1950s Monsters Representing Nuclear Weapons and the Cold War Are Coming

Korean Film Archive's '1950s SF Monster Special Exhibition'
Screenings of 'The Last Days on Earth', 'The War of the Worlds', 'Tarantula', and More

Movie still cut from 'The Monster from the Deep Sea'

The era when sci-fi movies emerged was right after World War II. Supported by special effects technology, there was an increase in films dealing with science fiction. Robert Wise's The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), Byron Haskin's The War of the Worlds (1953), Eugene Louri?'s The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)... Influenced by not only sci-fi novels but also the US-Soviet system rivalry, atomic bomb fears, and television threats, the production volume remained steady. Recognized as a film genre, it sparked challenges in imagination and advances in technology.

The Korean Film Archive will hold a "1950s SF Monster Special Exhibition" at Cinematheque KOFA from the 30th of this month until the 18th of next month. Fourteen sci-fi films featuring strange creatures produced in the US during the 1950s will be screened. These include The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, The War of the Worlds, Christian Nyby's The Thing from Another World (1951), Gordon Douglas's Them! (1954), Robert Gordon's It Came from Beneath the Sea (1954), Jack Arnold's Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), Tarantula (1955), The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957), Don Siegel's Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), Fred M. Wilcox's Forbidden Planet (1956), Fred F. Sears's Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956), Nathan Juran's 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957), and Ishir? Honda's King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963).

Movie still cut from 'Nom-eun Badatsok-eurobuteo Watda' (Nom Came from Under the Sea)

All of these feature monsters, mutants, or aliens. Giant monsters symbolize nuclear weapons, and invasion acts refer to the Cold War. Science out of control is highlighted both as a source of fear and as a means to resolve threats. They had a profound influence on the characters, narratives, and mise-en-sc?ne of later sci-fi films. The Film Archive explained, "'The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms' and 'Them!' are pioneers of monster movies born from or awakened by radiation, while 'The War of the Worlds' and 'Earth vs. the Flying Saucers' are prototypes of space invasion films." They added, "'The Thing from Another World' and 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' have been remade over time, continuing their vitality, and 'Creature from the Black Lagoon' greatly influenced Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water (2018)."

At that time, monsters were created using analog techniques. They are more cute than threatening. However, they emit a charm absent in natural monsters, providing unique fun and atmosphere. Especially, films like The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, It Came from Beneath the Sea, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, and 20 Million Miles to Earth, for which Ray Harryhausen was responsible for special effects, are considered masterpieces of stop-motion technology, where each movement is animated frame by frame. They inspired future masters such as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, and Sam Raimi, triggering a new leap in sci-fi cinema.