Quatermass and the Pit

A science fiction film set in London. Bones come out of the ground during work on the underground. The anthropologist called in says they are human but five million years old, a date that does not fit the record. As the dig goes deeper a metal hull appears. Military officials take it for an unexploded bomb from the war. Professor Quatermass disagrees. When the hull is opened, dead creatures are found inside. From there the film builds an explanation: this craft came here millions of years ago and something was done to the human ancestors of the time. Part of human behaviour today comes from that. The name of the district where the site lies, and the ghost stories told there for years, are tied into the explanation as well. The best thing about it is that it keeps the balance between science and horror: measurements are taken throughout, records are made and the argument continues. In the last section the craft becomes active and mass behaviour begins in the city. Andrew Keir plays Quatermass, James Donald the anthropologist and Barbara Shelley his assistant. Roy Ward Baker directed. The source is Nigel Kneale's television serial. One of the important examples of its kind for anyone who likes classic science fiction and the British horror tradition. For a viewer expecting the effects of today, the production belongs to its period and the tension comes from the idea.