My read through the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die list got me in the mood to see a couple more of the titles. I started with The Day the Earth Stood Still
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Even though it was made in 1951, the film still holds up. There are some laughable conventions of that time period’s filmmaking, but the special effects were pleasantly advanced. Sure, some of them were hokey, but I couldn’t figure out how they did some of the others. And there is always something gorgeous about well-done black and white.
The movie focuses on the landing of Klaatu, his robot Gort, and their big, giant spaceship. Klaatu has a message for all the peoples of Earth, but he’s finding it hard to get anyone to listen.
The main plot moves along very well and is filled with tight, dramatic scenes. There are also plenty of quick social commentary asides along the way that are still poignantly relevant today.
When faced with an unknown phenomenon, there are those who lash out with fear, those who use it to justify their already irrational beliefs, and those who seek to use it for their own personal gains. There’s a great moment when a reporter doing live interviews at the scene of the landing quickly skips over a comment that’s going to be well-reasoned and thoughtful in search of a more consumer-friendly soundbite of panic.
But there are also those who react to the spaceman with reason, patience, and withheld judgments.
Today’s sci-fi movies tend to go big. There are big explosions, big locales, big scope, and a big cast. The Day the Earth Stood Still shows how good storytelling can be when kept smaller. There are quick flashes to other countries around the world, but for the most part, this intergalactic thriller is kept at a local level and amongst just a few characters. Through this perspective, we’re better able to be involved and understand the stakes.
Spoilers below:
There are two ideas in this movie that made me especially like it. First, there is a strong religious component to the story. In order to move around the human world, Klaatu takes the moniker of Carpenter. The message he brings to Earth is essentially one of peace and pacifism. Even as he is hunted and threatened in his mission, he still tries to make sure that the ones who are trying to harm him will not be harmed themselves. And yes, there is even a death and a resurrection.
It’s not that hard of a mental challenge to simply make Klaatu an emissary from the Divine. And even if he was, he would probably just have as hard a time in getting his message out.
The second idea that blew me away takes place right at the end of the movie. All along, the benevolent alien storyline was pretty standard. I thought I knew exactly what the movie was going to do. Then, it pulls a switcheroo on me.
It turns out that Gort is not really a servant robot. He is essentially an overlord. Klaatu explains that the other planets turned their policing over to these all-powerful robots and violence or aggression is absolutely not tolerated. The penalty for being violent is death.
This is peace without choice. All through the movie, we’re pulling for the alien. We’re urging the humans not to fight him. But there, right at the end, I now have to think about armed resistance because the message is this: If Earth brings its weapons into space, Earth will be destroyed. If Earth will submit their policing to these robots, Earth will live in peace and enjoy the prosperity that comes with peace.
Wow, that’s quite an immense bargain. The aliens gained absolute security by giving up absolute freedom. That’s an intense heavy to drop and then fly off into the sunset.
1001 Movies You Must Watch Before You Die: 254
Tags: Movies by Ms. SP
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