Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28880 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-03-03
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Black & White, Dubbed, Full Screen, PAL, Special Edition
• Original language: English, French, Hindi
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 88 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The very epitome of a cult SF classic, The Day the Earth Stood Still is more often referenced than seen, which is a pity since it remains even now one of the most thought-provoking examples of the genre. The title is a misnomer, a mere tease to entice 1950s audiences into the cinema in the expectation of seeing another sensationalist B-movie about murderous aliens (i.e. Communists). In fact, Robert Wise's film of Edmund North's screenplay is a thoughtful Cold War allegory about a Christ-like visitor (Michael Rennie) who comes to Earth preaching a message of salvation for mankind, only to be spurned, killed then finally resurrected (significantly, Rennie's character Klaatu adopts the pseudonym "Mr Carpenter" while on the run from the authorities).

Aside from its philosophical message, the film also boasts memorable imagery--notably the giant robot Gort--a much-quoted catchphrase in "Klaatu barada nikto", and one of composer Bernard Herrmann's most admired scores, featuring the theremin and other electronic instruments that must have sounded very otherworldly back in 1951. The result is a bona fide landmark in cinema SF with a central message about "weapons of mass destruction" that's still uncannily relevant today.

On the DVD: The Day the Earth Stood Still has been splendidly restored for its DVD incarnation from the original 35 mm print, and the results are demonstrated in the "Restoration Comparison" feature. Also included is a fascinating 1951 newsreel showing Klaatu receiving a certificate of merit amid stories of Communist threats, the Korean war and beauty pageants ("Pomp and pulchritude on parade in Atlantic City"). Best of all is an absorbing commentary track with director Robert Wise in conversation with Nicholas Meyer (both men have Star Trek movies on their CV). --Mark Walker

Special Features
Commentary by Robert Wise and Nicoas Meyer
Movietone news of the premiere and events of 1951
Restoration Comparison
Theatrical Trailer
Language: English
Subtitles: English Hard of Hearing, French, Dutch, Italian, German, Spanish
Original Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (4x3)
Sound Quality: English 2.0

Synopsis
Beginning with a documentary style that immediately hooks the viewer, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, based on the Harry Bates short story FAREWELL TO THE MASTER, becomes as much a human interest story as it does a sci-fi B-movie classic. The film soberly depicts the arrival of an alien dignitary, Klaatu (Michael Rennie), who has come to earth with his deadly robot, Gort (Lock Martin), to deliver the message that earthlings must stop warring among themselves--or else. After being shot at by ignorant, panicky military guards, Klaatu is brought to a Washington, D.C., hospital, where he begs a sympathetic but frank Major White (Robert Osterloh) to gather all the world's leaders so he can tell them more specifically what he has come 250 million miles to warn them about. Losing patience, Klaatu slips into the human world, adapting a false identity and living at a boarding house where he meets a smart woman with a conscience, Helen Benson (Patricia Neal), and her inquisitive son, Bobby (Billy Gray). Both mother and son soon find themselves embroiled in the complex mystery of Klaatu, his message, and the government's witch hunt for the alien. Made during the cold war--when Americans were obsessed with the destructive capabilities of the atomic bomb--THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, thanks to its beautiful pacing, excellent dialogue, and haunting score by Bernard Herrmann, is still a treat for contemporary audiences.

Customer Reviews

Fantastic - in all three senses of the word.
Five and a half stars for this. TDTESS is a great film; entertaining, well acted - Michael Rennie is stone cold superb, he totally makes the part and the Mom, the kid and the Prof are all good; good direction - it keeps you hooked from the start; music by Hermann; the pace is spot on and the story and premise convincing. This is one of the best films ever with a message more pertinent than ever. Buy it for someone and then borrow it - you'll want your own copy. Apparently there's a remake in the pipeline due 2008, but even if it's great, this film is a tremendous achievement. Nice one, team TDTESS.

"There must be security for all or no one is secure."
Robert Wise's "The Day the Earth Stood Still" is a prime example of how well science-fiction films excel in examining universal issues. The proliferation of nuclear weapons following the end of World War II spawned this cinematic treatise on the new dangers the world had to face in the atomic age.

A flying saucer touches down in Washington D.C. and is immediately surrounded by armed troops. A hatch on the saucer opens and a figure named Klaatu (Michael Rennie) emerges. After he is shot by a nervous soldier, his robot companion Gort (Lock Martin) destroys some of the weaponry gathered around the saucer. Klaatu halts Gort's destructive spree and is taken to a nearby hospital. He soon escapes after making no headway in his plan to assemble the leaders of the planet to listen to a message he wants to deliver. With the help of a young boy named Bobby Benson (Billy Gray) and his mother, Helen (Patricia Neal), Klaatu makes contact with Professor Jacob Barnhardt (Sam Jaffe), a respected mathematician, who he hopes will assemble for him an audience of the world's leading academics.

While other science-fiction films of the period were content with one-dimensional storylines complete with rubber-suited monsters and spaceships straight out of model kits, Robert Wise proved that the genre had much more potential. He avoided silliness and absurdity and instead infused his film with meaning and food for thought. Much like the television series "Star Trek" did a decade later, "The Day the Earth Stood Still" used science fiction to explore the human condition and to critique the puzzling obsession the human race has with total annihilation. Rennie's stoic performance is chilling because of the weight behind Klaatu's message. Gray, Neal, and Jaffe also turn in great work and more than manage to keep from being overshadowed by Gort. Although it is rarely referred to as a "Cold War" film, "The Day the Earth Stood Still" nevertheless effectively captures the nuclear anxiety and political grandstanding that characterized the early Fifties.

Sci-fi masterpiece with a message
In a time when most science fiction movies were Earth versus mean aliens, Earth being invaded by mean aliens, or Earthlings encountering mean aliens during space exploration (all of which were just us civilized people against the ignorant barbarians, with lots of campy effects and shooting), this film was different. It started from a different premise and carried strong social messages. It was a message of peace in an era of hostility and paranoia.

Dignified, peaceful humanoid alien Michael Rennie comes to visit Earth and try to instill more peaceful ways on our world. His visit is misinterpreted by paranoid humans and he is shot. He escapes from the hospital where he was being treated for the wound, blends in with average, ordinary people, and finds our underlying good. His faithful robot is also a model of dignity and loyalty.

The acting is very good, which separates it from many early sci-fi movies, which were little more than extensions of cartoons or Saturday serials (What's a "Saturday serial"? Ask an older relative). The special effects were okay, but they didn't need to be spectacular, as that was not the focus of the film. The story was meaningful, it flowed, and it had some action mixed with much depth.

An early science fiction movie for people who like to think.