Review of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) by John L — 22 Apr 2013

PLOT.

Some cauliflowers from outer space develop clones of humans, in order to replace them, while Donald Sutherland tries to frame up a local restaurant claiming that a caper is really a rat turd.

The invasion spreads very quickly. Leonard Nimoy, a.k.a. Dr Spock, tries to contain it with marriage counselling sessions.

Jeff Goldblum and his wife through mud bathings.

And Brooke Adams by worrying very much and moving her pupils unsettlingly.

Will our handful of heroes be able to defeat the aliens?

MEANING.

Human relationships have become so alienated that we have mutually become aliens to each other. This concept is represented literally: humans are substituted for aliens.

These aliens are cold and indifferent. They are the sci fi objectification of the sociological concepts expressed by Dr Spock ("we get in and out of relationships as if they meant nothing"). To the invasion of alien detachment is juxtaposed and opposed the human warmth of the leading couple, formed by Sutherland/Adams, which toward the end, particularly, declare with effusion and warmth their sentimental inclinations.

But the alien coldheartedness looms over them.