Roswell (1994)

This movie presents the details of the Incident at Roswell very accurately in accordance with the books published on the event. Whilst the movie obviously portrays the incident to be the crash of an alien craft in New Mexico in 1947, the scene in which Martin Sheen and Kyle MacLachlan meet in the hangar I believe gives the viewer the opportunity to make up their own mind about that incident and other U.F.O. sightings in general.Whilst much of the movie revolves around Jesse Marcel,the government's efforts to make him look like a fool, and the subsequent cover ups, I felt the viewer was given the chance to understand why such an issue would have to be hidden from the general public. I believe the producers and director were smart to avoid the over the top, cliché, tacky Hollywood conspiracy theory theme.Whilst the movie is based on the events at Roswell in 1947 some scenes that have been dramatised for the purposes of the movie are wonderfully incorporated to allow the viewer the opportunity to understand why the government would hide such an event. In particular, the scene in which a secret government committee has been set up to investigate the incident and the round table discussion that takes place. The dialogue such as, "We're here to ensure domestic tranquility, not eliminate it", "what of our religious institutions", and "what if this was to all come out, what are people going to believe" gives the viewer an understanding for why the government would shield us from such information.The War of the Worlds radio broadcast in 1939 demonstrates how feeble minded the human race is to the possibility that we are not alone. If suddenly we were told that yes there was a crash of an alien spacecraft in New Mexico in 1947 then the world would go into a frenzy. The beliefs of an overwhelming percentage of the world's population, in particular religious institutions who are of the view we are the sole occupants of this enormous universe, would be instantly proved wrong. To tell such a large number of people that what they have believed their whole life is completely inaccurate would have devastating consequences. The government has to protect the majority of its people from themselves.Therefore the information needs to be leaked slowly to allow people the chance to make up their own mind over a long period of time. That, in my view, is what is happening.A wonderful movie perfectly produced that has not been given the full credit it deserves. The movie is not for those with a simple, uncomplicated mind however. You need to be able to think in a complex manner. Try watching it with an unbiased view on the event and see what you believe afterwards.Some who have criticised the movie, in particular students from Melbourne, might be better advised to ask their teachers to try movies such as High School High, Down Periscope or Date Movie to better evaluate how a movie should not be made. Every movie made can have the s#*t picked out of it if you are watching it to do such.Roswell is essential viewing on more than one occasion.

One thing that impressed me a bit about his movie were the scenes of government officials discussing what to do in the wake of Roswell. I consider it highly likely that the coverup was (and still is) motivated primarily by a realization that advanced ETs, if revealed, would devastate existing religious beliefs and political institutions. Also intriguing were the tactics proposed to help the coverup. Bad information was to be leaked through good sources and good information through bad sources. There is fairly good evidence of this. The whole Roswell case is awash with nonsense and disinformation put out by people in touch with the government, notably Corso, Courtney Brown and K.Korff.The latter supports the official line that no ET crash occurred; it was just a balloon array, supposedly difficult to identify because it consisted of 23 balloons. But many people can see through official explanations, so outright denial must be supplemented by disinformation.If they can't prevent some people from believing at least they can try to prevent them from drawing the right conclusions.That is the purpose of disinformation. The truth is that Roswell was a deliberate crash, intended to contact the government without frightening it, as landing intact would have. Note that the aliens don't land and reveal themselves yet, not any more than the government discloses their existence. The two have collaborated since the outset, in 1947.To obscure this, Corso portrayed the aliens as hostile, while the putative briefing document says their intentions are completely unknown. The obvious implication, and purpose of the phoney document, is to discredit the reality: ET-government collaboration.

....I won't say much. This wasn't going to be a movie that was going to create havoc at the Oscars or break some mold at the box office but, let me just say, we had to watch this for school........it was used as an example of how NOT to make a film. Bad acting. (Martin Sheen, for shame! Hardly broke a sweat standing in the background for most of the duration) Bad direction. (Tried to be creative by having flashbacks in different styles, but may I ask, why the dramatic shots of paintings in the Political meeting? It was like Days Of Our Lives for Chrissake!) Bad BAD script. (classics from the main characters wife, like : "Dance time, dear" and "Your father's back, son".) And bad bad BAD make up! (throw some baby powder over Kyles face to make him look old, yeah, wow.) This film also has to win "most pathetic sick man portrayal" by Kyle Mac in the scene where he grabs one of the witnesses in his living room by the shoulders and coughs, jerking his head back and forth like a duck at a disco. (I tried the same move at a club last weekend, the bouncers almost booted me out). I wouldn't normally even think about watching something like this, but we had to. My God. Really bad. Half a Star. And thats coz it at least had an Alien in it that could'nt act either.

Having been privy to many of the related details in this fine made-for-tv movie, i feel that 'Roswell' is probably the most well-researched film dealing with the subject of close encounters and linked government conspiracies that one can find, and i recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone interested in this subject. Further, allow me to direct interested viewers to the similar, if largely dramatized, 1980 film 'Hangar 18'.