H.G. Wells' “The War of the Worlds” has, since it was first released in the pages ofPearson’s MagazineandCosmopolitanin 1897 as a serial, and the following year as a novel, been among the works of literature most frequently adapted for media. While the most memorable adaptations areOrson Welles’infamous 1938 broadcaston CBS Radio andSteven Spielberg’s take with 2005’sWar of the Worlds, there have been countless direct adaptations, as well as works that share its DNA, likeIndependence Day, and parodies, like “The Day the Earth Looked Stupid” story inThe Simpsons' “Treehouse of Horror XVII.”
But it’s rare for an adaptation to truly do something different withThe War of the Worlds, a unique twist that hasn’t been represented often, or at all, in other adaptations. 2019’s three-part BBC TV miniseriesThe War of the Worldsis one of those rarities,a dark take that brings the tale to a different age and introduces a different voice. A female one.
A Strong Female Voice in a World on the Edge of WWI Separates BBC’s ‘The War of the Worlds’ From Its Kin
BBC’s 2019The War of the Worldsis, surprisingly,the first British TV adaptationof British author H.G. Wells' iconic work and thefirst to be setin London during the Edwardian era. The setting of London and the surrounding area is true to the book, but the interesting twist of using the Edwardian era as the time period, a bump forward from the novel’s Victorian era, adds an element to the adaptation that hasn’t been utilized before, with directorCraig Viveirosmusing (perVariety) that even though it has been adapted for the screen before, “it’s always had a contemporary (and American) setting.” This iteration ofThe War of the Worlds, aswriter Peter Harnesssays, takes place when Britain “was at the height of its imperial powers, and at the height of its self-confidence and even arrogance.“It’s a mighty power, soon to be challenged by WWI, being shattered by a mightier power, an indictment of Britain’s imperialist past.
But the inclusion of a strong female character truly separates the BBC version from its kin. That character is Amy (Eleanor Tomlinson), who is entering a new stage of her life with George (Rafe Spall) when the Martians arrive, and her inclusion as a main character is decidedly purposeful, withHarness explainingit was a clear choice from the beginning. It seemed the “natural way of doing things,” and long overdue, so much so that Amy is a fully realized lead who he’s built essentially from scratch.Amy is stronger, and far more practical, than George, which is more often than not how women truly react to challenges of any kind, let alone extraterrestrial ones.
‘The War of the Worlds’ Amy is a Presence Rarely Seen in Adaptations
Tomlinson perhaps states it best in the previously citedDigital Spy, saying, “It was so refreshing to read Peter’s adaptation of the novel which has a woman at the core of the drama, a choice which I feel is where Peter’s adaptation really updates the book.“The reason why it’s so refreshing isn’t hard to see, especially when compared to other adaptations. The only female character of note in Spielberg’s 2005 iteration isDakota Fanning’s Rachel, and while hercharacter matures quicklyover the course of the film, she’s still largely relegated to screaming and hyperventilating whileTom Cruiseplays the hero. An Anglo-Frenchseries in 2020does have strong female characters, only as part of an ensemble in a contemporary setting that plays closer toThe Walking Deadthan anything else.
The Deeper Meaning Behind Steven Spielberg’s ‘War of the Worlds’
Intentional or not, 2005’s ‘War of the Worlds’ conjured the specters of 9/11.
If we look atIndependence Day, which for all intents and purposesisan adaptation (right up to the introduction of a virus that cripples the aliens), the females are there to cheer on the real heroes of the piece inWill SmithandJeff Goldblum.The real disappointment in all of this is that it takes an adaptation that dates back to the turn of the century, the last century at that, to finally giveThe War of the Worldsa female character that is every bit as much a hero as the male characters. If not more.
The War of the Worldsis available to stream on Peacock in the U.S.
The War Of The Worlds
