnatchers was not seen to be child friendly because it was rated an Adults only film.
It can be inferred that in the cultural context, the lack of cultural inequality is due to both deliberate narrative choice and lack of representation. When arguing that the reason is deliberate narrative choice, this is because the film represents what that part of society would have looked like. In both films ,this is in a suburban area, most likely full of white middle aged men and women (Invasion of the bodysnatchers) a white children (E.T). However, it was the directors purposeful decision to focus on that lifestyle, because there would have been areas in America with people from ethnic minorities. As well as that, in those times, Hollywood didn’t present opportunities for ethnic minorities so actors weren’t as culturally diverse.
Similarly, both films have a quite short run time. During the golden age of Hollywood at the time, Invasion of the Bodysnatchers was produced, the average run time was around 100 minutes, which is a lot less than the modern day 2 hour and 15 minute film average. Invasion of the Bodysnatchers is 80 minutes long and this affects the narrative because it makes sure the film focuses on just the story and doesn’t trail away with any other plot lines. E.T is slightly longer, but still relatively short at 115 minutes. This runtime is tailored for the film’s target audience of young children because it is within the limits of the amount of time you can expect a child to concentrate for. Both films also have the same widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85 (Superscope) and 35mm (anamorphic). Don Siegel may have chosen this because at the time, cinema attendance plummeted as the sales of televisions increased. To combat declining cinema sales, they began to make films in the cinema widescreen, expensive filmmaking at the time.
In the historical production context, both films were of a medium budget, with E.T having a slightly higher budget. Although both films are now iconic across the film industry, there is a difference in the amount of awards each film won. E.T won numerous Oscars (e.g Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, etc.) and won Best Score at the BAFTAs and it did very well in the box office. However in 1956, when Invasion of the Bodysnatchers was released, the film didn’t really win any major awards because it was quite unrecognised. Science fiction films were usually only regarded by people who enjoyed that specific genre.
The politics at the time the films were produced is reflected in each film. Invasion of the Bodysnatchers was released during the Cold War, a major fight between the capitalism in the West and communism in the East. America was very anti-communist and believed in deomcracy, and there was a fear during the Cold War that communists could be anywhere, trying to impose themselves in America and spread their ideology in the West. The bodysnatchers being unidentifiable from the regular human was suspected to be a reference to the communists, whom Americans saw as the villain. The Vietnam War occurred not too long before the release of E.T, and this caused lots of distrust in America regarding immigrants and civilians outside of America. Unlike Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, E.T positiviely portrays the aliens and welcomes them, whom can be seen as a representation of people from different cultures and backgrounds.
- 16/20
- This is well written, and you provide enough detail to get a good mark, but it's not as focussed on the question as it ought to be. You have been asked about "context". Your answer must stick to this...