The Day the Earth Stood Still from 1951 is a Sci-fi classic and for good reason. IMDB has this movie listed at 7.8 stars out of 10. My opinion of The Day the Earth Stood Still is in line with theirs. I personally don’t give “stars” but, I recommend this film if you are into Sci-fi. Being that it is from 1951, it falls into that classic Sci-fi genre too. In my opinion, older movies in the Sci-fi genre are hard to beat. You can check out more info on this great film at The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) – IMDb. Having gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about The Day the Earth Stood Still from 1951.
Wow, the time stamp on this one is great! At this point in time, 1951, America has only been out of WWII for 6 years. Many families are still recovering from losses and the country is rebuilding herself from this taxing event. In this film, there are many cool sites to see for the individual interested in history and who want a visual of how things looked during this iconic midcentury setting. In this film, you get to see some unique vehicles. There are tractors, police cars, a what would be considered SWAT vehicle, and military tanks. You even get to see a Ford vehicle assembly line. At one point, you can see in the background an ad for Planter’s Peanuts and Coke on what appear to be huge billboards in a city setting. Most of the filming was in Washington, DC so, you can see what the nation’s capital looked like in 1951 courtesy of this movie.
There were some more cultural time stamps imprinted on The Day the Earth Stood Still too. For instance, you see a line of ladies working a telephone switchboard. They are all wearing the attire of the day and have their hair styled along with the garb. Several scenes feature families together around the television in the evenings. Yes, there are scenes of the 50s televisions too. The innocence of people, even though the Holocaust had just ended, is seen in this movie as well. At one point, the main character who is 2 days into renting a room with a family he doesn’t know, is allowed to take the son for the day. That wouldn’t happen in good faith today…ever. Not only are the parents ok with it, but so is the child. Further, nothing bad happens to the child. This, I think, shows the viewer a way society was different in the ‘50s than it is today.
As far as the plot goes, it was simple. A spaceship lands in Washington and an alien comes off the ship along with a robot. The alien spaceship and the robot were smooth and simple and, I liked that. There were no laser guns or missiles protruding – a simple smooth flying saucer and sleek robot. The alien, which is a human, is attacked by the military and hospitalized very quickly into the first encounter. He soon recovers and explains that he wants to have a meeting with all the world leaders. This request is denied because the people of Earth cannot get along, a message that is loud in this movie. Through a series of events, a meeting with the top scientists is arranged. This meeting is cut short when the alien is again shot and this time killed. His robot revives him, and he delivers his message before leaving Earth. Basically, he explains that the people of Earth are doomed for failure if they won’t get along. “If you threaten to extend your violence, this earth of yours will be reduced to a burned-out cinder” are the words we are left with.
I have looked forward to watching this film for a while. It reminded me of The Night of the Living Dead (1968) in that the plot is almost immediate – you are thrown right in. The ship has laned and the story has begun within the first minutes of the film. This movie, I think and have read, had some cultural statements to make and perhaps therefore it had very little need for buildup. Perhaps the producers knew what was on people’s mind at this point in history? They didn’t need to tell people the horrors of what people can do. Adolf Hitler had just finished doing that for the world. They didn’t have to explain how an authoritative government could make global impacts, good or bad. Nazi Germany had just finished doing that. People were aware, maybe more than ever at that point in time, how true the alien’s final statements were. “A burned-out cinder” was a great reference to what Japan had seen with the dropping of the nuclear bombs. The atomic age had begun, and everyone was aware of it.
In closing, I will say that there are countless analyses of The Day the Earth Stood Still on the internet for the reader who is into symbolism in films. My high school English teachers seemed to think this was true about all films, to which I disagree. I certainly think there was an overall message intended in this cinematic jewel. It is ironic to me too that the first words out of the alien’s mouth before he’s shot the first time are, “We come in peace.” I wonder if this is where that saying came from? I also wonder, looking back, how much the aliens on The Simpsons were derived from parts of this film? That’s more to investigate later and maybe for someone else to do. Anybody into Sci-fi or classic films should watch this one. Also, a message to English teachers – use this film for an essay! Be sure to use the version from 1951 though, keep it classic. This movie has been remade.
Reference List
Cinema Masterpieces. (2022). The day the earth stood still US one sheet original movie poster. [Image]. Cinemasterpices.com. kd3.jpg (2276×3342) (cinemasterpieces.com)
