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The Day the Earth Stood Still (0813542073)
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| A hallmark of the science fiction genre as well as a wry commentary on the political climate of the 1950s, The Day the Earth Stood Still is a sci-fi movie less concerned with special effects than with a social parable. A spacecraft lands in Washington, D.C., carrying a humanoid messenger from another world (Michael Rennie) imparting a warning to the people of Earth to cease their violent behavior. But panic ensues as the messenger lands and is shot by a nervous soldier. His large robot companion destroys the Capitol as the messenger escapes the confines of the hospital. He moves in with a family as a boarder and blends into society to observe the full range of the human experience. Director Robert Wise (West Side Story) not only provides one of the most recognizable icons of the science fiction world in his depiction of the massive robot loyal to his master, but he avoids the obvious camp elements of the story to create a quiet and observant story highlighting both the good and the bad in human nature. --Robert Lane Editorial Descriptions are usually submitted by the manufacturers, publishers and authors. Contact us if you are one of them, and wish to change the above description. |
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Author: Guest
The Day the Earth Stood Still is a great movie and has been honored by being released on a great DVD. Contains an excellent commentary by director Robert Wise in which tidbits such as Lock Martin who played the massive robot Gort, was in reality so weak he needed a hoist to lift Patricia Neal. This movie stands the test of time as one of the best films ever, not just in the Sci-Fi genre. Alien comes to Earth to deliver a message; You can kill yourselves all you want, but if you attempt to spread your violence to the stars, Gort and friends will fry your planet to "a burned out cinder." Michael Rennie is angularly excellent as the alien Klaatu. Here's an item from the DVD; When Klaatu hides out among us humans he takes the name of Carpenter. And what was Christ's profession? Connection? Maybe. Something to think about? Certainly. Great movie, great reproduction, great DVD extras.
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Author: Guest
Over a half century in age this film holds up well. I was 8 years old when I saw this in a theater and I was really scared. Of course the film is no longer scary at all [probably not even for todays 8 year olds], but it does reveal itself as intelligent prescient science fiction. The message is just as valid today as it was in 1951 when it looked like we were going to blow each other up with atomic bombs. The black and white transfer is excellent, but I had to turn up the volume quite a bit to hear the dialogue. Really good value at less than ten bucks!
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Author: Guest
Who does not remember these words? True Mumbo-Jumbo, but what flair...
I usually do not buy Full-Screen DVDs of old movies, since it is not vital to have them, if you own their VHS counterpart. Sometimes, the old transfers are even better than the newly, so-called restored versions.
But in this case I made an exception and was truly impressed by the difference.
Much clearer sound (true Digital Stero), excellent Contrast resolution of the Black & White tones.
A Masterpiece. Bravo!
This tiny Sci-Fi picture of 1951, starring a then unknown actor, Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal and Sam Jaffe is more a metaphor and an answer to the anti-communist "witch-hunt" and cold war ambience in which the U.S. Government had thrown the Nation.
Partly borrowing from the Bible, the Hero, the visiting Alien (Michael Rennie) appropriately calls himself "Mr. Carpenter", and as in the Bible, he comes to bring peace to a world gone mad.
Mind you, I am not a believer, but having been raised Catholic, its part of my heavy burden, hence I know about such things.
Now, back to the movie and its value.
To express it in just a few words, one can only say that it is a small Gem of a picture.
Never boring, always entertaining, and with a message of all things!
Even the primitive special effects of the day are forgivable, considering the smooth, perfect and natural acting of all involved.
Sam Jaffe, one of the best character actors of those years is simply perfect as the scientist meeting Mr. Carpenter.
It is evident that an allusion to Albert Einstein was made there.
Patricia Neal, is yes, the "weak" link of the movie, having to play the mother and housewife figure, but in the end, isn't she who helps the Alien to make contact with the "minds" of the planet?
Think about it, we are in the midst of the Korean War, at the beginning of the Cold War, in which housewise usually did not go roaming around in worldwide adventures, limiting themselves to cook, clean and keep husbands and children happy.
