THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951) – A Retro Review

It’s no small feat for a film to hold up through the years. Some movies become hilariously dated. This is due to antiquated pop culture references, fashion, or even dialogue style. While others will simply fail to endure because of a stylistic time-stamp from its particular cinematic era.

Sometimes a movie manages to elude such pitfalls and endure throughout the years. When this happens a true film classic is born. Even more so, some of these movies not only sustain, they sometimes take on new relevance in the contemporary context.

In light of the recent xenophobic, anti-globalization movements overtaking countries that were once thought to be leaders of international integration. Perhaps no other film captures the danger of such an isolationist zeitgeist as the science-fiction classic The Day The Earth Stood Still.

Prolific director Robert Wise wastes no time as scientists detect a UFO entering the earth’s atmosphere early in the film. Shocked citizens of Washington, D.C. witness a flying saucer darting through the bright afternoon sky before it lands in the middle of the city. Gathering throngs of bystanders gawk. While police and military attempt to contain the area where the mysterious aircraft has chosen to rest.

After attempts by soldiers to penetrate the ship, a hidden door on the spacecraft opens. A towering robot emerges. Behind him, an honest-to-goodness spaceman follows. The military personnel surrounding the craft pull out their weapons in preparation for a skirmish. They soon discover that the hulking robot can disintegrate their guns and tanks with an energy. Said beam is emitted from a pulsing slot where its eyes should be.

The spaceman introduces himself as Klaatu, portrayed by Michael Rennie (Tower of Terror, Suicide Squadron). He addresses the crowd and begins to make a peace offering when a trigger-happy soldier fires a rogue round that takes down the otherworldly visitor. He is rushed to Walter Reed hospital where, despite his many similarities to humans physiologically, his speedy recovery baffles physicians.

When questioned by a government official, Klaatu reveals the mission of his journey. To warn world leaders about the perils of developing weapons of mass destruction. After the official scoffs at Klaatu’s lofty request to gather all the great minds and world leaders for his address. Klaatu escapes the hospital to learn about mankind for himself.

The film was shot in the stark black and white style of the early 1950s. Also, the style of dress and speak are indicative of the mid-20th century era. However, The Day The Earth Stood Still holds up amazingly well by today’s standards.

The film is beautifully captured with contrasting light and shadows. It’s filmed in a noir/science-fiction style. Robert Wise and his director of photography (Leo Tover) employ dramatic design in order to echo the complexity and gravity of the early Cold War era.

The Day The Earth Stood Still provides a thrilling score by composer Bernard Herrmann (Psycho, Vertigo). Said score also serves to increase the tension and give an overall feeling of doom to an otherwise simple cautionary tale.

As in most science-fiction thrillers, a true suspension of disbelief is aided by the magic of special effects. Two-time Academy Award-winning visual effects pioneer Fred Sersen absolutely delivers. To the modern eye, many films from the era falter due to dated or corny-looking visuals. However, Sersen’s work is still as convincing as it was when the film was released.

The Day The Earth Stood Still is paired with a dazzling futuristic production design, and Wise’s shrewd direction. The combination amounts to a film that, while certainly grounded in a specific time frame, somehow manages to look as sharp and apropos as any science fiction film in theaters today.

Although the film has endured in part because of the stylistic choices made by Wise and his team. The fact that the storyline is completely relevant nearly seventy years later, is also a good reason for the film’s longevity.

Story writer Harry Bates nor screenwriter Edmund H. North could have predicted that the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s would make way for newer and more sinister nuclear powers across the globe. Yet, modern viewers will find parallels to the past astonishing.

Aside from the obvious similarities with today’s threat of developing weapons of mass destruction, The Day The Earth Stood Still is more a cautionary tale about fear-mongering in all its various forms. When Klaatu laments that mankind is “substituting fear for reason” it’s almost impossible not to relate that notion to events and attitudes of recent years.

Aside from its unintended modern-day relevance, The Day The Earth Stood Still is full of other progressive nods that keep the film timely. As Klaatu embarks on his mission to learn more about humankind, he finds his most trusted allies in a WWII widow named Helen Benson (Patricia Neal of The Fountainhead and Hud) and her young son Bobby (Billy Gray).

It’s fascinating that during a time of political upheaval and testosterone-fueled butting of heads, the voice of reason in the story comes from the female perspective. In fact, Helen seems to be the only character in the story who is capable of critical thinking.

This amid the sensational news of the spaceman at large. As the story mounts and the situation reaches its fever pitch. It is the smart and steadfast woman who becomes the unwitting hero, instead of the well-armed men in uniforms.

From its lasting aesthetic to its enduring themes about the perils of sensationalism, The Day The Earth Stood Still is a stellar entry in the annals of science fiction film classics and is compulsory viewing for anyone who considers themselves a true fan of the genre.