marshalskrieg Probably the first post atomic apocalyptic film, made in 1951. This is a good film, not great, but a solid early science fiction flick- this one is different in the sense that there are no monsters or dangerous marauders- there are just five survivors who must deal with each other, with dramatic results. This is a tale of major interpersonal conflict, a small group trying to cope with the aftermath of some sort of nuclear catastrophe.The plot is a bit thin, the characters are a bit one dimensional and get involved in maybe too many mundane activities, yet this is a taut story that keeps you guessing what the end will be...against a lovely outdoors backdrop and memorable vistas, the expected sometimes never happens, a testament to the directors talents. Overall, the film 'works' but I wish certain avenues could have been explored that were shunned in this effort- but for a low budget, about $75,000, this one punches above its weight category. 5.9 stars.A home designed by Frank Loyd Wright is featured, this was owned by the director.

Pedro Fraga I had been in Los Angeles on August and went around Arch Oboler's house. It was amazing! I saw FIVE more than 50 years ago and the place is still there, maybe assuring to me that the world won't end, in spite of men's irresponsibility. The silence and the sounds of FIVE are in my memory since I was less than 10 years old. I have it and use to see it very often. When I came back home I noticed the visit to the location opened my eyes and my mind to details I haven't seen and heard before, as the stairs, the poem "Creation" and the music of Henry Russel. What a movie! I have no doubt: my very favorite sci-fi. There are only two other movies that fixed the same discomfort in me: THEM! and the first PLANET OF APES.

Cristi_Ciopron Dismissable as post—apocalyptic goofiness from the 'duck and cover' age, when the Hiroshima memories and the Cold War with the soviets made people think about the nuclear threat and dream about possibilities of survival in a post—nuclear wasteland, FIVE, by Arch Oboler, has chosen the resources of a dramatic poem, resounding with over—the—top rhetoric in the beginning (but quickly reaching a genuinely lyrical level at times, and a dramatic note), over those of the paranoiac thriller, and is, in many ways, a very rewarding melodrama; I think it's a charming and interesting Sci Fi, neat, humane in its fairness, thickly sentimental, unusual and surely better written than the lowbrow post—apocalyptic exploitation, rewarding for the connoisseurs of old genre flicks, I liked the actress (Susan Douglas) and the cinematography, the exciting if conventional diversity of the assembled characters, the attempt at dealing with the harshness, but also a certain mildness at times. FIVE is enjoyable as an attempt to reformulate, in the genre movies' syntax, the sadness, the lyricism, the shock of suddenly finding oneself in a deserted world, it does a bit of psychology, and is an auteur work (I do not know who this Arch Oboler was, but I like his ambition of giving a respectable face to a genre); which doesn't make it less goofy and more Tarkovsky, but nonetheless gives it a peculiar place.Regarding the style, FIVE illustrates the expressionism of the 'duck and cover' ads and of the pacifist propaganda. It is loud, dramatic, sharp, fast, overstated.Anyway, Roseanne's idea of taking the baby with her in her quest and exposing him to the high levels of radiation in the city seems less happy; it also seems strange to me that none of these scriptwriters realizes that with all the engines and generators and machines that will not slow down by themselves and none's around to turn them off, the cities would soon explode, blow, etc.. All the engines and machines that work would need someone to turn them off; otherwise, all kinds of accidents would occur. In the same way, the food will not simply be stored; because this storage would be disturbed to.So, the nuclear blasts would not simply freeze the world, as in a crystal ball. The engines would go on working till they break and produce accidents; the cities would quickly become uninhabitable, and sources of a second wave of catastrophes. In these post—apocalyptic stories, the world seems to freeze, to hibernate, to get into some kind of cryogenic existence, preserved from all further destruction and deterioration. But why? The chaos of the engines would soon follow; all the engines working at the moment of the nuclear blast would continue to work—till random breakdowns and accidents would produce a string of urban destructions. The trains that none would stop, the cars, the power generators, etc..A world suddenly, instantly deserted by all its inhabitants would be like a motor speeding with no driver; who says that motor would quickly slow down and all motion fade? On the contrary —a disaster would soon follow.In these movies, the scriptwriters believe that all engines and motors and machines would simply stop, causing no harm.And if you, fair reader, will ever write a post—apocalyptic story, either for print or screen, take my word of advice, think about all the harm the unstopped engines would produce—and also credit that Romanian Sci Fi fan for having given you the idea.And why not think also about Crusoe, the primeval couple (in fact, 'Charles' says the story of the Genesis), the Flood and, since we live in the age of the TV series, when most of the people feel compelled to watch as many TV rubbish as possible, about LOST?

ferbs54 Although Arch Oboler was extremely popular amongst what Tom Brokaw has called "The Greatest Generation" for his radio plays of the '30s and '40s, for baby boomers, his name resonates by dint of his work on a trio of psychotronic films in the early '50s: "Five," "Bwana Devil" (the first 3-D movie) and "The Twonky." In 1951's "Five," Oboler showed that he was a formidable triple threat, writing, producing AND directing the picture. Most known today for its being the first film to depict life after a nuclear holocaust, "Five" turns out to have lots more to offer than that claim to fame. In it, we meet the quintet of Earth's survivors who fetch up at a very peculiar-looking abode (Oboler's own Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home) in what we must infer is California: Mike (played by William Phipps), an English major and Empire State Building worker; Roseanne (Susan Douglas), a mild-mannered pregnant widow who brings to mind the young Lillian Gish; Charles (Charles Lampkin), a black doorman from a Santa Barbara bank; Mr. Barnstaple (Earl Lee), an elderly, addled clerk from that same bank; and Eric (James Anderson), a Germanic adventurer and undisguised racist. The film, I'm happy to say, is not the least bit dated and could have been made last year, rather than 60 years ago. It features an adult, literate script, is wonderfully acted by its quintet of relative no-names, and best of all, showcases some absolutely stunning B&W photography (for example, check out the exceptional work during Roseanne's labor scene!). The picture contains many wonderful sequences, including an expedition to the seacoast, and the exploration of a nearby city to the imagined sound of air-raid sirens. I'm afraid words are failing me here; you're gonna have to trust me on this one. This is not just a superbly well-done exemplar of apocalyptic sci-fi; it is a genuine work of art.