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The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

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90 out of 108 people found the following comment useful :-
Classic Science Fiction, that stands the test of time., 6 September 2000

Author: g-man24/7 (klginc@attcanada.ca) from kamloops,b.c canada

The first time i saw this movie, i was 10 yrs old. That was in 1974,it was on t.v. that night, and my father, let me stay up to watch it. Because many years earlier, he saw it at the movie theater as a teenager. He told me that The Day the Earth Stood Still, was the reason he became a sci-fi fan. Well, so did i that night! To this day despite all the fancy, special effect, movies that are out there, this movie stands above them all. The humanity in this movie is so moving, that alone makes it a classic.But much more than that,it's message still rings true today,and should never be forgotten. A masterpiece! 9.5/10.

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76 out of 87 people found the following comment useful :-
Simple SF Tale with Profound Message..., 13 January 2004
Author: Ben Burgraff (cariart) from Las Vegas, Nevada

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL is such a basic Science Fiction story that many first-time viewers have been stunned by the reverence in which it is held. An alien arrives on earth, is misunderstood and is nearly killed, passes a warning to mankind to not carry the weapons of potential nuclear war into space, or face annihilation, then leaves. The FX are minimal, there are no 'space battles' or 'monsters', even the score, by the legendary composer Bernard Herrmann, is simple, lacking the bombast of later 'epics'. Yet in it's very simplicity, director Robert Wise has created a tale more timeless and relevant than many other 'message'-driven SF blockbusters that followed.

Based on Harry Bates' short story, "Farewell to the Master", which paints a far less friendly view of our galactic community (Gort, the enforcer robot, is revealed to be the true 'Master' of the story, not Klaatu, thus revealing that machines are controlling the Universe), 20th Century Fox and director Wise quickly butted heads on how the film should be presented. Fox envisioned Spencer Tracy as Klaatu, believing that the legendary star's well-established persona would make the SF elements more 'understandable' to audiences. Wise scoffed at the notion, arguing that no one would ever believe Tracy was an alien, and searched until he found relative newcomer Michael Rennie, a gaunt, sensitive British actor, whom he felt best suited the Christ-like quality Klaatu had to possess (even the name Klaatu adopted to mingle with humans was 'Carpenter'). For earth's greatest scientist (a thinly-disguised Albert Einstein), Wise cast screen veteran Sam Jaffe, which also brought a howl from the studio, as the actor was being investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee, in the midst of their infamous 'witch hunt' and blacklisting of Hollywood's supposed Communist sympathizers. Jaffe proved a perfect choice, however, displaying many of the qualities he would later bring to 'Dr. Zorba' on "Ben Casey".

Rounding out the cast were popular actress Patricia Neal (still recovering from her failed relationship with Gary Cooper), Hugh Marlowe (fresh from the success of ALL ABOUT EVE), and Billy Gray (who would go on to great success in "Father Knows Best").

The true casting coup, however, was finding 7-foot Hollywood doorman Lock Martin to portray the robot, Gort. Encased in foam rubber 'armor' and 'lifts', to bring his height to nearly eight feet (he actually wore two different outfits, as the seam was impossible to hide, and would always have to be on the opposite side to the camera), Martin, who, Wise acknowledged, was not a physically strong man, would occasionally faint from heat exhaustion (if you watch him carefully, during the film, you can actually see moments when he would start to tilt over). The scene where he carries Neal on board the spacecraft was a major achievement for the easily tired giant, and the actress, who was afraid, justifiably, that she might be dropped!

The filming was, by and large, an enjoyable experience for the cast and crew (although Patricia Neal, in later interviews, said that it was nearly impossible for her to say the film's famous 'tag' phrase, "Klaatu Barrada Nikto", without breaking into giggles). Everyone knew the end result would be special; Michael Rennie, ten years later, would call the role the most "important" of his career (NBC would even bring him in to host the network premiere of the film, on "Saturday Night at the Movies").

With it's anti-war stand, the film was the direct counterpart of the year's other 'classic' SF production, THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD, the first of Hollywood's 'alien invasion' films. In THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, 'Mankind' is the true monster, toying with nuclear weapons, constantly fighting, and willing to kill a peaceful emissary, without allowing him to deliver his message or offer his gifts to the world. "Man must grow up, or be destroyed" was a powerful message, in 1951, particularly when Wise panned his camera over Arlington Cemetery, with it's thousands of headstones, as Klaatu/Carpenter viewed, sadly, the end result of our fixation with warfare.

