The Day the Earth Stood Still

G

Released Sep 18, 1951

1 hr. 32 min.

Sci-Fi

List

95%

59 Reviews

Tomatometer

87%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

When a UFO lands in Washington, D.C., bearing a message for Earth's leaders, all of humanity stands still. Klaatu (Michael Rennie) has come on behalf of alien life who have been watching Cold War-era nuclear proliferation on Earth. But it is Klaatu's soft-spoken robot Gort that presents a more immediate threat to onlookers. A single mother (Patricia Neal) and her son teach the world about peace and tolerance in this moral fable, ousting the tanks and soldiers that greet the alien's arrival.

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Critics Consensus

Socially minded yet entertaining, The Day the Earth Stood Still imparts its moral of peace and understanding without didacticism.

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John S

The consensus is that this movie "isn't" didactic? I disagree. Klaatu came from a society on a planet ruled by robots they created to govern themselves, that could turn them into dust for having a violent moment. That's carrot and stick and the lesson is mandatory. (Though it really shouldn't be that hard to not be violent.) Maybe it IS a utopian society. Anyhow... Very enjoyable film. I do enjoy a morality tale through a sci-fi lens. I'm rewatching this for the first time in decades thinking we humans haven't learned a damned thing. A movie made in 1951 could still be a great education to many in 2024. This movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/21/24

Full Review

Steve D

It may look dated but the story isn't.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/04/24

Full Review

Matthew B

The 1950s was a decade in cinema that included a lot of stories about hostile alien visitations. Imagine this one. A flying saucer lands on the grass just outside the White House, causing frightened locals to run for cover. An alien steps out who cannot be easily killed by bullets. Accompanying him is a menacing robot that is impervious to damage, and which vaporises the army's weaponry. This alien comes with a threat to destroy the world, but he soon escapes the custody of the army. Cut to scenes of a frightened woman ushering her child into the house. This alien talks about levelling New York or sinking the Rock of Gibraltar as a show of power, before finally paralysing the planet with his superior technology. The people of Earth resist, and the alien finally returns to his flying saucer and leaves the planet. Here are the ingredients of an exciting alien invasion movie, but doubtless you will balk at the idea that I am accurately describing The Day the Earth Stood Still. We all know this is about a well-meaning, Christ-like alien who brings a message of peace. While movies such as The Thing from Another World upset some sci-fi fans by setting in motion a wave of monster movies, The Day the Earth Stood Still was one of the ground-breaking sci-fi stories of the 1950s that showed contact with a friendly alien. Actually neither description is accurate, and yet the film arguably contains elements from both of the summaries I just gave. Klaatu is not a malevolent alien with evil intentions towards the Earth, but the prevailing mood of the film is one of fear, reflected in the haunting and eerie music score provided by Bernard Herrmann. At the helm was an experienced and professional director, Robert Wise. Wise tries to make the story as realistic and believable as possible. He tells the story in the cinema vérité style that would become common in sci-fi films of this decade. Wise included scenes showing military experts considering the threat, journalists and newsreaders describing the story, and politicians thinking about what to do next. By way of contrast, the film also includes ordinary people discussing what they are hearing on the news, and giving their impressions. Klaatu's role in arriving on Earth is not to negotiate peace or decide the planet's future, but to warn us against a risk that he cannot prevent. Inter-planetary peace and harmony has only been achieved with the threat of total annihilation, an argument that sounds curiously similar to that applied to the nuclear deterrent. It is an interesting thought. I would not wish to push it too far and suggest that Klaatu is a threatening or intimidating figure. I doubt many people who have viewed the film would be convinced if I did. Klaatu is a benign and appealing figure, but his message is not a blandly friendly one – he brings a dire warning with him, and it is unclear at the end whether we are mature enough as a species to heed his words. I wrote a longer appreciation of The Day the Earth Stood Still on my blog page if you would like to read more of my thoughts: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2019/04/13/the-day-the-earth-stood-still-1951/

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/23/23

Full Review

Hugo D

Excellent movie, yes it's dated, it was filmed in 1951. It's filled with 1950's paranoia about the commie threat. But the story and it's message was way ahead of it's time. The sound effect/ alien sounding soundtrack and use of shadows were awesome. The characters of Klaatu and his giant 8 ft tall robot Gort are great. To me one of the best SF stories ever made. Not just for the 50's. But until Star Wars A New Hope came out in 1977. It was best on many levels. A very strong Anti-War movie with a great ending. Not your typical alien invasion movie at all. Hollywood really dropped the ball with the horrible remake. Once CGI was pretty perfected by 1991. With the release of Terminator II Judgement day. They should of raced to remake this version with Christopher Reeve aka Superman as Klaatu. George Lucas, Spielberg or Cameron should jumped on that as their next big block buster for 1994 or 95. The message of the movie still stands up to today. Klaatu Barada Nikto!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/31/23

Full Review

Joey O

Wow, went into this movie not knowing much but it's now my second favorite classic movie of all time behind War of the worlds and, I'm happy to have a movie to give it some competition. I'm not going to spoil anything, a little slow but aren't all movies from this time? Fantastic film, makes me want to watch it on a projector at a campfire

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/24/23

Full Review

Monsol E

May be a bit of a slow watch for modern audiences, but its message about humanity needing to know it's place may be more relevant then ever. Oh and Gort is pretty cool, even if the effects are very limited.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/17/23

Full Review

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Robert Wise

Director

Michael Rennie

Klaatu

Patricia Neal

Helen Benson

Hugh Marlowe

Tom Stevens

Sam Jaffe

Prof. Jacob Barnhardt

Billy Gray

Bobby Benson

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Steven D. Greydanus

Decent Films

More thoughtful and restrained than most sci-fi of the period, The Day the Earth Stood Still has aged better than almost all of its peers.

Rated: A-

Dec 12, 2008

Full Review

Bill Weber

Slant Magazine

Iconic from the get-go.

Rated: 3.5/4

Dec 2, 2008

Full Review

Michael Booth

Denver Post

The Day the Earth Stood Still may at first look like goofy, outdated science fiction, but its timeless warnings about violence, nuclear confrontation and the difficulties of policing the planet have made it an enduring cultural classic.

Oct 5, 2007

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

It's as much Christ parable as science fiction film... yet its message is delivered less like a sermon than a threat.

Sep 8, 2023

Full Review

Anton Bitel

Projected Figures

While Robert Wise’s sci-fi allegorises the dangers of global aggression in the Cold War, it presents itself as updated Christian parable.

Jun 25, 2023

Full Review

Mark R. Leeper

Mark Leeper's Reviews

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL is a sentimental favorite among Fifties science fiction films. It is certainly good but not nearly as good as its reputation would make it.

Rated: 6/10

Feb 14, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

When a UFO lands in Washington, D.C., bearing a message for Earth's leaders, all of humanity stands still. Klaatu (Michael Rennie) has come on behalf of alien life who have been watching Cold War-era nuclear proliferation on Earth. But it is Klaatu's soft-spoken robot Gort that presents a more immediate threat to onlookers. A single mother (Patricia Neal) and her son teach the world about peace and tolerance in this moral fable, ousting the tanks and soldiers that greet the alien's arrival.

Director: Robert Wise
Screenwriter: Harry Bates, Edmund H. North
Distributor: CBS/Fox, 20th Century Fox, Fox
Production Co: 20th Century Fox
Rating: G
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 18, 1951, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 18, 2012
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.37:1)

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