Reviews / 08 August 2005
Phase IV
UK / 1974
Quiet, haunting, beautiful, Phase IV is an intriguing, and largely overlooked, science-fiction masterwork centered on the latent destructive power of the insect world and humanity’s inherent vulnerability in the face of catastrophic change. The feature film debut of renowned title designer Saul Bass (the man behind the vivid credits sequences from Psycho, Vertigo, North by Northwest, and a slew of others), Phase IV shows Bass to be adept at both crafting a vibrantly visual film, and weaving together the elements of an enthralling and thought-provoking science-fiction tale.
The action of Phase IV opens on a desolate stretch of North American desert, Bass taking full advantage of the naturally stark hues of the landscape by imbuing scene after scene with sharp browns, oranges, and yellows. As our attention is attracted by a series of close-ups of ants, a voice-over lecture begins that highlights the abilities and potential strength inherent in this most insignificant of god’s creatures. For several successive scenes, we are offered a comprehensive entomological education, the narrator pausing only for the briefest of moments to allow the viewer to absorb the immensity of the information being conveyed. Surprisingly, this detail-heavy and actor-less montage is a riveting cinematic sequence. The beauty of the location, the astonishing variety of ants photographed, and the startling revelations about the ants’ potential impact on human society are more than enough to engage us. And the patient, thoughtful, and deliberate pacing established in these opening shots prepare us for the studied and rhythmic flow of the narrative that follows.
The human story of Phase IV concerns the efforts of Doctor Hobbs, and James, his hired assistant, to make sense of a recent rash of bizarre ant activities. While nearly everyone else in America has dismissed the ants’ odd behavior (including the construction of ant towers taller than a man) as irrelevant, Hobbs is convinced that something important, and possibly catastrophic, is happening out in the lonely desert. Securing the necessary cash to fund his experiments, the good doctor and James take up residence in a cramped dome structure and settle in to watch the ants. The working theory is that exposure to an unusual amount of solar radiation has augmented the evolutionary progress of the ants, instilling within them an enhanced intelligence, and possibly, a collective consciousness imbued with notions of territorial expansion.
In the hands of an impatient and less aesthetically minded director, this tale of imperialistic ant hordes may well have devolved into a giant insect monster movie a la Empire of the Ants or Them!. But Bass keeps his story planted firmly in the realm of the believable featuring regular-sized ants, and filtering any talk of enhanced ant abilities through the sober lens of science. Instead of employing his crawling nemeses to sensationalistic effect (much as Them! features gigantic mandibles crunching rib cages and Empire of the Ants centers on gargantuan insects emitting effluvial, brainwashing pheromones in hopes of creating sugar factory slaves), Bass gives us feasible scenarios that are all the more frightening for their grounding in reality. Thus we have ant legions chewing through wires and disabling a much-needed truck, surreptitiously conking out the dome’s essential air conditioner, and, in the most gruesome moment of the film, collectively devouring a man from the inside out. Under Bass’ direction, however, even such moments of the macabre are imbued with such eerie beauty that we cannot help but revel in the sublime photography, even as we recoil from the horror.
Aside from the visceral, immediate horror of the film, however, there is a deeper, more sinister idea at work. As the film progresses, and we watch as Hobbs is slowly consumed by a maddening, ant-bite-induced fever, and James struggles to find a way to communicate with the ants, we realize that the fate of these two solitary souls is ultimately irrelevant to the bigger story. Live or die, our heroes are simply the first impediment to the ants’ ultimate conquest of all civilization. Knowing that Hobbs, a thoughtful man of science cognizant of his enemy’s power, is unable to prevent being consumed by it, we must face the realization that the rest of humanity is doomed, that all our efforts to stop the ants will likely prove fruitless. Thankfully, as Phase IV marches toward this desperate conclusion, Bass refrains from showing us the creeping apocalypse, content to merely set the stage and instill within us all a chilling premonition of what may well come to pass.
Thomas Scalzo / © 2005 notcoming.com
Comments / 11 total / Submit Comment
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Hello. Do you know if this film is originally in widescreen or fullscreen? Thank you.
- Raul
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This is a great film, one of my favourites of all time since i was a kid in the 70s. Managed to find it on DVD recently on Ebay. Would suggest anyone who hasnt seen it does the same.
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On IMDB it was posted: “According to the book “Future Tense” by John Brosnan Saul Bass created a 4 minute montage of what the new Earth was to be like but the distributor cut this footage for some reason, perhaps to make it more ambiguous like in 2001 A Space Odyssey.”
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I remember this film being shown in widescreen…
I watched “Phase IV” as a kid a number of times and it always had a very haunting and odd prestige to my mind. It just felt akin to the smart sci-fi I was reading at the time. And yes, it does seem a great cross between your average bug invasion movie and 2001, but that just gives it a brilliant whacky edge. I remember it spooking me out as a kid too, because it used actual ants and made the whole scenario seem more plausible. Creepy. I have read some less-than-enthusiastic reviews, but I think it’s a brilliant little chiller.
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Does anyone know where I can obtain a copy of Phase iv on VHS or preferably DVD….
Many thanks
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As far as I know, this is not yet available on DVD. There are used VHS copies for sale here and there online, but they are quite expensive.
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For all who reach this (cool) page, looking for that great movie, which can’t be found on dvd, do a google search on “phase IV” torrent and have fun. May be it will have pleased Mr Bass to know that people still love and download this movie, despite the fact that hollywood and majors have totally forgot it. Thanks for your site, sorry for the mistakes, ants don’t speak well english ;-)
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In 1994 I attended a seminar presented by Saul and his wife on movie titles at the American Film institute in Los Angeles. After it ended I followed them to their car and asked Saul where I could buy a copy of Phase IV. He told me he didn’t know but if I found one to send him a copy. I didn’t find one until after he died and to this day I still don’t know if he was kidding me or not.
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This movie does exist in dvd, only in english. You can find it at http://www.ioffer.com/i/51677386 not for an expensive cost, and some other places. I’m french, and I desesperately search for a french version in dvd, but that seems be impossible. I’m so sad… But may be I’ll find it on a VHS… Hope so…
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Not sure about a French version, but judging from this dvd drive-in review, a legit DVD release is apparently on its way.
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Phase IV is now available in R1 DVD, exclusively from Best Buy:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8902333&st=phase+iv&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1882396
Credits
Directed by
Saul Bass
Source
Paramount Home Video VHS
Related articles
Features: Titles Designed by Saul Bass
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