The message is even more relevant, today, which is why THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL remains a classic.

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71 out of 86 people found the following comment useful :-
A science fiction classic that beautifully melds the ordinary and the fantastic, 17 March 2005
Author: J. Spurlin from Chicago, Illinois

This science fiction classic is more relevant than ever, and I don't mean its silly message about peace. Yes, yes, we're all violent, silly, war-like humans, and we should all throw away our guns and atomic bombs posthaste if we know what's good for us. Thanks, Klaatu. We'll get right on that. Meanwhile, we'll enjoy the chance to watch your story on DVD because we live in an age – yes, of war and cruelty and weapons of mass destruction – but also of Jar Jar Binks and "Alien vs. Predator."

Klaatu (Michael Rennie) is a gentlemanly outer-space alien who comes to earth in his flying saucer to send us Earthlings a very important message. Sadly, we shoot him on arrival and try to imprison him in a hospital room. He escapes, however, and goes out among us to find the basis for our "strange, unreasoning attitudes." He takes a room in a boarding house, where he meets the widowed Mrs. Benson (Patricia Neal) and her young son (Billy Gray). The widow is being romanced by an insurance salesman (Hugh Marlowe), who later displays a lust for glory that endangers Klaatu – and thus the rest of the world. Klaatu is in better hands when he reveals himself to Professor Barnhardt (Sam Jaffe), a brilliant scientist and the best hope for the survival of Earth.

It's funny, but I never think about this movie in terms of that plot outline. To me, this film is composed of small moments about people – especially Mrs. Benson. Mention "The Day the Earth Stood Still" to me, and the first thing I think about is that moment where the strange new boarder tells her that he'd like to spend the day with her son. She hesitates a moment and says in a lowered voice, "Well, that's awfully nice of you to suggest it." It's a tiny moment about her concern for her son, her good manners and her intelligent ability to reply quickly and diplomatically. Patricia Neal, not Gort the robot, makes this movie come alive for me.

The real reason this story is so fresh is because – it's a good story. It's not an excuse to slap us senseless with fast-paced cutting or drown us in great globs of special effects. It has an engaging plot with warm, interesting characters. If we stupidly (and as you know, Klaatu, we humans can be so very stupid) limit ourselves to the New Releases section of the video store, we forget that some sci-fi thrillers put story before special effects.

The trick work in this movie is excellent, though. I think the robot looks silly, but when Gort opens its visor and we hear that unnerving theremin music, we don't care that this supposedly metallic creature bends like Styrofoam at the knees. We know those laser beams eyes are about to scorch everything in their sight.

Michael Rennie makes up for Gort's deficiencies. He gives what easily could have been a humorless, sanctimonious character a quiet, graceful authority. His slightly otherworldly looks add to the illusion; and Neal as Mrs. Benson completes it by reacting to him with obvious respect – even when she fears him.

Under Robert Wise's direction, every shot is strikingly composed and brings out the maximum dramatic potential of the story. The sense of rhythm and pacing is beautifully suspenseful. Bernard Herrmann, with the theremin as one of his instruments, gives the movie both a nervous tension and a sense of wonder. And the story is so perfectly constructed that it even gets away with a big speech for a climax.

What's the heart of this movie? There's a bravura sequence where Billy Gray secretly follows Rennie from the boarding house to his spaceship. It's a simple, wordless scene where the entire team of filmmakers – and that goes double for Herrmann – meld the ordinary and the fantastic. You want a special effect? That's it.

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60 out of 74 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the ten best Sci-Fi movies of all time!, 6 December 2004

Author: mlcushing from Edmonton Alberta

This was one of the first sci-fi movies I ever saw and one by which I gage all others. Before there was 'Star Wars' there was 'The Day The Earth Stood Still'. It brought together all that later sci-fi movies strive for. A solid story, believable characters and, for the day, great special FX. It was an examination of society at the time and the racial prejudice that permeated all levels of life. It studies mans fear of the unknown and the violent reaction it produces even today, and how the love of one person can change the course of events for the better. It's a movie that can still stand on its own even by today's standards and should never be remade.

But that's just my opinion.

