05/16/06 The Day The Earth Stood Still

The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951), directed by Robert Wise

watched w/ Leslie; DVD rental (Netflix) @ home
It seems like you can't talk about classic science-fiction cinema without including this picture. Simply melding the ordinary and the fantastic into one landmark black-and-white film, this came on the heels of a time in America when global and extraterrestrial occurences were of peak interest. During this time in the 1950's, the U.S. was not only locked in a bitter Cold War with the Russians that threatened nuclear fallout, but also caught up in a technological race for reaching outerspace and its unknown depths. That fervor is at the heart of this movie, that poses the question of what were to happen if alien life landed on our planet unexpectedly. What's creative about the response to such an occurence in this film is that it happens with a singular lifeform (a dude named Klaatu that looks oddly human) who comes not with malice, but in peace with a grim message for all people of Earth. Of course, in our paranoia & weaponry, we shoot the guy when he lands...then he escapes, and decides he must bring his important message to the masses of the world in some kind of public forum. While on a virtual manhunt for this alien, all of the country and world are wrapped up in their own confusion and paranoia, disregarding the fact that the alien has blended into society. It's a bit eerie how similar to modern day society the commentary is here, with warfare, prejudices, and reliance on technology in everyday life playing key roles. It's funny that the title refers simply to the fact that when all of the electrical/mechanical/robotic elements of the world shut down, the Earth in effect stands still. To think that the social comments, as well as the (at the time) special effects being impressive of this 1950's film still hold fast today as classic is what meant the most to me here. Also, you can see how different of a world we live in now, knowing that no person in their right mind today would let their kid go gallivanting around with some creepy alien stranger named Klaatu.

4 out of 5 stars