The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951) is a science fiction classic and in The Odyssey File, which featured correspondence between Arthur C. Clarke and 2010 director Peter Hyams, Clarke dubbed it the seventh greatest film of all time in 1983, one place ahead of 2001: A Space Odyssey, which Clarke co-wrote.
A spaceship lands in a park in Washington D.C. An alien, Klaatu, walks out, claiming to come in peace and goodwill. As he approaches with a device in his hand, a nervous soldier shoots him. This causes the robot Gort to emerge and destroy all weapons nearby with its laser beam. Klaatu is taken into custody and held at a military hospital, Gort goes into standby mode, and the military attempt to get into the spaceship.
Klaatu wishes to speak to the leaders of the world, but is told that can’t happen. Wanting to learn more about Earthlings, Klaatu escapes to live among them and takes up at a boarding house where he meets Helen and her young son Bobby. When Helen and her boyfriend Tom go away for the afternoon, Klaatu, who has taken the name Mr. Carpenter, offers to baby-sit. Bobby takes Klaatu on a tour around the city, including the Lincoln Memorial. Klaatu wonders who will be receptive to his message, and after talking with Bobby without explaining his purpose, he learns of the scientist Professor Barnhardt. After proving his bona fides to Barnhardt, Klaatu talks about the dangers of atomic power. The professor says that a show of power is required to get the world’s attention. Klaatu provides one, unaware that Bobby followed him to his spaceship. Bobby tells his mother and Tom, who don’t know what to make of his story.
Unfortunately, Klaatu’s demonstration has unintended consequences. The Americans now fear him and a desperate manhunt begins. Tom informs the authorities about Klaatu, who reveals himself to Helen. He tells her that if anything happens, she must tell Gort what has become a memorable line of movie dialogue, “Klaatu barada nikto.” Naturally, something happens to Klaatu, sending Helen rushing to find the re-animated Gort, but will it be too late to save mankind?
What’s most impressive about TDTESS is its simplicity. The science fiction elements don’t overwhelm the story. It comes across as a straightforward tale due to Robert Wise’s economical directing, which creates an aura so real and natural the film could almost pass as a documentary. This is due in part to the limited budget provided by Fox. A major highlight is composer Bernard Herrmann’s brilliant score, which featured a theremin.
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