The Great Martian War 1913–1917

The Great Martian War 1913–1917
Promotional poster
Genre	Alternate History Science Fiction
Based on	The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
Written by	Steve Maher Stephen Sarossy
Directed by	Mike Slee
Starring	Jock McLeod Joan Gregson Ian Downie Thomas Gough
Narrated by	Mark Strong
Country of origin	Canada, United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
Production
Producer(s)	Michael Kot Steve Maher Mike Slee
Cinematography	Christopher Romeike
Running time	120 minutes
Release
Original network	History (European TV channel)
Original release	8 December 2013
External links
Website

The Great Martian War 1913–1917 is a 2013 Canadian/UK made-for-television science fiction film docudrama, produced by Michael Kot, Steve Maher, and Mike Slee, and also directed by Mike Slee, that unfolds in the style of an episode from the History TV Channel.

The film is, as presented, an alternate history of World War I in which Europe and its allies, including America, fight Martian invaders instead of Germany and its allies.

The film is based on the 1897 science fiction novel The War of the Worlds, by English author H. G. Wells, and includes both new and digitally altered film footage shot during the War to End All Wars to establish the scope of the interplanetary conflict. The film's original UK broadcast on 8 December 2013 happened during the first year of the World War I centennial; the film's 2014 US cable TV broadcast during the second year followed almost nine months later.

Plot

Combining period archive materials with state-of-the-art special effects, The Great Martian War 1913–1917 features interviews with now aging war veterans while looking back at the entire sweep of the interplanetary conflict. The war begins in the depths of Germany's Bohemian Forest, following a massive explosion and shock wave that is felt by the rest of Europe. The German army is sent to investigate and is wiped out. The German government then makes a panicked appeal for military assistance in fighting what turns out to be a powerful, non-human invading force from Mars.

As the conflict unfolds, the film showcases the devastation of Western Europe, where a rag-tag human alliance digs in against monstrous Martian fighting machines, unaware that deep flaws exist in their military leadership's central battle strategy. Across the Atlantic, the film shows the political battle for the White House as president Woodrow Wilson struggles to maintain U. S. neutrality, all the while sending aid to the beleaguered European alliance. From the skies over central London, where bi-planes battle a towering alien tripod, to the war’s catastrophic final act, the Allies, now standing on the brink of total defeat by the alien invaders, must decide if launching an untested and potentially devastating secret weapon is worth risking the lives of millions and causing a global pandemic.

Exploring the war's events are two modern historians with opposing views about the conflict's many controversies. They most especially disagree on an incendiary new discovery centered around the notorious and uncrackable "Martian Code", a vast century old cache of alien documents seized after the conclusion of the war. These documents now appear to contain the direst of warnings that the war is only paused and far from over.

Main cast

The film is narrated by Mark Strong.

Ashley Bomberry as Kim Lafonde
Briony Glassco as Alexandra Banham
Daniel Matmor as Lawrence Hart
Hazel Douglas as Alice Hale
Howard Jerome as Howard Klee
Ian Downie as Hughie Logan
Joan Gregson as Nerys Vaughan
Jock McLeod as Jock Donnelly
Ross Walton (voice over)
Sarossy (voice over)
Thomas Gough as Duncan Mitchell-Myers
Walter Stegmayer as Arnold Tockelz

Reception

One film reviewer found the film gripping and "not only fascinating to watch, but very realistic right to the very end."^[1] Another reviewer commented that the film may be "best described as an interesting curiosity."^[2] According to a reviewer for Postmedia News, the film is "a novelty, but an inventive and surprisingly engaging novelty."^[3]

References

↑ Woodham, Karen (3 August 2014). "Great Martian War 1913–1917 [Review]". BlazingMinds.co.uk. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
↑ Bowling, Dave (15 December 2013). "TV Review: FTN reviews The Great Martian War 1913–1917". FollowingTheNerd.com. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
↑ Strachan, Alex (5 December 2013). "TV Thursday: The Great Martian War a deft trip back in time". Postmedia News. Retrieved 6 December 2014.