No, in this movie, in 1951, we see a conventional woman, who overcomes her fears and actually helps our hero complete his mission.
Anti-conventional you say? You bet!
The entire move is weaved with care and is well told. Oh, and ah yes, storytelling.
Talking about storytelling, this is one example in which storytelling is truly everything. Consider the fact that this movie is just about 90 minutes in length.
Nowadays, if they were to remake it (let's hope not!), it would go overboard into a full-fledged 2 hours and 20 minutes long movie. Boring!
Sometimes I ask myself what writers had back then, that they don't have anymore.
Creativity? You bet!
Originality? You got it!
Imagination? Well said!
Writers in those days (and mind you, in those days, writers had a far harder life than today, especially with all those darned censorship limitations, not forgetting the McCarthy's blacklist), still knew how to KISS (short for: keep it short stupid) and still keep the audience gripped and glued to their seats.
Today, unless you have a Circus for a movie (meaning tons of sex and special effects) you wouldn't keep a horse awake.
My passionate feeling is to suggest to you to buy it.
You won't be sorry, even if you, and I would expect such argument, are not a sci-fi aficionado or fan.
This is one of those movies that speaks to one's humanity and most hidden, inner feelings.
And still, in its simplicity, it is also a spectacular picture that I am sure, will be remembered and mentioned in schools in decades to come, as what it is: a tiny Gem.
An ideal precursor to Star Trek...
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Author: Guest
Have loved this movie forever, but never realized the Christ parallels till I watched the director's comments. I suppose we all want to be saved from ourselves by something bigger and more intelligent than us.
The message is simple and powerful - one that we may never learn as humans.
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Author: Guest
A golden braid: From The Day the Earth Stood Still, to The Sound of Music, to Lost in Space...
A great sci-fi flick with great effects-which remarkably seems to lose absolutely nothing by being in black-and-white.
The famous line from the film, "Gort: Klaatu, Barada, Nikto," can be broken down a bit--
Klaatu is a mild-mannered from space walking the earth incognito, but with a peaceful dignity that makes him very likable. He also has a metallic Super alter-ego, Gort. Gort is the awesome effect of the film--though through suggestion/direction/lighting idea-of-the-thing, as much as through technical special effect. Gort is a strong, silent type, about 9 feet tall and an apparently invincible police robot which utilizes the nano-technological capability (before anyone thought about nano-technology) to have solid metal bend and seamlessly heal as though it were liquid--while remaining solid (a technique also used by the spaceship they came to earth in)-and this 50 years before the Terminator!
I don't know what barada, nikto means, but if you don't remember it, the earth will be destroyed.
This film is about mood. Its mood is so thick you can cut it, which is fine, because it will seamlessly heal itself. And it is delicious.
A visitor from outer space befriending boy who lost his father in war (who will later go on to be the son of Father-Knows-Best), walking together through Arlington national cemetery and stopping beneath the Lincoln Memorial, observing, "those are great words," and then going on to visit a generic Albert Einstein played by frizzy-haired Dr. Zorba from Ben Casey to calmly talk about an inflexible plan for world peace. Timeless. Brilliant. Perfect.
Yet I don't think the movie would work if it weren't for two things: The music, and the excellent direction from Robert Wise (who went on to direct The Sound of Music). Cosmic coincidence?--One of the children from the Sound of Music went on to star in the TV series Lost in Space-a show which borrowed a few parts of the music from The Day the Earth Stood Still-and got a lot of milage out of just those parts...the whole series. Coincidence or no, it shows the power of the film to MAKE icons and cliches.
Not that the acting was bad, or that the plot was not interesting. On the contrary. But it wouldn't work without the perfect chemistry that it has-and the music and the direction which seals it together.
If you are not a Patricia Neal fan, you probably will be after watching this film-for she should have gotten an academy award for successfully keeping a straight face (as she later reported having trouble doing). Because it was worth it.
This film deals with the "Copernican" theme of seeing the earth as a speck-of-dust, yet here the trump card is simply the respect for all rational beings, wherever they may be.
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