Today I'll be reviewing the movie The Day The Earth Stood Still released in 1951.
Starring:
Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal.
Directed by:
Robert Wise
Genre:
Science Fiction, Drama
Rating:
NR (Not Rated)
Budget:
$1,200,000 estimated
IMDb Rating:
7.8
Synopsis:
A humanoid alien (Klaatu) and his giant 8 foot police robot (Gort) arrive in Washington DC with an important message to the citizens of planet Earth not to engage in atomic wars and make peace with one another.
Pacing:
The pacing was pretty good in my opinion. If there are places that seem slow, just remember that there is something there for you to take in if you pay attention.
Story:
This movie is loosely based on a short story, Farewell to the Master, utilizing the robot in the piece. The title of the movie, The day the earth stood still refers to a major event in the film that takes place about halfway in. The alien, Klaatu, seeking to get an audience with the leaders of the world, brings the planet to a stand still by disabling global electricity. Not even cars will move. The only electrical power that doesn't shut off are those that would endanger lives like planes in the air and hospitals.
The Day the Earth Stood Still was a great social commentary for its time being released just 6 years after the atomic bombing in 1945. There was a lot of distrust between countries and this political state of affairs was interwoven into the film. Klaatu asks to see the world leaders and he is told that they would never meet together.
The story is excellently crafted in my opinion. It doesn't tell you too much about Klaatu's world, but just enough to know that it is more advanced. He comes from a peaceful world policed by the robots, they use diamonds as currency, people live to 130 years of age and trains run without tracks. The film doesn't science you to death or pick political sides. It just has one message to warn mankind about war.
Challenge:
The challenge would be the Earthlings in this case. I am curious what would really happen if we were to be visited by aliens. Would we shoot first and figure out the truth later? Would the leaders of the world refuse to meet with an alien who claims to have an important message for the world? Who really knows? I loved the way this scenario is played out on camera. It leaves a lot to your imagination.
Empathy:
Klaatu is a fascinating character. He's smart, wise and gentle. He's a liar too because he will do anything to achieve his goal. He asses the earthlings rather quickly, realizing that he can not use a simple approach. He has to be clever and uses his intellect to make his message heard.
I cared for Klaatu right away. He was pretty much attacked as soon as he left the spaceship and no one would grant him the audience he requested. He was trying to save our world for crying out loud. By the end I found myself really pulling for him to succeed.
Klaatu meets Helen while he is hiding out at a boarding house. Her son Bobby becomes good friends with Klaatu and serves as a catalyst in the story. He introduces Klaatu to a professor who helps, the cause. However, being a child and unaware that grownups are a lot less accepting, Bobby tells his mom and her boyfriend about Klaatu's true identity which creates a ripple effect for the characters.
Technical:
The space ship design initially looks like nothing special, but the way the doors spectacularly open takes you by surprise. This could not be achieved today except with the use of CGI. The special effects are both dated and great. I loved the sets and the movie science such as using sound frequency to bring back Klaatu from the dead. It was a great production for it's time.
The title sequence opening is also very eye catching. The lettering has been copied to death. One of the most brilliant things about this movie is the music by Bernard Herrmann . It's eerie and spooky really setting the tone of the mystery behind the alien visit driving the fear and suspense. The music emotionally leads you into an uneasy feeling of distrust when Klaatu arrives and it's threaded throughout the film wonderfully. The theme music has been used in the 1965 TV series Lost in Space, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea series and heavily inspired by the theme music for Mars Attacks. In fact Mars Attacks musician Danny Elfman expressed that The Day the Earth Stood Still's score inspired him as a composer.
Performances:
These were great performances from Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal. Michael Rennie especially plays Klaatu with a brilliant grace and confidence. His physical demeanor is so captivating on the screen.
Best Part:
Klaatu's monologue at the end of the movie. He manages to get his audience with world scientists and explains that the robot policemen of the galaxy are watching earthlings and if we pursue more atomic aggression, the planet will be destroyed.
Wish List:
One of the greatest lines in the movie is klaatu barada nikto. Helen says this to Gort in order to save Klaatu. The direct translation for klaatu barada nikto is said to be 'There's hope for Earth, if the scientists can be reached'. But I always thought it was "Klaatu needs help." That makes more sense actually considering the action that follows.
The most unnecessary scene in the film is the one in which Helen meets Gort. The propaganda for the movie was of a woman being carried off by a robot. In some posters, she's even a blonde. This was a marketing stunt meant to drive people in to see the movie. However, the scene doesn't work. Helen is a strong woman, who pretty much knew what she was getting into when she goes to meet Gort. Why would she freak out after deciding that she was going to help?
Another part of the film that could have been omitted was the Christ connection to Klaatu. It was an external studio mandate that was inserted into the film. Klaatu's adopted name is Carpenter (Jesus was a carpenter), the resurrection of Klaatu and a mention of the "almighty". It was meant to be subtle but it wasn't.
The Ending:
The ending leaves you with the question whether or not mankind has actually taken heed to Klaatu's words or if they will keep warring one another. That question is what leaves the viewer to make his or her's own decision to choose peace or war.
Enjoyment:
This was one of the first black and white science fiction movies I ever saw and it was glorious to me. It's suspenseful and cleverly thought out.
This is a great film for kids or even the very young at heart to see this film. I feel as if adults seeing this for the first time will get less of an awesome effect from the film, since they've probably seen many movies that have used this movie as it's inspiration. I love it and as a hardcore science fiction love this movie is a classic for me.
My rating:
9.4.
This is Retro Nerd Girl signing off.
Take care movie lovers! I'm off to the next review!
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