Within Hope vs Fear
Steven Spielberg’s reputation as a filmmaker of wonder is usually tied to friendly visitors such as those in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Yet one of the most striking features of his alien invasion films is that wonder does not disappear when the aliens become hostile.
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Introduction
Steven Spielberg’s reputation as a filmmaker of wonder is usually tied to friendly visitors such as those in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Yet one of the most striking features of his alien invasion films is that wonder does not disappear when the aliens become hostile. In War of the Worlds (2005), awe survives inside terror. The audience is frightened by the attack, but it is also confronted with images so immense, mysterious and visually overwhelming that they provoke the same instinct of astonishment found in Spielberg’s more optimistic UFO stories.
This creates a distinctive form of “dark wonder”. Instead of inviting humanity towards contact, the unknown arrives as catastrophe. Yet Spielberg still frames the extraterrestrial presence as something larger than human understanding, preserving a sense of mystery even while civilisation collapses. The result is an unusual balance: invasion cinema that generates fear without surrendering entirely to spectacle-free horror.
Can an Alien Invasion Still Create Wonder?
The answer in Spielberg’s cinema is yes, but only by changing what wonder means.
In Close Encounters, wonder comes from anticipation and communication. The UFOs are mysterious, but the mystery promises connection. In War of the Worlds, the mystery remains unresolved and threatening. Humans do not decode the visitors, negotiate with them or gain meaningful knowledge about them. Yet the aliens are still presented as phenomena so vast that they exceed ordinary experience. Wonder shifts from hopeful discovery to stunned confrontation with the unknown. [SlashFilm]slashfilm.comSlash Film The Daily Stream: Steven Spielberg's War Of The WorldsThe Daily Stream: Steven Spielberg's War Of The Worlds…June 2, 2022 — 1 Jun 2022 — This film is not the typical blockbuster a…
This is an important distinction within Spielberg’s UFO work. The emotional response is not admiration of the invaders themselves. Rather, it is awe at their scale, power and incomprehensibility.
Scale as Spectacle
The clearest mechanism behind dark wonder is scale.
Spielberg repeatedly introduces alien technology through carefully staged reveals. The famous emergence of the first tripod in War of the Worlds begins with confusion rather than immediate action. Streets crack open, electrical systems fail and the crowd struggles to understand what is happening. Only gradually does the machine rise above the cityscape, transforming a local disturbance into a revelation of something impossibly large. Critics and commentators have frequently highlighted this sequence as a masterclass in withholding and revelation, combining dread with a moment of astonishment. [The Conflicted Film Snob]theconflictedfilmsnob.comThe Conflicted Film Snob The Art of the Reveal: "War of the Worlds" EditionThe Conflicted Film SnobThe Art of the Reveal: "War of the Worlds" EditionJuly 10, 2015 — 10 Jul 2015 — The first reveal of an alien Trip…
The tripod is terrifying, but it is also visually majestic. Its height dwarfs buildings. Its movements feel both mechanical and animal. The audience experiences a brief instant of amazement before the machine begins killing people. That emotional sequence matters. Spielberg allows wonder to occur first, then corrupts it.
The same effect appears throughout the film:
- The towering silhouettes of the tripods emerging through smoke and dust.
- The immense scale of destruction viewed from ground level rather than from a detached military perspective.
- The alien soundscape, particularly the tripod horn, which transforms the invasion into an event that feels almost mythic. [Medium]medium.comWar of the Worlds: Steven Spielberg's Dystopian…March 17, 2025 — The tripods were made to seem both extraterrestrial and ominous…
Unlike many invasion blockbusters that present destruction as military spectacle, Spielberg often keeps the camera close to ordinary people. This perspective makes the machines appear even larger and more incomprehensible. The audience shares the characters’ inability to grasp the full event. [SlashFilm]slashfilm.comSlash Film The Daily Stream: Steven Spielberg's War Of The WorldsThe Daily Stream: Steven Spielberg's War Of The Worlds…June 2, 2022 — 1 Jun 2022 — This film is not the typical blockbuster a…
Mystery Without Comfort
Another reason wonder survives the attack is that Spielberg refuses to explain everything.
