As an under appreciated classic, The Incredible Shrinking Man does a fascinating job of staying believable and gripping even in 2006. Directed by one of science fiction's best, Jack Arnold, this gripping tale (based on the novel by Richard Matheson) is a masterpiece of filmmaking ingenuity, special effects, and oddly moving story. It's one of the best films from the decade.
Focusing on the unfortunate Scott Carey (Grant Williams), this elaborate production has its lead slowly shrinking to a miniscule size and there's nothing modern medicine can do to stop it. While radiation takes the blame for all of this in generic fashion, the rest of the film becomes an original stand out. It draws horror early as the mystery builds and the writers continually dream up new ways to let the audience know how dire the situation is.
As written, the story forces Carey into an impossible situation. Left for dead after an attack by a common house cat, Carey begins a quest for survival in a confined basement. Dwarfed by something as simple a matchbox, the shrinking man does all he can to survive. Not alone in his new dwelling, he's forced to fight for food, water, and clothes against a spider that would be nothing to a normal human. To Carey, it's the ultimate predator.
Both the book and screenplay move past the action though, a rare feat for the era. The emotional breakdown is presented in fine detail. The media's pressure for information becomes a strain on not only him, but also his wife who also begins a slow separation from her own sanity. The film's final lines are unforgettable, and if you've never seen the film, that's the moment to look forward too.
Even if things become too involving for what some may consider standard sci-fi fare, there's still a classic film at work. Not only are the special effects ahead of their time; they're brave and aggressive. No shot seems to be impossible, whether interaction with full size humans, meager insects, or giant props. The special effects team crafted effects well beyond their time, and the testament to their work is on the screen.
The film is in some ways a total reversal when compared to standard creature features of the day, and in others, the same film. While humans have been dwarfed by any number of creatures over the years and it's the basic issue at work here, The Incredible Shrinking Man doesn't have the backing of a military or scientist. He can hardly lift a nail when he needs to defend himself. His weapon becomes his own human intelligence.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
i just saw this movie a couple of weeks ago. very cool stuff.
2 - Ian Woolstencroft
This was the film I blame for my fear of spiders!
For me The Incredible Shrinking Man is one of the four best SF films of the 50’s (the others being Forbidden Planet, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Day the Earth Stood Still.) It’s a film that transcends the genre to be a classic by any standards. It’s been treated the worst of the four on DVD, while the others all come with a variety of special features (or will when the Forbidden Planet Special Edition is released soon) this is dumped in with a bunch of SF B movies, at least in the UK it’s been released on its own although still bare of extras.
3 - Bob
Other than maybe some fuzziness in the Scott-meets-Clarice segment, very clear in picture and sound. Excellent special effects for the time.
Yes, no extras, but if they were thinking of doing interviews, most of the cast are now no longer with us... *****
4 - Ian Woolstencroft
"Yes, no extras, but if they were thinking of doing interviews, most of the cast are now no longer with us..."
True but there are doubtless vintage interviews they could have used. And the same is true most of the cast and crew of the other three classics I mentioned but they still managed to release decent Special Editions of them, not to mention Universal's Frankenstein and Dracula.
5 - Julie Hartfields
TISM is my fave film of all time (a big statement considering all the films out there). Its modesty, imaginative B&W cinematography, superb script & direction (and great heart) single in out in my mind. I first saw it (when I was babysitting) on late night TV in the 60's and thought OH NO - Sci Fi (when the stone tablet font shrieks the title). However I watched it and was blown away. (Being an arachnaphobe I found it especially chilling). The last minutes are spellbinding and capture the existential predicament of man and his spiritual quest. A sublime piece of film making. BRAVO