The Day the Earth Stood Still [DVD] [1951]

Both sci-fi film classic and Cold War document, the film was made in 1951 when the battle lines between the United States and Soviet Union were being drawn. Nuclear battle lines, that is. We still live with the spectre of such menace today even if the the old U.S.S.R. has dissolved, as there are over 15,000 nuclear weapons in the world, 90% of them in the U.S. and Russia, two gangs in a turf war with the world held hostage to it. What a way to live!So I thought I’d write about this classic film now, as important today as it was when made over 60 years ago.A UFO is detected in the atmosphere surrounding Earth. U.S. radar and tracking stations around the world are tracing its movements. As it draws closer to the surface many other people around the world are increasingly tense and worried. What is it? Where has it come from? Why is it visiting? What do its inhabitants want? In due course these questions will be answered, but for now anxiety reigns. The terrible Second World War was one thing. So is this ghastly Cold War, a stalemate between superpowers with nuclear weapons in their arsenal. But this is something beyond those crises, something intergalactic and unknown.The film is clever. It keeps us guessing and wondering for as long as possible, just as it does with persons on Earth in the film. The spacecraft circles the globe, surveying terrain for its best landing site. The Siberian tundra is clearly out. Instead, it lands in Washington, D.C. in the U.S., setting down on several baseball fields in a public park. The spaceship is metallic silver and huge, a saucer-shaped craft the size of Wembley Stadium’s football pitch.It was patient and silent as it moved through Earth’s atmosphere. It remains silent and patient now as it rests in the park. The U.S. army has surrounded it with armed soldiers, tanks, howitzers and grenade launchers. The D.C. police are out in force as well to keep curious onlookers at bay beyond the protective cordon.The craft landed in the afternoon. Radio and television broadcasts around the world — in French, Russian, Hindustani and scores of other languages — are covering the event. Two hours pass. Nothing, silence. Then, before dusk, something begins to stir. A faint hum is heard. Cracks in the spacecraft appear. A ramp opens up. Then a door. The crowd is aghast, all eyes on the door. From it an 8-foot metallic robot emerges. He is massive. His name is Gort. The crowd shudders. Gort stands on the ramp, impassive, immobile. Then Klaatu emerges, a thin being with skinny arms and legs (two each). He wears a space helmet, his face obscured. He walks down the ramp and stands on the grass, the first alien being (presumably) to ever set foot on our planet.He removes his helmet. He looks like a man, a human being. But his voice is flat and monotonal, free of inflexion. He says he has come bearing a message. He intends it to be heard by all people on Earth. He states he wants the heads of all states to assemble to hear him speak. As a token of goodwill and peace he removes an object from his breast pocket, holding it in his hand. But he does not tell the jittery soldiers what it is. Suddenly the object springs open and makes a noise. A nervous soldier fires. Klaatu drops to the ground, bleeding. Thus his first encounter with mankind is violent. He may have come in peace, but he is gunned down before he can bring it.Klaatu delivers a command to Gort. The robot’s visor opens. A powerful laser from Gort destroys the army’s violent weapons: its rifles, tanks, artillery. The display is awesome, unbelievable. Gort is ready to destroy more, but Klaatu commands him to stop. Thereafter Klaatu is taken to Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington for examination and treatment.The doctors are amazed to see how similar his anatomy is to that of humans. The X-rays reveal few anomalies. A bullet is removed from his shoulder. He’s in bed a day or two. But after this, astonishingly, his wound completely heals. How? Klaatu has brought his own medicine, in this case a salve with miraculous healing properties.Gort stands inert, harmless. The spacecraft is sealed tight again. Engineers examining its design and texture can find no seams in the surface of the craft. They are baffled. They cannot explain the ramp and door openings. Chemists on the scene are also startled by the composition of Gort’s outer layer, a metal alloy so strong it seems completely impenetrable. No metal found on Earth is comparable.An assistant to the U.S. President, Secretary Harley, visits Klaatu in hospital. Harley asks