Film Review--The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
directed by Robert Wise
written by Edmund H. North
based on a story by Harry Bates
starring Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Sam Jaffe, Billy Gray, Frances Bavier, Lock Martin

This serious foray into the nature of war is a classic black and white science fiction wonder. It promotes a definite anti-war message at a time when the world’s superpowers were routinely humoring the most succinct method of wiping each other out. Tensions were high and this film expresses the populace’s fear that death and mayhem could strike at any time.

An pacifist being from an alien planet lands on Earth with an urgent message for those who would use atomic missiles to eradicate each other and in so doing threaten the autonomy of all the planets in the sky.

Klaatu (Rennie) and his massive robot Gort (Martin) land in President’s Park in Washington D.C. Klaatu removes a device that would have allowed the President to study life on all other planets but it is shot out of his hand by a shaky soldier who also wounds him in the shoulder. Gort destroys a great number of weapons and proceeds to hold down the same spot for the next week or so. Klaatu is taken to the hospital where he quickly heals and escapes. He finds himself at a boarding house where he checks in as Carpenter. He befriends Bobby (Gray), the young son of a woman named Helen Benson (Neal) and spends time with the kid getting a look around town.

The film employs a striking, almost metallic aesthetic to create a harrowing landscape consumed with fear, terror and a legitimate sense of danger. The populace becomes greatly paranoid that their pat little world has come under attack. The military is prepared to fight an all out war to eliminate the threat and return life back to what it perceives to be normal.

The message here is that mankind is foolishly engaged in pointless wars that do nothing but great and lasting harm to the planet. Klaatu represents a peaceful approach to all hostilities and wants the people of the earth to understand that war does not serve their interests in the end. The film was made during the Cold War where international governments held others in contempt and war was sought as a clear cut method of quashing the interests of those who posed a direct challenge to the order. Klaatu has come to share a less destructive alternative and warns earth’s inhabitants that the pursuance of war will ultimately lead to their destruction.

Gort is a menacing robot encased in a metal that cannot be penetrated. It is the same material that the space ship is made of and the paltry attempts to break through it are thwarted. Gort is from an interplanetary police force and he is programmed to eradicate all acts of hostility with lasers that shoot out of his eyes. Klaatu warns that the use of the atomic bomb will be viewed as an antagonistic act and will be dealt with by extreme force. There is a tremendous amount of hope in this film that mankind can possibly learn how to deal with conflict in a more equanimous manner that does not lead to unnecessary loss of life and great bloodshed. It’s a film that promotes world peace as an ideal state that ought to be within our grasp. Still, it vehemently expresses a clear picture of international politics that seems destined to carry out its scare tactics until the bitter end. It’s hopeful but at the same time realistic about man’s ability to put down its weapons and approach difficult situations with a cool head.

Stylistically this film is exquisitely shot from start to finish. There is a haunting quality to the cinematography by Leo Tovey who brings forth a deeply melancholic aesthetic that is heightened by the black and white photography.

Klaatu possesses great abilities that far transcend the abilities of modern science. He knows everything there is to know about atomic energy including its dangerous aspects; he has the foresight to comprehend all of the implications of war craft and his people have determined that such insufferable games are ultimately harmful to everyone and must be avoided at all cost. He meets Professor Jacob Bardhardt (Jaffe) and is able to help him with an important scientific equation that the Professor has been engage with for more than a week. Together they agree to hold a conference with a number of brilliant men whose work is often perverted for the war machine against their better judgement. It’s the idea that science can be used for both harm and good and the scientists need to fully grasp the capabilities of their discoveries to bring much destruction upon the heads of the inhabitants of the earth.

Patricia Neal prowls about with her smouldering sexuality and deep, silky voice. She’s buttoned up and impossible and her eyes are tormented with great fear as she attempts to comprehend the true identity of Carpenter. There is no sustained attraction between the two because Helen is committed to a relationship with Tom Stevens (Marlowe) who himself becomes privy to important information that he uses for his own grandiosity in an effort to bring Klaatu to justice. Neal taps into Helen’s carnal nature as she becomes the bearer of great secrets with the potential to cause imminent destruction to mankind with no remorse. It’s a threat that seems to excite and propel her forward as she becomes embroiled in grave circumstances with an intense, biblical payoff for the lot of mankind.

The fear of imminent death hangs over every scene in this film. There is a legitimate sense that mass destruction could break out at any time. Gort is put in a defensive position and becomes irritated and ready to strike and ostensibly destroy the earth. Helen is instructed by Klaatu to utter the famous phrase “Klaatu barada nikto” in order to switch Gort off of kill mode and return him to a state of stability. It’s harrowing to consider just how close the planet comes to annihilation in this film as it continues to point its death rockets at the sky.

Michael Rennie injects a real humanity into Klaatu/Carpenter. There is a decisive warmth to the character as he struggles in frustration to convince the earth’s master of the need to revise their keen interest in blowing each other apart. As mentioned Patricia Neal is exceedingly intense in this film which is ably conveyed with her posture and mannerisms.

Overall, this is a spell binding science fiction classic that continues to educate audiences about the fallacy of war. It offers a clear warning to the world’s leaders about the ultimate ends of war. It’s blatant message seeps into the skin and challenges the viewer to attempt to rationalize their own views regarding peace or conflict. There is a tremendous energy to this film as the threat stirs up trouble and agitates the population into activity. Nothing brings people together like impending doom.