THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL(1951)With Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Sam Jaffe, Billy Gray, Lock Martin Directed by Robert Wise Black and White Reviewed by JL and JB |
One of the
first
science-fiction films to take
its subject matter seriously, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL remains
solid and thought-provoking entertainment, thanks largely to the
performances of its cast and a consistently high level of
tension. Although the entire cast plays things with dead
seriousness, Patricia Neal revealed in later years that she had trouble
keeping a straight face throughout. She needed several takes
before she could utter the immortal line "Klaatu barada nikto!" without
breaking up. Nevertheless, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL was
a
catalyst in the burgeoning science-fiction movement, and was one of
many works at the time that proved the genre was enormously effective
in tales of allegory and metaphor. Everyone from Ray Bradbury
to
Rod Serling took note. 
- JL
A
classic science-fiction film that boils down
to this: a guy from outer space comes down to help us, discovers that
most of us are violent imbeciles, and leaves. What's not to love? - JB
REMAKE?
Supposedly
there is a remake in the works starring, God help us, Keannu Reeves.
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Copyright © 2008 John V. Brennan, John Larrabee