him the standard questions posed in paragraph 2 above. Klaatu says he can say nothing at this point. What he has to say cannot be shared with any individual. He must speak to all residents on Earth. Harley says it will be difficult, if not impossible. Tensions are high on Earth, the political situation unstable. It’s unlikely the nations of the world will agree to come together quickly and peacefully for talks. Impatient with Harley, Klaatu says:“I won’t speak to any one nation or group of nations. I don’t intend to add my contribution to your childish jealousies.”Harley tells him to be patient. Klaatu replies:“I’m impatient with stupidity. My people have learned to live without it.”Security at Walter Reed is not as tight as it should be. Klaatu vanishes. How he escaped nobody knows, but he’s gone, at large. The media discovers this. Radio and television broadcast horror stories of an alien monster on the loose. Newspapers carry caricatures of Klaatu, none of them accurate, the head and eyes too large.Where is he? The manhunt is coming up empty.Klaatu has gone undercover. A dry-cleaning tag on the arm of a blazer he has stolen and wears says, “Carpenter”. So this becomes his name: Mr. Carpenter.Room for Rent says the sign on a quiet suburban house in Washington. Klaatu as Mr. Carpenter investigates. Mrs. Benson is a war widow. Her husband died at Anzio and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington. She has a 10-year-old son named Bobby, named after his father Robert. Carpenter takes the room. Bobby is precocious, inquisitive, curious. Carpenter recognises his young intelligence. They become fast friends. Carpenter seems to be a New Englander, and he confesses to Mrs. Benson and others who visit the Benson household that he doesn’t know Washington well. On a Saturday Bobby offers to show Carpenter the local sights. They visit Arlington, the Lincoln Memorial and of course the alien spacecraft. A large crowd is still gathered behind a cordon of police and military personnel that surrounds the spacecraft. Gort has stood motionless outside the craft for two days now.Bobby is a little puzzled by Carpenter. The stranger knows a lot about science, physics and mathematics, but little about anything else. Carpenter wonders if all those buried at Arlington were soldiers and he doesn’t know who Abraham Lincoln was. He also has no money and has never seen a movie. But he does have diamonds in his pocket, although Bobby fails to understand why this should be so even when Carpenter tells him they are a means of universal exchange. Bobby begins to wonder if Mr. Carpenter is a bank robber, jewel thief or spy.Carpenter wants to meet Professor Barnhardt, a local physicist and mathematician. The actor Sam Jaffe plays him. In those days he was old and lined and had long frizzy hair like Albert Einstein. The casting was unmistakable, and indeed Barnhardt seems to be as intelligent as Einstein. But not quite. Bobby and Carpenter visit the Barnhardt home. He isn’t in. Through a large window on the terrace they gaze into his study. In it they see a big blackboard with equations scattered across it. The door is locked and Bobby walks away. But when he turns he sees Carpenter entering the room, the door now mysteriously unlocked. Bobby watches him as Carpenter goes over the equations, chalking a check mark against those that are correct. Then Carpenter adds a few equations of his own.A lady servant of Dr. Barnhardt arrives, finding Bobby and Carpenter in the professor’s study. She is irate and says she’ll call the police. Carpenter advises against it. He also tells her it would be unwise to erase anything he has written on the blackboard. The new equations are meant to help the professor, not hinder him. Carpenter writes down the Benson home address and invites the professor to contact him.He does. Actually, someone from the government fetches him and brings him to the professor. Barnhardt is astounded by Carpenter’s intelligence. The professor had laboured for months over the equations. But now the solutions look so simple. How had he not grasped the way forward before? Carpenter explains where he went wrong. Barnhardt thanks him but concedes his ideas are only theoretical. Carpenter confirms they are correct.Barnhardt:“How can you be so sure? Have you tested this theory?”Carpenter:“I find it works well enough to get me from one planet to another.” Barnhardt’s eyes widen. He looks breathless.Carpenter (smiling):“I am Klaatu.”Barnhardt takes the lead in contacting the government, urgently requesting a meeting of all heads of state on Earth. Only he knows what Klaatu