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The Day the Earth Stood Still (DVD, 1951)
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Robert Wise's "The Day the Earth Stood Still" is a prime example of how well science-fiction films excel in examining universal issues. The proliferation of nuclear weapons following the end of World War II spawned this cinematic treatise on the new dangers the world had to face in the atomic age. A flying saucer touches down in Washington D.C. and is immediately surrounded by armed troops. A hatch on the saucer opens and a figure named Klaatu (Michael Rennie) emerges. After he is shot by a nervous soldier, his robot companion Gort (Lock Martin) destroys some of the weaponry gathered around the saucer. Klaatu halts Gort's destructive spree and is taken to a nearby hospital. He soon escapes after making no headway in his plan to assemble the leaders of the planet to listen to a message he wants to deliver. With the help of a young boy named Bobby Benson (Billy Gray) and his mother, Helen (Patricia Neal), Klaatu makes contact with Professor Jacob Barnhardt (Sam Jaffe), a respected mathematician, who he hopes will assemble for him an audience of the world's leading academics. While other science-fiction films of the period were content with one-dimensional storylines complete with rubber-suited monsters and spaceships straight out of model kits, Robert Wise proved that the genre had much more potential. He avoided silliness and absurdity and instead infused his film with meaning and food for thought. Much like the television series "Star Trek" did a decade later, "The Day the Earth Stood Still" used science fiction to explore the human condition and to critique the puzzling obsession the human race has with total annihilation. Rennie's stoic performance is chilling because of the weight behind Klaatu's message. Gray, Neal, and Jaffe also turn in great work and more than manage to keep from being overshadowed by Gort. Although it is rarely referred to as a "Cold War" film, "The Day the Earth Stood Still" nevertheless effectively captures the nuclear anxiety and political grandstanding that characterized the early Fifties.Read full review
This movie to me parallels just how small and puny we humans are to the true higher power. A "messenger" comes to the earth with a solution of peace, and what do the powers that be do? Shoot him before he even explains the visit and destroys his gift of peace. The visitor demonstrates the power that he has, and the people are not receptive to the warning, and thus suffer the consequences. This is a great movie, with a memorable cast that we may recognize from some of the old black and white shows, such as the Andy Griffith Show, Father Knows Best, & Perry Mason which had MICHAEL RENNIE as a guest appearance as a lawyer in Season 6. Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!
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This is still a great movie! The original to do it right. There are not any mistakes to this well thought out film. The plot is simple, a flying saucer enters earths atmosphere and lands at a park in the middle of Washington DC. The visitor presents a warning to the leaders of the world to stop their wars. Expecially in light of the advances in rocketry that may lead to the spread of war, even into the universe. Either join the forces of peace or be eliminated. But before he presents his warning and greetings our visitor is shot upon presenting a gift offering that is misunderstood as a weapon by military authorities. The G.I. Joe's soon realize that they picked on the wrong alien. With a sudden musical cresendo, by Bernard Herrman, the screen cuts to the 9 foot tall robot "Gort" standing at ships edge. At a towering sight, Gort has only one defense, a cycloptic laser eye. This is truely an enjoyable movie. It is well acted and is presented in a realistic way by the great Robert Wise.Read full review
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The first memories of this movie were as a child in the 50's...a simpler time, but not without "threat" to our security. Talk among the adults then was whether to build the fallout shelter in the backyard or just be wiped out like the majority of the population. There were conversations overheard and sometimes directly explained to us about the pros and cons of fallout shelters. Could a person turn away his friends or extended family? Would people bombard the shelters overloading them? Would neighbor turn against neighbor? Would a family want to come out to find themselves alone? The timing could not have been more perfect for this movie. A spaceship enters our living rooms via the tv..and right there in black and white..we are introduced to a superior messenger and his most convincing robot. Fear triggers shots at Michael Rennie, as he walks down the runway of the space ship, to deliver his most important message. During medical treatment, Rennie realizes that hopes of a peaceful meeting with all world leaders is blocked by suspicion and ignorance. So, he escapes into the world, finds allies in Patricia Neal, her son, Billy Gray, and a leading scientist. To further gain the attention and respect from earthlings, he and his robot (still convincing to me) shut down power all over the world for 30 minutes. But, to show his intent of no harm, places like hospitals are spared the power outage. World leaders gather to find that other civilizations on other planets have been watching the earth. But, now that the violence has esculated and with a possibility of our violence reaching other races, then we are given the choice...stop now or be eliminated. Now, as a child, I saw the reasoning in this and ended up liking Rennie and his robot. I still do. Three generations watched this movie in our home the night of it's arrival. We all loved it. The message is timeless and sound. This movie is a must have for our DVD library. Thank you. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Read full review
I highly recommend any Sci Fi Buff include this Classic in their movie collection. Based on the premise that others in the Universe could intervene in the affairs of earth should we be seen as a potential threat to the peace-loving denizens of the galaxy. The response of our government to the visit from and the message of Klaatu seemed all-too reallistic to me--in fact our response could be worse. The film has excellent performances by Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal and even "Aunt Bea" from her well known role in The Andy Griffith Show. We all could learn valuable lessons from this film-it remains to be seen if we will.
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