This movie is a more or less accurate cinematic reflection of "The Second Invasion from Mars" (Второе нашествие марсиан, 1968), a lesser-known short story of Strugacki brothers. Both the short story and the movie are set in the world where Martians landed, first posing as friends, but demanding more and more drastic changes in our everyday lives as the time goes. Thing is, we never see or hear any Martians actually demanding or enforcing anything. It's always our own authorities, our own police, our own government, our own officials who impose the Martian rule upon us. And in the end, Martians leave - if they ever existed - but the Martian rules stay.
The last missing piece of puzzle is revealed when Iron Idem corners a lone Martian and roughs him up rather effortlessly, asking "Why are you doing this to us?" and the dying Martian replies: "They promised us candy." The Martian "invasion" was just a pretense to establish a whole new system of institutionalized oppression upon the populace.
Even though this movie was originally a commentary on political situation in Soviet-ruled Eastern bloc, it stays as valid as ever. No matter where you live, "the second invasion from Mars" is happening right now, right on your doorstep. Watch for the Martians, but more importantly, watch for those who pay them with candy.
The last missing piece of puzzle is revealed when Iron Idem corners a lone Martian and roughs him up rather effortlessly, asking "Why are you doing this to us?" and the dying Martian replies: "They promised us candy." The Martian "invasion" was just a pretense to establish a whole new system of institutionalized oppression upon the populace.
Even though this movie was originally a commentary on political situation in Soviet-ruled Eastern bloc, it stays as valid as ever. No matter where you live, "the second invasion from Mars" is happening right now, right on your doorstep. Watch for the Martians, but more importantly, watch for those who pay them with candy.