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58 out of 77 people found the following comment useful :-
Join us and live in peace or pursue your present course and face obliteration…, 13 January 2005

Author: Michael DeZubiria (miked32@hotmail.com) from Luoyang, China

It's odd to think that fifty years from now there may only be a handful of movies released in 2004 that will be remembered at all. I don't care to venture any guesses as to what they may be, but it's easy to see why The Day the Earth Stood Still is one of the ones from 1951 that remains a classic, while so many others sank into obscurity. The movie deals with a theme that was at the forefront of so many peoples' minds in the early 1950s, in America and the rest of the world, and that is the conflicts between many different nations, and more generally the tendency for humans to fight each other. It was released at the time of the Red Scare and so soon after World War II that international tensions were still high. Also odd is that if you switch the last two words in the title, why, it's not very frightening at all!

Okay, that made no sense, but I couldn't resist. My respect for the movie dimmed sharply when I saw that the alien was not only a man, but a good looking man who spoke perfect English, but then won back my respect completely when it took the time to explain that his culture had learned about humans through intercepting radio transmissions over many years. Unlikely, but it's an explanation, which is more than most science fiction films provide. Granted, not much time should be wasted on the science of science fiction, but in this case something had to be said. The alien didn't give may details as to his physical condition, but scientists hypothesized that since he so closely resembles a human, he must have a similar environment to our own on his planet.

Speaking of which, there is one thing about the science that I'm also curious about. At what stage were astronomical studies in the early 1950s? I'm wondering how far into space scientists were looking, because Carpenter, the alien, states with some grandeur that he has traveled 250 million miles to get to earth, which in astronomical terms is a tiny, tiny distance. Considering that the sun is 93 million miles from earth, this would mean that his planet is within our own solar system. And here's another little factoid – Earth makes a complete revolution around the sun every year, as you know. Pluto, on the other hand, takes something like 248 years to revolve around the sun. That has nothing to do with the movie, but is an interesting digression, I should think.

I found the political backdrop to be one of the most interesting things about the movie, and not only because of what the political landscape was like at the time. It was interesting to watch a movie about aliens that so quickly and completely dissolved into a close examination of volatile human relations, and without ever becoming preachy or devolving into peace propaganda (oxymoron intended). I actually think that a large part of what made up for the lack of aliens in this alien movie was the validity that its argument has.

When Carpenter (who they stopped just short of simply naming Jesus) was greeted with the response that a meeting with all of the worlds leaders was impossible because of tensions between nations, he was genuinely surprised and saddened. He gives as his reason for visiting earth the fact that his civilization has noticed satellites being launched around the Earth's atmosphere and, since humans clearly are unable to get along, he was sent here to tell us to join them and live in peace or face our present course and face obliteration. Most importantly, if we chose the latter, they would be there to ensure that we would not export our violence to peaceful civilizations in space. The descending nature with which he speaks is truly revealing, it makes humans look childish because of our constant battling with one another.

This is also where the movie coincides with some of the themes that Jonathan Swift presented in Utopia, his novel upon which several failed civilizations have been attempted. They have created robots, which we seen in the Iron Man, to prevent the rise of violence in their society. The robots have tremendous power, which cannot be revoked, and at the first sign of violence they react swiftly against the aggressor, which results in a peaceful society. I'm also reminded of Gulliver's Travels, also by Jonathan Swift, particularly the section where Gulliver lives among the Houynymns which, interestingly enough, are talking horses with a remarkable ability to live at peace. When at one point Gulliver describes lying, which does not exist to the Houynymns, one of them responds incredulously with something like, "Why on Earth would one say something that isn't so?" Carpenter displays exactly the same shocked surprise when he learns of some of the awful characteristics of human beings, which seems to suggest that before we look for other civilized worlds in the galaxy, maybe we should work a little more on civilizing our own world.

The famous quote that I've quoted in my summary line is one of the many delights that this film presents, and Evil Dead fans will be thrilled to see the origins of those strange words that Ash had such a hard time speaking in Army of Darkness. The genre of science fiction has a much larger than average ratio of bad films to good ones, and I think the best ones are the ones that have a concrete connection to the real world, as The Day the Earth Stood Still obviously does. Given the political atmosphere here in the first month of 2005, it's obvious that humans have not taken much advice from this movie, but then again, as Arnold stated in Terminator 2, "It's in your nature to destroy yourselves."

