Overdue Reviews: "The Twilight Zone - The Monsters are Due on Maple Street"
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 9:21AM Welcome Friends and Neighbors, today we delve deeply into the realm of twilight. No, not that, the Twilight Zone.
In 1959 the world was given a new television show that would change the confines of the everyday television experience. Never before had such a show existed that was capable of such political and social commentary in such a public forum. The writers, led by creator Rod Serling, would use the science fiction genre to mask such statements and political ideas from the viewer as not to be so overtly expressed. Whereas in a standard television show, say the Honeymooners for example, Ralph Kramden could not vocalize his opinion in many social or political matters that were considered racy or controversial at that time. Heavy handed standards and practices were in full effect to maintain a gentile sense on the air. The realm of science fiction however was seemingly immune.
Science fiction has often had a greater amount of variance with the rules, as an art form. Just as some foreign films of the era were getting away with showing bare breasted women and nearly full frontal nudity in the name of art, science fiction was granted a form of blind ambivalence to the statements made. The rationale was that such ludicrous works of fiction would never be considered plausible or even given the time of day by most Americans. Science fiction was believed to be the purview of children and adolescents, immune from such thoughts and certainly the content of such shows would never be taken seriously. It is in this way that Serling could load up many of his episodes with scathing commentary on the nature of our world political and sociological events. Everything from nuclear war to racism and theology were open to be explored in this format, as long as it was clear that some fictitious alien or robot from outer space was the one being persecuted or making boisterous claims.
Perhaps the greatest example of this clever use of genre to promote a message was in the 1960 episode, “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.” This story tells the tale of an idyllic community, on an average street, in an average everyday town in America. Our ideology is similar, thus we can relate to the people who live on Maple Street. Maple Street is suddenly changed, however, when a brilliant flash of light crosses the sky. The residents who were out walking their dogs, washing their cars and enjoying the nice summer day all take notice of this phenomenon. Soon, however, the event is dismissed as simply a meteor. Shortly following the event, the residents seem to notice that they are experiencing a blackout of all of their electronics and even gas powered devices. This is certainly a strange situation, so the neighbors get together to discuss what to do about it in the street. It is soon decided that they will send Pete over to the next block to see how widespread the phenomenon is. Steve, the natural leader of the group, decides to walk into town to get help. It is at this time that a little boy, Tommy speaks up with a proposition. It is his belief that there is a real danger out there. Based on his comic book reading, he hypothesizes that the flash of light was in fact aliens that came in a ship – not a meteor – and that they were infiltrating the town disguised as people. This is at first dismissed as just science fiction (in a strange parallel to the methods used by the show itself); however some residents take some stock in the little boy’s ideas.
Later, when one resident, Les Goodman, is able to start his car, the people of Maple Street begin to suspect him of being an alien. Soon he is being questioned at length and interrogated by the members of the community. Not the least of the accusers is Charlie who begins to question more everyone’s idiosyncrasies. Night has fallen and the residents of Maple Street are all now suspicious of each other. Steve tries to maintain order until Charlie calls him out about his home made radio projects that he has kept secretive about. With Charlie leading the witch-hunt, Steve makes one last attempt to plead for calm and rational thinking. He finally looses his composure and mockingly refers to Charlie as a “self appointed hanging judge” and admits in a sarcastic way to being part of a “fifth column from the vast beyond.” Next the group is suddenly alerted to a figure approaching in the distance. Fearful that this is the alien coming to get them, Charlie fires a shotgun into the figure, killing him. Sadly, however the figure was that of Pete, who had left earlier in the night to check on the neighboring streets. Now, with blood on their hands, the mob is turning on each other with violence and fear as the power begins to intermittently be restored to the houses. Anarchy and chaos sweep through Maple Street leading to what will undoubtedly be a blood bath. It is now revealed that on the hill overlooking the neighborhood actually exist two aliens. They have been using a machine to manipulate the powered devices on the street as a test of their new conquest plan. By turning the people against each other, they will have no problem taking over – as an enemy in conflict with itself is much weaker than a unified enemy.
This show is quite effective in getting the message across about paranoia and over reacting. The uses of musical cues and diegetic sound are prominently executed in the landscape. In the first act, the street is shown as bright and sunny. Early non diegetic sound is used in a way to promote a serene landscape. Rod Serling’s commentary and introduction express the nature of the inhabitants and the events that are to follow in a calm and authoritative voice. There is almost a comic undertone in the beginning act, with effects that would have the viewer set at ease. However, in the second act and the remainder of the show the sound gets darker. Moody low tones fill the air and a sense of dread is apparent.
The writing is also very dramatic and poignant in this show. When Steve is casting down Charlie for being so accusative, he states “Stop telling me who is safe and who is dangerous, who is a threat and who is a menace.” This echoes the current events of the Second Red Scare with frightening clarity that could never be done in another genre. Even the names of the characters, such as the first to be accused “Les Goodman” subtly informing the viewer that he is a good man. The narration introductions and the conclusions are very impacting as Serling says “The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, and prejudices, to be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill, and suspicion can destroy, and the thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all of its own: for the children, and the children yet unborn. And the pity of it is that these things cannot be confined to the Twilight Zone.”
The camera work is exceptionally as the events change. What begins as a series of medium shots gets closer and closer as the events become more hurried. The lighting takes a decidedly dark turn into very low key style as the chaos ensues. At some points, particularly when judgment is being cast upon Les, Steve and Charlie, Rembrandt lighting or chiaroscuro lighting is used to emphasize the darkness growing within. Pin lights are often used to enhance the eyes of the participants, whilst keeping the mob in shadow. This helps to show the ambiguity of the mob, that it is everyman. Fast cuts become abundant as our eyes barely can adjust to what we are seeing. Confusion is established as the suspense builds. Eye line transitions from attacker to wound enhance the terror. Additionally, foreshadowing is very well done in regards to the hammer on Pete’s overalls as he is shown to leave and before he is killed by the mob. Low angles emphasize the fear and confusion as well as to add a level of surrealism to the shots. All of these camera and lighting tricks make the viewer aware of the threat that is all around them, not from an outside enemy alone. Serling is quite clear that the aliens did in fact exist and they were intent on invasion, however they were going to use humanity’s inherent weakness and fear to make their job much easier. The allusion is direct – the communist threat is real, but as long as we continue to hound and attack our own people, we are easily divided and will be conquered.
In conclusion, the Twilight Zone was a masterpiece of storytelling. Not only was it brilliantly written, but magnificently executed by the cinematography and music. The tales dealt with issues that could not be done in any other fashion at the time. Even to this day, many of these stories would need to be masked in allusion. Rod Serling masterfully weaves the fantastic with the practical in such a way that not only would get the message across, but would do so memorably and under the radar of those who would prohibit such thought. Damning political leaders and promoting social commentary, all while remaining under the safety veil of fiction, by way of a simple television show, the Twilight Zone.
Be Excellent to Each Other,
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~BAT