Many science-fiction films reduce mystery by revealing the invaders’ motives, culture or technology. War of the Worlds offers surprisingly little explanation. The aliens arrive through a plan apparently set in motion long before human history, with their machines hidden beneath the Earth. The implications are enormous, yet the film never pauses to answer every question. [Wikipedia]WikipediaWar of the Worlds (2005 filmWar of the Worlds (2005 film
This lack of explanation serves two purposes.
First, it intensifies fear. An enemy that cannot be understood is harder to resist.
Second, it preserves a sense of cosmic scale. The audience is reminded that human beings occupy only a small position within a much larger universe. The invasion is frightening precisely because it reveals how limited human knowledge really is.
This approach echoes Spielberg’s earlier UFO films, where mystery generates wonder. The difference is that Close Encounters eventually rewards curiosity with communication. War of the Worlds never offers that reassurance. The mystery remains open, and therefore unsettling. [The JohnBleasdale Universe]johnbleasdale.comThe John Bleasdale Universe Spiel Blog: 24War of the Worlds - John Bleasdale22 Jan 2019 — Steven Spielberg owes a lot to aliens from outer space. His 60s mentality of awe and wond…
Awe After Hope Darkens
The most revealing comparison is with Spielberg’s earlier alien imagery.
In Close Encounters, giant spacecraft emerge from darkness in scenes built around light, music and revelation. The audience experiences awe because the unknown appears beautiful. In War of the Worlds, giant tripods emerge from beneath cities in scenes built around panic and destruction. Yet the visual strategy remains surprisingly similar: gradual revelation, overwhelming size and a sense that human observers are witnessing something beyond ordinary reality. [Flickering Myth]flickeringmyth.comFlickering Myth Close Encounters of the Spielberg KindFlickering MythClose Encounters of the Spielberg KindApril 26, 2026 — 26 Apr 2026 — Close Encounters is decidedly patient in comparison t…
The emotional destination changes, but the cinematic mechanism remains recognisably Spielbergian.
This continuity explains why many viewers remember moments of amazement even in one of Spielberg’s bleakest science-fiction films. The invasion imagery does not merely depict violence. It transforms violence into an encounter with the sublime—the experience of confronting something so vast and powerful that it exceeds normal categories of understanding.
Historically, this marks an evolution rather than a rejection of Spielberg’s UFO imagination. The youthful optimism of Close Encounters and E.T. gives way to a post-Cold War and post-9/11 atmosphere of vulnerability, yet the fascination with the unknown remains intact. Critics have frequently noted that War of the Worlds channels contemporary fears while retaining Spielberg’s instinct for spectacle and mystery. [Birth.Movies.Death.]birthmoviesdeath.comand yet it has detractors. Devin attempts to set the record straight.Read moreDefense Of Spielberg's WAR OF THE WORLDSFebruary 19, 2013 — 19 Feb 2013 — Spielberg's 9/11 allegory is dark, thrilling and masterfully made…
Why Dark Wonder Matters in Spielberg’s UFO Cinema
The lasting significance of War of the Worlds is that it proves wonder is not dependent on benevolent aliens.
For Spielberg, wonder comes from confronting something larger than humanity. Friendly visitors create wonder through possibility and connection. Invasion aliens create wonder through magnitude and uncertainty. The emotional tone changes from hope to dread, but the fundamental encounter remains the same: ordinary people suddenly discovering that the universe is far stranger than they imagined.
That is why the tripod sequences remain memorable long after the immediate shocks fade. The audience is not only witnessing an attack. It is witnessing a revelation. The unknown has become hostile, but it is still immense enough to inspire awe. In Spielberg’s alien cinema, even catastrophe can leave room for wonder.
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The UFO Experience
Hynek created the close-encounter framework that inspired Spielberg's film title and served as an adviser on the movie.
Passport to Magonia
One of the most influential books on UFO culture and the mystery-oriented approach echoed in Spielberg's work.
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Endnotes
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Source: slashfilm.com
Title: Slash Film The Daily Stream: Steven Spielberg’s War Of The Worlds
Link: https://www.slashfilm.com/882050/the-daily-stream-steven-spielbergs-war-of-the-worlds-remains-a-complex-atypical-blockbuster/Source snippet
The Daily Stream: Steven Spielberg's War Of The Worlds...June 2, 2022 — 1 Jun 2022 — This film is not the typical blockbuster a...
