Them (1954)

Mar 29

The piercing, otherworldly shriek that echoes through the New Mexico desert in Gordon Douglas's 1954 film Them! serves as more than just an unsettling harbinger of the mutant terrors to come. It represents the dawning awareness of humanity's power to fundamentally disrupt the natural order - and the consequences of wielding that power without fully understanding its implications. While often categorized simply as a creature feature from the atomic age, "Them!" transcends its B-movie trappings to offer a sophisticated meditation on humanity's relationship with nature and technology in the nuclear era.

The film opens not with rampaging monsters, but with a mystery that unfolds with the methodical pacing of a police procedural. When New Mexico State Police Sergeant Ben Peterson (James Whitmore) and his partner discover a traumatized young girl wandering alone in the desert, they find themselves drawn into an investigation that defies conventional explanation. A destroyed trailer, a ransacked general store, unexplained deaths - the evidence points to something beyond normal human violence.

This careful build-up, eschewing immediate spectacle for mounting dread, allows Them! to establish its themes with unusual nuance for a 1950s science fiction film. The initial focus on law enforcement's bewildered response to inexplicable events grounds the fantastic elements in procedural reality. When FBI agent Robert Graham (James Arness) and father-daughter myrmecologists Dr. Harold and Pat Medford (Edmund Gwenn and Joan Weldon) enter the picture, the film seamlessly transitions from noir-tinged mystery to scientific investigation.

The revelation that the antagonists are common ants mutated to enormous size by radiation from atomic testing could easily have devolved into camp. Instead, the film maintains its serious tone through meticulous attention to both scientific detail and human dynamics. Dr. Harold Medford's lecture on ant biology and behavior serves not just as exposition, but as a reminder that these creatures, however grotesque their mutated form, are simply following their natural instincts. The ants aren't evil; they're the unintended consequence of humanity's own actions.

This approach places Them! in stark contrast to many of its contemporary monster movies, where radiation typically created purely malevolent abominations. The giant ants remain recognizably ants - social insects following normal ant behavior patterns, simply scaled up to terrifying proportions. Their threat comes not from any intrinsic malice, but from the fundamental incompatibility of their natural behaviors with human civilization when occurring at such a scale.

The film's visual presentation reinforces this theme of nature distorted rather than corrupted. Shot in black and white (though originally planned for color), "Them!" uses shadow and suggestion in its early scenes, building tension through glimpses and sounds rather than full reveals. When the ants do appear, their movements and behaviors are carefully choreographed to mimic actual ant behavior, lending an uncanny authenticity to what could have been merely laughable puppetry.

The human characters, too, are drawn with unusual depth for the genre. Sergeant Peterson's obvious compassion for children and sense of responsibility for his partner's death make him more than just a square-jawed hero. Dr. Pat Medford defies period stereotypes as a competent female scientist whose expertise is never questioned once demonstrated. Even minor characters feel fully realized, lending weight to the mounting human cost as the ants spread.

Perhaps most striking is the film's measured approach to authority and institutional response. Unlike many science fiction films of the era that either wholly embraced or rejected institutional power, Them! presents a remarkably balanced view. The military, law enforcement, and scientific communities work together effectively, each contributing their expertise while acknowledging their limitations. Yet the film never shies away from highlighting how human institutions created the problem in the first place through atomic testing.

The movement of the threat from the isolated desert to the urban sprawl of Los Angeles provides both escalating tension and deeper metaphoric resonance. The ants' invasion of the city's storm drain system suggests nature literally undermining the foundations of civilization. The climactic battles in these concrete tunnels - man-made caverns that mirror the ants' natural habitat - blur the line between human and insect domains.

Dr. Medford's closing warning about the consequences of atomic testing could have been heavy-handed, but instead feels earned through the film's careful build-up. His observation that »when Man entered the atomic age, he opened a door into a new world« acknowledges both the wonder and terror of human technological achievement. The film suggests that humanity's greatest challenge may not be external threats, but learning to responsibly handle its own expanding capabilities.

This sophistication in theme and execution helps explain why Them! has remained relevant well beyond its era. While its specific anxieties about atomic testing may feel dated, its broader concerns about human technological power outpacing wisdom resonate with contemporary issues from genetic engineering to climate change. The film's central question - how do we deal with the unintended consequences of our own innovations? - feels more pressing than ever.

The film's influence can be seen in countless subsequent works, from Aliens to Jurassic Park, that explore humanity's hubris in controlling or modifying nature. Its combination of procedural investigation, scientific explanation, and mounting horror created a template for grounding fantastic premises in believable reality. Even its visual techniques - suggesting more than showing, building tension through sound and shadow - continue to influence modern filmmakers.

Them! also deserves recognition for its progressive elements. Beyond Dr. Pat Medford's role as a respected female scientist, the film presents a remarkably diverse and competent array of professionals working together across institutional boundaries. While still reflecting some period limitations, it avoided many common stereotypes and portrayed expertise and cooperation as essential to solving large-scale problems.

The film's technical achievements, while dated by modern standards, demonstrate remarkable creativity in bringing its premise to life. The ant designs, combining practical effects and careful sound design, create a sense of massive, alien presence that remains effective. The decision to shoot in black and white, though not originally intended, adds to the documentary feel of early scenes and helps blend the effects work into the overall visual scheme.

Viewing Them! today reveals both how much and how little has changed in our relationship with technology and nature. While atomic testing may no longer be our primary concern, the film's depiction of humanity struggling to contain the consequences of its own innovations remains startlingly relevant. Its suggestion that our greatest threats might come not from malice but from disrupting natural systems we don't fully understand feels prescient in an era of accelerating environmental change.

The film's ultimate message is neither simple technophobia nor blind faith in human ingenuity. Instead, it suggests that our survival depends on bringing together scientific understanding, institutional cooperation, and human compassion to address the challenges we create. That this message is delivered through what could have been a simple monster movie testifies to the film's ambition and achievement.

In an era when blockbuster films often sacrifice substance for spectacle, Them! reminds us that genre cinema can address serious themes without losing its entertainment value. Its ability to balance genuine horror with scientific accuracy, human drama with social commentary, creates a template that remains valuable seventy years later. As we face our own unleashed forces - from artificial intelligence to climate change - the film's thoughtful approach to humanity's responsibility for its innovations feels more relevant than ever.