The Day The Earth Stood Still [VHS] [1951]

I remember Michael Rennie from "Lost in Space," where he played "The Keeper," and he brings the same sort of strong, dignity to the role of Klaatu. The alien might be here to lecture the Earth people, but he sounds so reasonable in his condemnation. Besides, how can you disagree with his reasoning? Patricia Neal as Helen Benson is the calmest and most rationale female lead every seen in a science fiction film, black & white from the Fifties or any other type. Helen accepts the reality of the rather remarkable situation she and her son Bobby (Billy Gray) find themselves involved in without really batting an eye. Nor does her voice tremble when she utters the greatest alien phrase in cinematic history. Sam Jaffe is equally unperturbed as Professor Jacob Barnhardt, the smartest man on Earth, who comes back from lunch and finds somebody (Klaatu) has been editing the formula on his blackboard. In contrast to these paragons of humanity is Hugh Marlowe as Tom Stevens, who has been stepping out with the widow Benson but throws all that away to be the man who captures the fugitive alien. The man is just such a schmuck.

The film is based on the Harry Bates short story "Farewell to the Master," which was first published in the October 1940 issue of "Astounding Stories." Actually, screenwriter Edmund H. North only keeps the first part of the story, when the spaceship lands on earth, Klaatu and the robot emerge, and the humanoid is shot (check out the original story if you can track it down). Of course, in the 1950s, Hollywood was always taking great liberties with classic science fiction short stories. The other great example of this would be "The Thing From Another World," based on John W. Campbell's short story "Who Goes There?"

"The Day the Earth Stood Still" provides one of the most unambiguous alien messages to be found in a science fiction film (cf. "2001: A Space Odyssey"). As an extra bonus, you have Aunt Bee sharing her thoughts on aliens. This remains a classic science fiction film, a rare opportunity for the intellectualism of the genre to be given free reign on the big screen. Not my favorite Fifites sci-fi film, but certainly should be on everybody's top 10 list for the decade. However, watching the movie again this time I was struck by the fact that Robert Wise took the same sort of approach when he directed "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." The weaker moments in both of those films have a lot in common.

It's a Robert Wise film with an immensely effective score from Bernard Herrmann and a suitable 50's cast (Michael Rennie is magnetic as Klaatu- eerily calm and self-assured) and very stylish design- especially the spacecraft and Gort.

When I first saw this as a kid I loved it- on face value as a Sci-Fi classic (a sleek spaceship and a big scary robot) but now I guess the biggest talking point is the subject matter- that of Post-War pacifism in the midst of the Cold-War.

It's amazing this ever got made. The military reaction to an alien arriving in the middle of Washington is understandable but I felt ashamed at our pettiness as a species.

Compare this reaction though to that of the dove-wielding Jack Nicholson in 'Mars Attacks' and you begin to wonder whether they are right to be mistrustful. Klaatu is very arrogant that he is right....

Anyway, enough of this- the pace and build up superb and it make great viewing- you can watch it again and again.