Review of The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) by Spencer S — 26 Jun 2011

A story about peace and preservation, Day is more than a tale of alien insurgence and sci-fi effects. At the time the United States was deep in the Cold War, much of the entertainment industry was being weeded for Communist sympathizers or spies, and tensions were mounting in the space race.

This bold film not only explores the diverse nature of conflict and war between countries, but the Cold War itself, broaching the subject matter once the alien of Klaatu tries to arrange a meeting of the nation's world leaders to speak about Earth's fate.

Instead of the option of portraying aliens as a race complicated by a desire to destroy all human life the aliens are without anger. We are introduced to the invading force as a single being, an alien named Klaatu who speaks perfect English and looks like any other red blooded American.

Klaatu's planet is scientifically superior and is without wars, yet there is a threat to all human life based on our own wartime ambitions. Use of shadows and a theremin ridden score lace every scene with suspense, people becoming hysteric and suspicious of these aliens, coming to conclusions without knowing the facts, much like the Russians.

There is also a robot named Gort, at first a benign sort of destructive force, there but periphery. As the story digresses it becomes clear that Gort is the end all be all to existence, and therefore becomes a threat, menacing with each of his heavy footfalls.

Amazing for its time, Day was the first adult sci-fi, and it truly shows.