means to say to his fellow inhabitants of Earth.But how can Klaatu convince them that total earthly cooperation is needed? His answer: He will make Earth stand still. At precisely noon the following day electricity and other energies will cease to function for 30 minutes.The demonstration is carried out. Almost everything comes to a stop: transportation, printing presses, broadcasts, home appliances. A complete, worldwide brownout.Clearly, the power at Klaatu’s disposal is immense. This should be self-evident now. But fear still reigns, not reason.Even so, the meeting is duly arranged. It will be held in Washington tomorrow night. Yet through a series of events Klaatu’s cover as Carpenter is blown. The army, placed on full alert, is ready to recapture him.The following night a taxi is headed downtown. In it Carpenter and Mrs. Benson are seated. They are going to the meeting together. She knows who he is now. Yesterday he was forced by circumstances to tell her the truth. She knows it was he who made the earth stand still.As they head downtown they notice a build-up of army personnel along the route. The taxi driver does too and is nervous. Klaatu tells Mrs. Benson he’s worried about Gort. Only Klaatu knows Gort’s destructive powers. He knows what Gort will do if anything happens to Klaatu. And so he teaches Mrs. Benson perhaps the most famous alien words in the history of sci-fi cinema:“Gort, Klaatu barada nikto.”She repeats the words to herself, committing them to memory.They are intercepted. Klaatu runs from the vehicle. The army opens fire. He is shot and killed.Mrs. Benson hurries to the spacecraft. Gort has already killed the army guards standing duty. He will try to kill her now too. But as his visor opens she utters the fateful words to him:“Klaatu barada nikto.”His visor closes. He picks her up and carries her into the spacecraft. Then he departs. Implausible though it may be, he then finds the body of Klaatu and carries it back to the ship. Thereafter follows the famous Christ-like resurrection scene where Gort places Klaatu on a machine that restores him to life, however temporary it will be.The meeting that was to be held downtown is shifted to the foot of the spacecraft now. Dr. Barnhardt is at the podium and means to address the assembled foreign dignitaries. But he barely has a chance to speak as the ramp of the ship slides down and the door opens. Gort emerges first, then Mrs. Benson with Klaatu. Gasps from the crowd. Klaatu lives! He was dead. He’s eternal, or seems to be. Christ-like indeed.The whole point of the film is summed up in the long, eloquent speech Klaatu makes to the crowd at the end. It’s long but had to be for him to say everything worth saying. He solemnly says:“I am leaving soon, and you will forgive me if I speak bluntly.The universe grows smaller every day, and the threat of aggression by any group anywhere can no longer be tolerated. There must be security for all or no one is secure. This does not mean giving up any freedom, except the freedom to act irresponsibly.Your ancestors knew this when they made laws to govern themselves and hired policemen to enforce them. We of the other planets have long accepted this principle. We have an organisation for the mutual protection of all planets, and for the complete elimination of aggression. The test of any such higher authority is of course the police force that supports it. For our policemen we created a race of robots. Their function is to patrol the planets in spaceships like this one and preserve the peace. In matters of aggression we have given them absolute power over us. This power cannot be revoked. At the first sign of violence they act automatically against the aggressor. The penalty for provoking this action it too terrible to risk.The result is, we live in peace, without arms or armies, secure in the knowledge that we are free from aggression and war, free to pursue more profitable enterprises.We do not pretend to have achieved perfection, but we do have a system, and it works. I came here to give you these facts. It is no concern of ours how you run your own planet. But if you threaten to extend your violence, this Earth of yours will be reduced to a burned-out cinder.Your choice is simple. Join us and live in peace, or pursue your present course and face obliteration. We shall be waiting for your answer. The decision rests with you.”So, the age-old question:Does the world end in fire or ice, in the heat of a runaway greenhouse climate (as on Venus) or in the deep-freeze of nuclear winter? Choices remain open for us, but for how long?We have been warned.