Scary.

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32 out of 40 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the top Sci-Fi movies ever made., 27 October 2000

Author: Jim Pickens (commodorjim) from Cloverdale, CA

The cast, story,and directing all combine to make this one of the best all time science fiction movies ever made. Seamless entertainment and a hold-your-breath climax will keep you on the edge of you seat until the last moment. A benevolent space man comes to earth to deliver the message,"learn to live together or else..." What can the consequences possibly be? This is a must-see and is suitable for all ages. Don't forget what to say to prevent the annihilation of earth.

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24 out of 26 people found the following comment useful :-
Interesting In Itself & As A Reflection of Its Era, 15 September 2004
Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio

Interesting both in itself and as a reflection of its era, "The Day the Earth Stood Still" may seem unspectacular now to those who are used to the extravagant science fiction pictures of the present time, but it deserves its place as a cinema classic. The story is worthwhile in itself, and as soon as you set aside any preconceptions about what science fiction should involve, it also builds up some pretty good drama and suspense. Its perspective is also interesting to see as a reflection of the concerns of its era, which have such obvious similarities with those of the present.

The story itself sometimes moves rather slowly, and the focus is really more on the reactions to Klaatu's arrival than on the action itself. As Klaatu, Michael Rennie stays pretty low-key, as does the rest of the cast much of the time. Although there are times when the movie might lack some energy as a result, in general it probably works better that way than it would have if there were too much forced emphasis on the urgency of Klaatu's mission, which is more than able to speak for itself. The ideas behind the story are fairly simple, but they are, of course, just as significant now (or in practically any other era) as they were in the 1950's.

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20 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :-
Whether you like the message or not, The Day The Earth Stood Still is a compelling Science Fiction film, 31 July 2004

Author: Joseph Riesenbeck (eazyguy62) from United States

Aliens have been visiting the Earth in one form or another by way of Hollywood almost non stop over the years. Sometimes they are cute friendly little creatures like E.T. while at other times they have been evil hideous creatures who descend upon Earth to conquer us with their technical superiority and so that directors like Roland Emmerich can try to wow us with a special effects extravaganza as he did in Independence Day. Then there are aliens like Klaatu, who walk like us, talk like us, have bodies likes us, and visit us in the form of Michael Rennie with the sole purpose of letting us know that if mankind doesn't get its act together soon, we all may be in for a world of hurt.

The Day the Earth Stood Still is unlike any science fiction film made in the fifties or possibly any decade for that matter. It was a movie that didn't rely on flesh eating creatures or huge alien monsters, yet manages to captivate us every step of the way. Directed by Robert Wise, the film wastes no time in getting to the point with an intense opening sequence that is simply spellbinding. There's an unidentified flying object circling the globe at a mere 4,000 miles an hour. As one famous announcer after another from all over the globe hits the airwaves with the news and the UFO is tracked by radar, we finally see the flying saucer as it glides over Washington D.C. and lands gently in a baseball field. The inhabitant of the spaceship doesn't emerge immediately, as Wise chooses to build our suspense and apprehension just as the spectators and soldiers surrounding the craft must feel. In one of the great science fiction sequences ever, the seemingly seamless spacecraft opens, and down the walkway emerges Klaatu (Michael Rennie), hidden by a silver space suit so that we are unaware as everyone else is of his true physical nature. Klaatu pulls a strange looking device from inside his suit, a soldier thinking that the object is some sort of alien weapon, fires at Klaatu wounding him. It is then that we learn the physical makeup of Klaatu, and it is also then that the robot Gort emerges from the spaceship, immediately firing a laser beam destroying the weapons and artillery surrounding the craft. After Klaatu, with a few mumble jumble alien type phrases, calms Gort down, and Klaatu is taken into custody by the military.

