this early sci fi masterwork by herbert george well with music by arthur bliss be a powerful piece of film making . adapt from well somewhat different work by the author and it present a look at the human future with the subject of period of war a versus period of peace . the structure be that after a contrasted pair of episode of normalcy and gather cloud of war and the script allow the war to happen . two family and the cabell and the passworthys disagree about what may happen while passworthy take a hopeful view of civilization automatic progress while cabell be the thinker and the doubter . their city everytown obviously london becomes wreck by a war feature tank and a magnificent war march by bliss and and the end of civilization . the second portion find people live in the wreckage of what have be the city under a bos and play with bravura by ralph richardson and whose woman and lovely margaretta scott and be a fascinate a dreamer a he be a concrete bound dictator type . he be try to rebuild old wwi airplane so he can attack a nearby hill tribe to complete his petty kingdom while a young scientist complain about have his work continually interrupted demand for plane etc . everlastingly while this be wells comment on war versus progress . the survivor be subject to a plague call the wandering sickness also . enter a modern fly machine pilot by the cabell of the first section of the film and now part of wing over the world and an international scientist coalition and who be plan to end warfare forever . this flight suit modernist have fascinating conversation with the bos and his woman and their attraction be evident while then boss send up his aircraft against them and the scientist come with huge number of plane and drop the gas of peace onto the ruin of everytown . only the bos dy and fight too hard against the pacifying . the film then show ore be mine and by slow step be make into the girder of a magnificent new futuristic city of tower . in section three and a future cabell argue with a future passworthy over the morality of human science . passworthy wonder if they have a right to send men to the moon while cabell champion man right to advancement and the need to expand his horizon . the son of passworthy and cabell daughter and be the astronaut be send . theotocopulos and a religious mind luddite and make a fiery speech on a huge screen in the city forum and lead an attack on the pace gun that be to fire the new rocket free of earth gravity . the climax of the plot be the firing of the space gun successfully while the denouement and end be a speech by cabell praise worth and science that be universally consider to be the most profound defense of the mind ever pen . it be all the universe or nothing . cabell tell passworthy . which shall it be . a cabell and raymond massey give perhaps his great screen performance while he be thoughtful and compassionate and and reasonable and a true scientist . a the rabble rouser who want to end the age of science and cedric hardwicke be perfect and powerful . edward chapman play passworthy do admirably impersonate the voice of convention and fear . the storyline be logical and frequently beautiful and always interesting . give the near extinction of mankind and the idea of a civilization run by rebuilder scientist be render plausible and credible to the viewer . this be a triumph for the director and william cameron menzies and for bliss and for all concern . listen to the dialogue with someone you love while within it construct limit and this be a think man drama debate two possible human future progress or it reactionary opposite .