QUATERMASS II
THE ULTIMATE SEQUEL
When cinema goers got treated to the second outing in the Quatermass movie series in 1957, reviews were at best, mixed. Which is a shame because this film has a shed-load to offer all fans of sci-fi. I mean, it even has Sid James in it from Carry On. Whats not to like?
For another thing, Quatermass 2 economises its limited screen time with great efficiency. Right off the bat, we are thrown into the mystery of Winnerden Flats, a rural town wiped from the face of the Earth without explanation.
Like some Sci-Fi Columbo, Quatermass is on the case, investigating a shady organisation supposedly making food produce, using a recipe so secret, its company goons are willing to kill all trespassers.
And when it comes to sequel suffixes, this was the first film ever to simply add '2' or 'II' on the title, spurning a long line of movies that followed suit. Notably Friday the 13th Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...etc
In terms of mystery and action, Quatermass 2 does not disappoint. A solid plot entrenched in conspiracy and pod-people taking over the Earth. A testament to its time, it was originally written as a six-part Tv series by one of the BBC's leading script writers Nigel Kneale.
However, Kneale despised the movie adaptation, particularly actor Brian Donlevy as Professor Quatermass, feeling his delivery was too wooden and John Wayne Yanky Doodle for the part. Still, a ham-fisted Donlevy seemed a fairer bet than his tv counterpart, (John Robinson) who approached the character as a affluent debonair Sherlock Holmes / Noël Coward in space.
Kneale also part-wrote the script for the movie version and although he was unhappy with the final result, the movie adaptation certainly packed more punch than its Tv counterpart. It also had a better ending. Whereas the TV version had Quatermass blundering out into deep space, the movie version kept the plot firmly on the ground.
Where as Invasion of the Body Snatchers reflected fears of communism, Quatermass 2 stabs at the very heart of the then conservative government. Much like today, 1950s Britain was a maze of bureaucracy gone mad, as Government funding is squandered, thrown nilly-willy at pie-in-the-sky endevours, such as taking control of the Suez Canal, against public opinion.
'Quatermass II was about the evil of secrecy...' Stated Kneale in an interview with writer John Fleming. 'It was a time when mysterious establishments were popping up: great radar establishments and nuclear establishments like Harwell and Porton Down for germ warfare. All the Quatermass things have been very much tied to their time...'
If anything, Quatermass 2 suffers from being shot in black and white. For a film of this scope, featuring complex battle scenes set against an industrial complex, some of its impact is lost purely because of the lack of colour. Certain scenes are shot in semi-darkness and its difficult to see the entire spender that unfolds due to the quick editing.
Maybe one day we'll see a colorisation of this film. In the meantime enjoy.