External links

H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds (1897)

Related texts: "The Crystal Egg"
Star Begotten

Concepts

Characters

Derivative
works

Novels	Fighters from Mars Edison's Conquest of Mars Sherlock Holmes's War of the Worlds The Space Machine War of the Worlds: New Millennium The Martian War

Radio	The War of the Worlds (1938) The War of the Worlds (1968)

Films	The War of the Worlds (1953) The Night That Panicked America The War of the Worlds: Next Century H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds (2005) H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds (2005) War of the Worlds (2005) War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave War of the Worlds: Goliath

Comics	Killraven Superman: War of the Worlds The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II Scarlet Traces H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds

Music	Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds "Forever Autumn" Highlights from Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds – The New Generation

Television	The Great Martian War 1913–1917 War of the Worlds episodes Mor-Tax Mor-Taxans

Video games	War of the Worlds (1982) The War of the Worlds (1984) Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds (1998) Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds (1999)

Short fiction	War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches "Mars: The Home Front" "To Mars and Providence" Rainbow Mars

Works by H. G. Wells

Novels	The Time Machine (1895) The Wonderful Visit (1895) The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896) The Wheels of Chance (1896) The Invisible Man (1897) The War of the Worlds (1898) When the Sleeper Wakes (1899) Love and Mr Lewisham (1900) The First Men in the Moon (1901) The Sea Lady (1902) The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth (1904) Kipps (1905) A Modern Utopia (1905) In the Days of the Comet (1906) The War in the Air (1908) Tono-Bungay (1909) Ann Veronica (1909) The History of Mr Polly (1910) The Sleeper Awakes (1910) The New Machiavelli (1911) Marriage (1912) The Passionate Friends (1913) The Wife of Sir Isaac Harman (1914) The World Set Free (1914) Bealby: A Holiday (1915) Boon (1915) The Research Magnificent (1915) Mr Britling Sees It Through (1916) The Soul of a Bishop (1917) Joan and Peter: The Story of an Education (1918) The Undying Fire (1919) The Secret Places of the Heart (1922) Men Like Gods (1923) The Dream (1924) Christina Alberta's Father (1925) The World of William Clissold (1926) Meanwhile (1927) Mr. Blettsworthy on Rampole Island (1928) The Autocracy of Mr. Parham (1930) The Bulpington of Blup (1932) The Shape of Things to Come (1933) The Croquet Player (1936) Brynhild (1937) Star Begotten (1937) The Camford Visitation (1937) Apropos of Dolores (1938) The Brothers (1938) The Holy Terror (1939) Babes in the Darkling Wood (1940) All Aboard for Ararat (1940) You Can't Be Too Careful (1941)

Nonfiction	Anticipations Certain Personal Matters Crux Ansata The Discovery of the Future An Englishman Looks at the World (U.S. title: Social Forces in England and America) Experiment in Autobiography The Fate of Man First and Last Things Floor Games The Future in America: A Search After Realities God the Invisible King In the Fourth Year Little Wars Mankind in the Making Mind at the End of Its Tether Mr. Belloc Objects to "The Outline of History" The New America: The New World The New World Order New Worlds for Old The Open Conspiracy The Outline of History Russia in the Shadows The Science of Life A Short History of the World The Story of a Great Schoolmaster This Misery of Boots Travels of a Republican Radical in Search of Hot Water War and the Future (North America: Italy, France and Britain at War) The Way the World is Going The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind World Brain A Year of Prophesying

Collections	The Country of the Blind and Other Stories The Plattner Story and Others Select Conversations with an Uncle The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents Tales of Space and Time Twelve Stories and a Dream

Short stories	"Æpyornis Island" "The Argonauts of the Air" "The Beautiful Suit" "The Chronic Argonauts" "The Cone" "The Country of the Blind" "The Crystal Egg" "A Deal in Ostriches" "The Diamond Maker" "A Dream of Armageddon" "The Empire of the Ants" "In the Abyss" "The Land Ironclads" "Mr. Ledbetter's Vacation" "The Lord of the Dynamos" "The Man Who Could Work Miracles" "The New Accelerator" "The Pearl of Love" "The Queer Story of Brownlow's Newspaper" "The Red Room" "The Sea Raiders" "The Star" "The Stolen Body" "A Story of the Days to Come" "A Story of the Stone Age" "Triumphs of a Taxidermist" "The Truth About Pyecraft" "A Vision of Judgment"

Screenplays	Things to Come The Man Who Could Work Miracles

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