From Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Great science fiction is both a representation of its time and a window into the world of the future. 73 years after his debut, The day the earth stood still unfortunately remains relevant. Published in the early years of the Cold War, the science fiction classic explores what happens when an alien arrives in peace and is confused about our fragmented world and the man-made divisions between us. The classic story has been told time and time again, but the original 1951 film remains the best and serves as a reminder that humanity is not yet as advanced as we would like to believe.
A groundbreaking science fiction film
Even if you’ve never seen it before The day the earth stood stillRecognize the opening as a flying saucer landing in Washington, DC, as the military immediately surrounds it. Klaatu, a stern-looking humanoid Foreigner played by Michael Rennie, may look human but the way he moves and speaks it’s clear he’s alien, while his bodyguard Gort is a tall, imposing robot who quietly protects his master. When he announces that he has a message for all of humanity’s leaders, Klaatu is shot almost immediately, prompting Gort to attack the soldiers at a moment that requires no modern special effects to convey the message.
During his mission to better understand humanity, Klaatu eventually meets Helen Benson and her son Bobby. The little boy leads the alien through the city, answering his questions about Earth and humanity, which raises the topic of war. That is the core of the message found in The day the earth stood stillas Klaatu explains to a gifted scientist just a few scenes later that the aggressive nature of Earthlings combined with the recent advent of nuclear power has created a target on Earth to contain humans.
A timeless allegory
The day the earth stood still predictably ends with Klaatu, disappointed in humanity, warning the assembled crowd to abandon their warlike nature, abandon the current path of nuclear annihilation, or be destroyed. It differs significantly from the original story, Farewell to the mastera short story by Harry Bates, published in 1940 Oppenheimer helped invent the atomic bomb, but by leaning on the Cold War allegory, the 1951 film became a timeless allegory. There’s little action and rudimentary special effects, but Michael Rennie’s performance as Klaatu is haunting and sets a template for it Aliens Hollywood still uses it today.
When I was a child and first showed interest in it Science fiction, The day the earth stood still was one of the cassette tapes my mother checked out from the local library so I could see what kind of science fiction she grew up with. Even then, I was exposed to countless parodies and homages to the film, from the idea of an alien coming in peace to talk to leaders to Gort from Saturday Morning Cartoons. But the dark nature of the film, supported by the black and white technique, captivated me and to this day it remains one of my favorites.
The soulless remake
The day the earth stood still was rebuilt in 2008 Keanu Reeves like Klaatu, and the Cold War theme of nuclear annihilation was cast aside and replaced with an environmental message. Unfortunately, despite the all-star cast that includes Jennifer Connolly, John CleeseFor Jon Hamm and Kathy Bates, the remake went too far to become a science fiction spectacle. It looks great and was a minor box office hit, but there’s a reason it’s doing poorly at 21 percent Rotten tomatoes While the original is 95 percent fresh, it lacks the core of the original script.
In fact, the 2008 film is a good argument against remaking classic films. The day the earth stood still is steeped in Cold War paranoia, but even decades after the particular moment in which it emerged, the theme of man’s capacity for violence remains relevant. So why do it all over again for a new generation when the film’s original purpose, an allegory about war, is jettisoned in favor of CGI?
A must-have classic
There are a few films that, in my opinion, belong to the essential film canon, but The day the earth stood still is one of them. It was added to the National Film Registry in 1995 for its cultural significance, which means I’m not alone in this opinion. Especially for science fiction fans, the original film can be seen as a near-perfect film that combines the best of the genre. Science fiction at its best inspires us to do better. Klaatu baradu nikto.
The day the earth stood still is only available for streaming via Video on Demand Amazon Prime, Google Play, AppleTVAnd Fandango at home. And look at them GenreVision podcast episode on both versions!