Great classic film better than the newer version

An edition of a classic film with lots of extras, with documentaries about the Theremin and UFOs/flying saucers in "reality" as well as a documentary on the film itself.

Very old but well made early sci-fi movie

60's sci fi at its best, always loved this movie

One of my favourite old sci-fi films that my partner hadn’t seen, the remake starring Keanu Reeves was not a patch on the original so I ordered the dvd of the black and white original.The dvd was as described and the picture and sound quality are excellent.If you aren’t familiar with the movie it’s a 1951 b&w sci-if classic starring Michael Rennie as Klamath an alien who lands on earth in Washington, in panic he is shot by a soldier causing a giant robot called Gort to emerge from the spacecraft. Gort destroys the weapons aimed at him and seems indestructible, Klaatu orders Gort not to attack. Klaatu is taken to hospital while Gort shuts down standing guard over the ship. Klaatu escapes and learns about earth but sees how we are headed for disaster, to prove their power Klaatu is able to stop all technology on earth from working (Hence the film title)…I won’t spoil what happens next but it’s a great film.

All those of us who grew up at with the Rocky Horror Picture show know that `Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still, but he showed us all where to stand'. Ever since hearing those lines I have wanted to see this film, and now that I finally have I am not disappointed. It is a veritable classic of the genre.A flying saucer lands in Washington and out pops Michael Rennie as Klatuu, a representative from another world who has in important message for Earth. Accompanying him is the fearsome Gort, a robot with the power to destroy the world if it gets narked. Klatuu is, inevitably, attacked by the military and essentially imprisoned. He strolls out of captivity and decides to get to know the people of the planet, taking up lodgings in a boarding house where he meets Helen and her son Billy. Forming a strong bond with Billy, he learns much about humanity, that there is a chance we might evolve into something better after all. He manages to meet up with an eminent scientist who wishes to help and get Klatuu's message through to all the nations of the earth. To make people take notice he suggests Klatuu make a demonstration of his power, and for half an hour the Earth stands still. There is then a bit more running around, Klatuu gets shot once more, Patricia Neale gets to say some of cinema's most immortal lines (`Gort! Klatuu verada nichto!) there is a quick resurrection and Klatuu's message is delivered to the world - either stop being s aggressive or we will wipe you out.Packed full of cinema's classic moments, the opening of the spaceship for example, and lines (see above), this is a memorable film, imagery from which really sticks in the mind. Made just after the end of the second world war and as the cold war was just starting the message is one that we should have learned by now but haven't. It must have been a powerful message at the time, and still is. I rather like the idea that from the outsider's point of view the squabbles between the nations of earth are inconsequential compared to the threat facing us from outside, but no-one here will see it.The Christian allegory does get as little wearing after a while - a messenger from a higher power is ignored by humanity, goes into the wilderness for a bit and picks up some disciples, finally he is killed by the powers that be, resurrected then delivers his message. He even goes by the name of Carpenter when living incognito.The production still feels fresh today, some 60 years on. The special effects are well done and still stand up. The script and direction are both high quality. And the actors are well cast. Michael Renniein particular is superb as the other worldly Klatuu, all knowing smiles and superiority. I must also praise the child playing Billy - it is not often I can stand children in films, usually finding them highly annoying, but he is a watchable kid who does well with the part. On top of all this there is an unsettling and quite advanced score from Bernard Hermann, which is the icing on the cake.The DVD restoration is pretty good. The picture is clean and sharp, as is the sound. It is an excellent presentation of a superb film.

Simple Brilliance

DVD arrived 12 days early. We have progressed technologically from wheel cover shaped flying saucers but this title is still a must for your Classic Sci-Fi collection. This movie even rates a mention in Rocky Horror.

