The Great Martian War 1913–1917
An alternate history of World War I with Martian invaders.
This 2013 Canadian-British television film, directed by Mike Slee and produced by Kot, Maher, and Slee, is a science fiction docudrama. It mimics the format of a History Channel episode, chronicling a fictional Martian conflict from 1913 to 1917.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Alternate history; Science fiction
- Based on
- The War of the Worlds, H. G. Wells
- Writer
- Steve Maher; Stephen Sarossy
- Director
- Mike Slee
- Starring
- Jock McLeod
- Joan Gregson
- Ian Downie
- Thomas Gough
- Narrator
- Mark Strong
- Country
- Canada, United Kingdom
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Overview
The film presents an alternate history in which European Allies and later America fight Martian invaders instead of the Central Powers. It weaves references to real World War I events, including trench warfare, the Christmas truce, and America's late entry. A twist on the Spanish flu pandemic becomes key to ending the alien invasion.
Description
The film incorporates new and digitally altered World War I footage to depict the interplanetary conflict. In June 1913, astronomers in London observe a bright meteor from Mars heading toward Earth. A massive explosion in Germany's Bohemian Forest is initially blamed on a German super-weapon, but German forces sent to investigate vanish. Kaiser Wilhelm appeals for global military aid against a non-human invading force. The European Allies engage Martian fighting machines, unaware that the aliens send scavenger drones nightly to collect battlefield metal for constructing new machines, making mass-wave tactics counterproductive. US President Woodrow Wilson sends aid while trying to keep America out of the war. After attacks on ships at sea are attributed to Martians, Wilson resigns and Theodore Roosevelt is restored to office, joining the Allies. Whether the ship attacks were truly Martian or a false flag operation is left unresolved. Following an apparent attack on London by a single tripod, the Allies discover the Martians are vulnerable to Glanders, a terrestrial horse bacteria. They weaponize it, killing the Martians within weeks, but the disease mutates and causes a pandemic that kills millions more than the war.
Reception
One reviewer found the film gripping and very realistic. Another described it as an interesting curiosity. A Postmedia News reviewer called it a novelty that is inventive and surprisingly engaging. Another reviewer praised the project as audacious, clever, and perfectly realized, noting that the combination of faux archival footage and CGI alien machines felt authentic and awesome.
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