Published: June 2, 2022
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Source: johnbleasdale.com
Title: The John Bleasdale Universe Spiel Blog: 24
Link: https://www.johnbleasdale.com/spielblog/spielblog-24-war-of-the-worldsSource snippet
War of the Worlds - John Bleasdale22 Jan 2019 — Steven Spielberg owes a lot to aliens from outer space. His 60s mentality of awe and wond...
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Source: medium.com
Link: https://medium.com/%40rinoingenito04/war-of-the-worlds-steven-spielbergs-dystopian-masterpiece-e107e70405c3Source snippet
War of the Worlds: Steven Spielberg's Dystopian...March 17, 2025 — The tripods were made to seem both extraterrestrial and ominous...
Published: March 17, 2025
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: War of the Worlds (2005 film)
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Worlds_%282005_film%29 -
Source: theconflictedfilmsnob.com
Title: The Conflicted Film Snob The Art of the Reveal: “War of the Worlds” Edition
Link: https://theconflictedfilmsnob.com/2015/07/10/anatomy-of-a-scene-war-of-the-worlds-edition/Source snippet
The Conflicted Film SnobThe Art of the Reveal: "War of the Worlds" EditionJuly 10, 2015 — 10 Jul 2015 — The first reveal of an alien Trip...
Published: July 10, 2015
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Source: flickeringmyth.com
Title: Flickering Myth Close Encounters of the Spielberg Kind
Link: https://www.flickeringmyth.com/close-encounters-of-the-spielberg-kind/Source snippet
Flickering MythClose Encounters of the Spielberg KindApril 26, 2026 — 26 Apr 2026 — Close Encounters is decidedly patient in comparison t...
Published: April 26, 2026
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Source: birthmoviesdeath.com
Title: and yet it has detractors. Devin attempts to set the record straight.Read more
Link: https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2013/02/19/in-defense-of-spielbergs-war-of-the-worlds.htmlSource snippet
Defense Of Spielberg's WAR OF THE WORLDSFebruary 19, 2013 — 19 Feb 2013 — Spielberg's 9/11 allegory is dark, thrilling and masterfully made...
Published: February 19, 2013
Additional References
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Source: horrorthriller.com
Link: https://horrorthriller.com/Movies/VWX/WotW.htmlSource snippet
Steven Spielberg's WAR OF THE WORLDS movie reviewKelly Parks reviews War of the Worlds starring Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwi...
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Source: instagram.com
Link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZF9p_7gWGx/ -
Source: screenhub.blog
Title: a look back at spielbergs war of the worlds screenhub entertainment
Link: https://screenhub.blog/2024/09/17/a-look-back-at-spielbergs-war-of-the-worlds-screenhub-entertainment/Source snippet
A Look Back at Spielberg's 'War of the Worlds'17 Sept 2024 — War of the Worlds tells the story of Ray (Tom Cruise), an apathetic and divo...
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Source: instagram.com
Title: People are calling it Spielberg’s best film in 20 years
Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/DY4bOKcCPpe/?img_index=3Source snippet
Critics say it captures classic Spielberg magic, mystery, awe, emotion. If the hype is real, we're not just getting a hit, we're witnessi...
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Source: reddit.com
Title: war of the worlds 2005 what did you think about
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/scifi/comments/my42f3/war_of_the_worlds_2005_what_did_you_think_about/Source snippet
What did you think about Steven...The movie wasn't terrible, it was a typical Steven Spielberg scifi action movie. A lot of flashy scene...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1850go5/the_scene_where_the_pods_emerge_in_steven/Source snippet
ally captures the crush of panicking people as well and just...Read more...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueFilm/comments/1f3nrfm/what_is_the_point_of_close_encounters_of_the/Source snippet
't seem to be anything under the hood. Is there any subtext?Read more...
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Source: emanuellevy.com
Title: War of the Worlds According to Spielberg
Link: https://emanuellevy.com/interviews/war-of-the-worlds-according-to-spielberg-4/Source snippet
Emanuel Levy26 Jun 2005 — In the movie, you see American fleeing for their lives, being attacked for no reason, having no idea why theyre...
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Source: cinephiliabeyond.org
Link: https://cinephiliabeyond.org/close-encounters-of-the-third-kind-steven-spielbergs-gamble-that-paid-off-generously/Source snippet
pielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind.Read more...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/12117541695/posts/10161952237016696/Source snippet
s of the third Kind "? What are the similarities?...
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