Opinión de Day The Earth Stood Still The BD [Reino Unido] [Blu-ray] con ASIN: B001GPTCDELa edición bluray del Reino Unido de "Ultimátum a la Tierra" (de 1951) tiene audio castellano y subtítulos en español en los extras.¡Un saludo! Espero que os sea de utilidad mi comentario.

Un grande classico di fantascienza, contro la guerra e contro la violenza. Il messaggio (l'ultimatum) che Klaatu porta alla Terra e' pesante, ma il significato e' ancora piu' terrificante: la sua razza ha dovuto costruire degli automi che hanno pieno potere su di loro, e che agiscono, anche seriamente, se qualcuno commette qualcosa di violento, se uccide qualcuno. Sono arrivati a rinunciare a parte del loro libero arbitrio, per vivere in pace. Cosa che Klaatu spera che non succeda con la Terra, che abbia ancora un briciolo di coscienza e di amor proprio in modo da riuscire a raddrizzare il tiro prima che sia troppo tardi. purtroppo si deve ricredere, l'umanita' e' violenta, e non ha remore di prendersela con lui, nonostante si sia mostrato piu' volte come pacifico.Migliore anni luce del remake con il pur sempre bravo Keanu Reeves e la brava e bella Jennifer Connelly: per lo meno qui c'e' il robot Gort (chiamato veramente cosi', e non soprannominato dagli umani usando un acronimo) che, personalmente, mi fa piu' paura di quello gigantesco, composto da miliardi di naniti che invece e' nel remake!troviamo molto materiale extra, tra cui documentari e "featurette" d'epoca, interviste dei "giorni d'oggi", e un paio di giochi interattivi (uno in cui si tenta di suonare il tema del film con il Theremin, e l'altro in cui si impersona Gort, disintegrando gli umani che cercano di attaccarlo - abbastanza ingiocabile usando il telecomando del blu ray).note tecniche: ho comprato il Blu Ray in inglese perche', pure se personalizzato per il mercato UK, contiene comunque un disco stampato per tutto il globo terracqueo, con audio e sottotitoli per tutto il mondo o quasi (la stampa italiana e' fuori produzione).Il restauro e la digitalizzazione sono fatti allo stato dell'arte: immagine quasi cinematografica (e' visibile la grana della pellicola), e mostra anche piccoli particolari, che forse si notavano di meno sul precedente restauro per DVD (pur sempre valido). Il comparto audio non e' male, con audio 5.1 (in luogo del vecchio mono del DVD) che pero' spesso mostra troppa differenza con i dialoghi (desunti dalla vecchia colonna italiana monofonica dell'epoca, limitata in bassa e in alta frequenza, pur se ben ripuliti e poco "nasali", come invece succede nelle digitalizzazioni di pellicole monofoniche dell'epoca) e la colonna Musica e Effetti, troppo "pulita" e con dinamica nettamente superiore a quella della colonna dialoghi, che ogni tanto porta ad abbassare il volume quando finiscono di parlare ed entra la (fantastica) musica (suonata con il mitico Theremin, uno strumento elettronico, forse il primo, che si suona senza contatto). Comunque, la resa e' dignitosa, e, trattandosi di un doppiaggio d'epoca (con l'indimenticato e bravissimo Emilio Cigoli a doppiare l'alieno Klaatu - l'immenso Michael Rennie, qua in uno dei suoi primissimi ruoli - e l'altrettanto bravo Lauro Gazzolo a doppiare il professor Barnhardt) il risultato e' tutto sommato decente.non dovrebbe mai mancare in una collezione che si rispetti!!!

Enjoyed this movie. Was impressed with the inside of the ship set.

Schnell geliefert und in Topzustand - warum kaufen nicht mehr Leute gebraucht? Der zeitlose Sci-Fi-Klassiker in HD. Tonnenweise Bonusmaterial, zwei Daumen hoch!