An epic sci-fi classic that every fan should see is hidden in the how-to stream

Pa Jonathan Klotz
| Published 1 second ago

Great science fiction is both a reflection of its time and a window into the world of the future. 73 years after the debut, The day the earth stood still remains, unfortunately, relevant. Set in the early years of the Cold War, the sci-fi classic explores what happens when an alien arrives in peace and is confused by our fractured 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 hasn’t come as far as we’d like to think.

Iconic science fiction film

Even if you’ve never seen it The day the earth stood stillyou will recognize the opening with the flying saucer touching the ground in Washington DC as the military immediately surrounds it. Klaatu, a harsh-looking humanoid an alien played by Michael Rennie, may look human, but the way he moves and speaks suggests he is alien, while his bodyguard, Gort, is a tall, imposing robot who silently protects his master. Announcing that he has a message for all of humanity’s leaders, Klaatu is shot almost immediately, prompting Gort to attack the soldiers in a moment that doesn’t need modern special effects to get the message across.

Klaatu encounters Helen Benson and her son Bobby during his mission to better understand humanity. A young boy takes an alien around town, answering his questions about Earth and humanity along the way, which brings up the topic of war. This is the basis of the message found in the The day the earth stood stillas Klaatu explains to the gifted scientist a few scenes later that the aggressive nature of Earthlings, combined with the recent advent of nuclear power, has made Earth a target for human containment.

Eternal allegory

The day the earth stood still It predictably ends with Klaatu, disillusioned with humanity, warning the crowd that they must discard their warrior essence, abandon their current path of nuclear destruction, or be destroyed. It is very different from the original story, Farewell to the Mastera short story written by Harry Bates that was published in 1940 earlier Oppenheimer helped invent the atomic bomb, but by relying on a 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 captivating and has become a template for aliens Hollywood still uses it today.

When I was a child and first became interested in science fiction, The day the earth stood still was one of the tapes my mom borrowed from the local library so I could see the science fiction she grew up on. Even then, I encountered countless parodies and homages to the film, starting with the concept of an alien coming peacefully to talk to the leaders and Gort from Saturday Morning. However, the dark nature of the film, aided by the black and white color scheme, captivated me, and it remains one of my favorites today.

Heartless remake

The day the earth stood still was remodeled in 2008. with Keanu Reeves like Klaatu, and the Cold War theme of nuclear annihilation was tossed aside to be replaced by an environmental message. Unfortunately, despite an all-star cast that includes Jennifer Connolly, John CleeseJon Hamm and Kathy Bates, the remake went too far to be a sci-fi spectacle. It looks amazing and it was a minor hit in theaters, but there’s a reason it’s 21 percent rotten Rotten tomatoes while the original is 95 percent fresh: it lacks the heart of the original script.

In fact, the 2008 film is a great argument against remakes of classic films. The day the earth stood still steeped in Cold War paranoia, but even decades after the specific moment in time that spawned it, the theme of the human capacity for violence is still relevant. So why do it all over again for a new generation when the film’s true purpose, as an allegory about war, is tossed aside for CGI?

A must see classic

There are a few films that I consider essential viewing as part of the indispensable film canon, but The day the earth stood still is one of them, it was added to the National Film Registry as culturally significant in 1995, which means I’m not alone in that opinion. For sci-fi fans in particular, the original film can be seen as a near-perfect film that encapsulates the best of the genre. Science fiction at its best inspires us to do better. Klaatu baradu nikto.

The day the earth stood still only available to stream as part of video on demand via Amazon Prime, Google Play, AppleTVand Fandango is at home. And check GenreVision Podcast Episode in both versions!