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| Gort (Lock Martin) in a frame from The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) |
For
reasons I cannot explain, and although I am a big Sci-Fi fan, I had neglected
to see The Day the Earth Stood Still
(1951) and its same-titled 2008 remake. I just corrected this wrong, and
although not much has been left to say about the duo that hasn’t already been
said, here’s my brief notes.
 |
| The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) |
The Day the Earth Stood Still
(1951)
Set
during the Cold War era, a few years after the end of WWII (World War II), this
is about a spaceship that lands on our planet Earth, bringing the alien visitor
Klaatu [Michael Rennie from The Lost
World (1960)] along with his goon robot Gort (Lock Martin). When the duo’s
messages of peace don’t work to the ever war-inducing earthlings, Klaatu will
try to infiltrate our planet’s population by befriending a young boy, Bobby
Benson [Billy Gray from Abbott and
Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)].
Based on the
‘Farewell to the Master’ story by Harry Bates, the screenplay by Edmund H.
North [Patton (1970)] may be a bit
too neoliberal for its own good (even though neoliberalism probably wasn’t a
thing back then), what with the celebration of police via a supposed peaceful
message, but that was Cold War-era America and those messages were the standard.
On the other hand, Robert Wise’s [West
Side Story (1961)] direction is top-notch, and he truly delivers a
masterful work of science fiction. The soundtrack by Bernard Herrmann (no
introduction needed) is probably the most iconic in the history of the genre.
Produced
by Julian Blaustein [Don’t Bother to
Knock (1952)] for 20th Century Fox on less than 1$ million, it
went on to gross $1.85 million, it is now considered a classic of its genre and
cinema in general, and should not be missed by anyone.
 |
| The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) |
The Day the Earth Stood Still
(2008)
When an
alien spaceship lands in New York City, a bunch of scientists is gathered by
the military, among them the female lead Dr. Helen Benson (the always drop-dead
gorgeous Jennifer Connelly). The alien that comes out of the spaceship, Klaatu
(Keanu Reeves, no introduction needed) comes in peace, but the ever
trigger-happy U.S. military forces gun him down, prompting his gigantic robot
to take action. Once Klaatu is captured by the U.S. government, he is subjected
to some awful interrogation methods, and upon arranging his escape, he will try
a different approach in order to deliver his message of peace.
Not so
much a remake, but rather a re-imagination of the original, director Scott
Derrickson’s [The Exorcism of Emily Rose
(2005)] film is much more spectacular (what with the expensive CGI and multiple
shootouts and explosions, etc.) but lacks in depth. The soundtrack by Tyler
Bates is a winner though, even if not as iconic as the original film’s one.
Produced by Paul Harris Boardman, Gregory Goodman, and Erwin Stoff, for 20th
Century Fox, on a whopping $80 million budget, this went on to gross $233.1
million, essentially becoming a big blockbuster.
Conclusion
Whereas
the 1951 film is a subtle classic of its genre (and an occasionally moody and
quiet piece at that too), the 2008 remake is a bombastic multi-million dollar
spectacle. They are both nowhere near my list of my all-time favorite Sci-Fi
films from the past or the recent times, but they are still very enjoyable
popcorn movies that you should catch up with, in the unlikely case that you
haven’t already done so.
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