Eventually the film does calm down somewhat as Klaatu, by taking on the identity of Mr. Carpenter, finds his way out into the general population with the purpose of finding out what makes us Neanderthal like Earthlings tick. He is aided immeasurably by the widowed Helen Benson (Patricia Neal), her son Bobby (Billy Gray) and a well known scientist, Professor Barnhardt (Sam Jaffe). Michael Rennie is the perfect Klaatu. He stands by bemused as everyone seems to have a theory as to what his appearance really is and why he has paid us a visit including such odd ideas as that he has taken a short trip over from the Soviet Union. Although he tries to understand man's penchant for war and destruction, it is a concept without rationality to Klaatu, and one can't help but compare him in some ways to Mr. Spock. Unlike Spock however, Klaatu is not beyond showing impatience and frustration with us. While he tries to find a way to deliver his message to not one country, but all countries, the single minded purpose of the U.S. military to capture or kill someone they don't understand may seem clichéd, yet one can't help believe that in all likelihood that is how it would play out were such an event to occur. Either that or the congress would institute a couple of space visitor commissions to study the situation, and report the result of their findings based upon Klaatu's political persuasion.

It would have been easy for the film to bog down during Klaatu's wanderings around D.C., but Wise keeps things moving, making such things as a visit to Arlington Cemetery touching and moving, and a visit to a Professor's home intriguing and humorous at the same time. One can thank whoever decided to cast Billy Gray as Bobby, who does such a first-class job as Klaatu's tour guide that it not only adds immeasurably to the film, it would make one look Bobby up to be their own guide should they feel the need to tour the capital. Neal gives a truly wonderful performance as Bobby's mother. She is drawn to Mr. Carpenter but yet is wary of his strange ways to the point where she begins to question Bobby's friendship with him. Her complete opposite is her boyfriend, Tom (Hugh Marlowe) who sees his relationship with Helen as more of an opportunity than anything remotely having to do with true feelings. It doesn't take us long to figure out that Helen is drawn to Tom because of his ability to provide a home for her and Bobby, than any real emotional involvement, all of which comes into play at a very crucial moment of the film.

Then there is that message Klaatu has to deliver. It has always been the subject of much debate over the years, and will probably continue to be so for many years to come as long as there are message boards smothering the internet to continue the debate. I have my own thoughts about it, but can only say that agree or disagree, it is more or less the same message that many nations have more or less given to one country after another on our own planet. So does this make Klaatu and his kind as bad as us or is their method entirely different with an insistence on a peaceful existence? Which ever side you fall on, the debate will continue through the ages and when any film accomplishes something of that nature I have no choice but to give it my grade which for The Day the Earth Stood Still is an A.

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26 out of 35 people found the following comment useful :-
Klaatu Barada Nikto... Hey, Didn't They Steal That Line From "Army of Darkness"?, 15 January 2005

Author: hokeybutt from Milwaukee, Wisconsin

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (4 outta 5 stars) Wow... a classic science fiction movie that I had never seen until now! Sure, some of the acting and stuff may look a little hokey to jaded modern audiences... but this movie is still extremely well-done... like a movie-length episode of "The Twilight Zone" (one of the better ones). A spaceship lands in Washington and a traveler steps forth... before he even has a chance to get a word out, the US Army takes a shot at him... causing his robot companion to destroy some military hardware. The alien, Klaatu (Michael Rennie) tries to reason with the US government but, of course, gets nowhere. So he escapes and travels among humankind to try and get a handle on why people are so suspicious and untrusting. He gets a room in a boarding house and makes friends with a pretty widow (Patricia Neal) and her young son. Mankind has just come upon the means of using atomic energy as a weapon and Klaatu is here to make sure that humans won't pose a threat to other worlds... or else! Well-written, suspenseful and thought-provoking... even today! (Amazing how so little has changed in 54 years.)

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29 out of 41 people found the following comment useful :-
Beam me up, 24 January 2003

Author: Boyo-2

I just saw this yesterday for the first time and boy do I feel stupid! Its not my fault though, its rarely on television, but was it worth the wait!

The plot is fairly simple and direct. Visitor from another planet has come to warn us that we are aggressive, paranoid and dangerous to ourselves and the other planets if we continue with atomic bombs. Klaatu does not care if we kill each other, but cannot tolerate what atomic bombs can do to the other planets.

Naturally he is not welcomed with open arms, but in our defense, he was not exactly invited. The most disturbing part is that this movie is more timely than ever right now. When Klaatu mentions, 'levelling New York', I got a chill.

One or two moments were slightly puzzling - why does Klaatu allow himself to be interviewed on television, when he knows he is being tracked down? Why is he being pursued at the end so vigorously when he was scheduled to address the world? And why did Patricia Neal have to be brought onto the spaceship at the end? It seems to serve no purpose.

No matter, this is still a great movie that I would be thrilled to see again. 9/10.

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