So...Cloverfield

Godzilla was pretty clearly a metaphor for America, don't you think? A giant, nuclear-powered monster which came from the Pacific to rain destruction on Japan. An unstoppable juggernaut against which the entire Japanese military was helpless. It crushed people, tanks, warplanes, warships and cities alike, and literally rained nuclear fire on them.

And yet, eventually, Godzilla came to be Japan's friend and ally. Its protector. It defended Japan from other members of the nuclear club the monster brigade, monsters which were still hostile to Japan. Godzilla, which could not be defeated by all of Japan's military might was tamed by friendship.

Is Cloverfield a metaphor? I don't know. Looking back, the metaphorical nature of Godzilla seems pretty clear to me. Was it obvious at the time? I dunno. But Cloverfield is a pretty darn good monster movie. I went to the 10:30 showing last night on a sudden whim. I'd have waited to go with snippy but I'm sure she wouldn't want to see it. The "shaky cam" thing would undoubtedly make her ill--I occasionally wound up watching the corner of the movie screen when it was particularly bad. (I agree with the reviewers on Ebert & Roeper--future film-makers who want to use the "amateur video" motif should  keep in mind that people have been using videocams for a long time now. They've largely learned to avoid the worst of the shaky-cam jitter by now. Don't overdo it.)

Does Cloverfield make light of, or play on, the events of 9/11, as I've heard it suggested?

No. Film makers have always tried to make their special effects as realistic as possible (at least, given the constraints of time and money). Independence Day also showed us New York City being destroyed, but it was released in 1996. We saw buildings exploding, crowds running for their lives. But not the immense clouds of dust billowing down the streets and engulfing everyone and everything, nor the flying debris. Cloverfield shows us that, not to play on the memories of 9/11 (in my opinion) but because 9/11 showed us what it really looks like when high rise buildings collapse. The latter film was made more realistic by incorporating those real world consequences into the special effects.

Cloverfield also put us squarely in the shoes of people on the ground during a giant monster attack, which is the main thing that makes it stand out. We don't get an omniscient viewer's understanding of events. We don't get to see where and how the monster came to be. We don't get hear what scientists, generals and Presidents are told, what they theorize, what they're planning. We simply find ourselves watching ordinary people reacting to an impossible, horrific situation as "something terrible"* attacks the city.

We follow the adventures of Rob, Jason, Beth, Lily, Marlena and Hud. They're all at a going-away part for Rob, who is about to travel to Japan to take up a new job. During the party the power goes out briefly and the building shudders. They learn from the television that an oil tanker has capsized in the harbor, which isn't far away. The party crowd goes up to the roof to see if they can see anything. They're there when the oil tanker explodes (the immense fireball we see in the trailers), and thus starts the worst night of their lives.

( Here there be spoilers. Beware! )