War of the Worlds

Dawid Bajorek

Period 6

AP English

The thriller War of the Worlds, directed by Stephen Spielberg was meant to put a crowd on the edge of their seats while they helplessly witness a catastrophe take place, allowing aliens invade and consume all that life has to offer on planet Earth. I strongly believe that this film is heavily linked with the destruction of the Twin Towers, through symbolism, and portraying how resilient humans are when they fought the aliens, inevitably killing them with diseases that humans are immune too. This is similar to the terrorist attacks during 9/11 because Americans were struck by the attack , but refused to stand and watch so they quickly deployed into Iraq and fought terror, eventually slowing down the terrorist.

What makes this film into what it really is today is life after 9/11 and incorporating a scientific feel into the image of life. This brings forth a relationship with the catastrophe in 2001 and also shows what life might be like after. The film portrays an apocalyptic storm, seizing the residents of New Jersey into fear, but also curiosity because nothing has ever been witness like this on the face of Earth. Moreover, the launch of the alien tripods, a technological advancement that cannot be defeated creates demise in the eyes of the people and captures a scene in the film showing burning rubble that Tom Cruise is trying to get through, which gives that image of people desperately trying to escape the fires of 9/11 in the buildings and escape while they still can. In addition, the scene in the film where the two towers are burning shows how badly the nation has been defeated and the despair all around which haunts the viewer. I firmly agree with the article written by Antonio Sanchez-Escalonilla because this brings back the terror involved with 9/11. Even the plane crashing into the neighborhood where Tom Cruise and his children were hiding can represent an image of the Pentagon being attacked, but in this case...