Reviewed by Stuart O'Connor
Stars Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe,
Sam Jaffe, Billy Gray, Frances Bavier, Lock Martin,
Holly Bane, John Burton, John Close
Written by Edmund North & Harry Bates
UK certification PG | UK RRP £22.99
Region 2 | Runtime 92 minutes
Directed by Robert Wise
Michael Rennie was ill, the day the Earth stood still,
But he told us where we stand.
— Science Fiction, from The Rocky Horror Show
The Day The Earth Stood Still came along just a few years after the end of World War II. It was the birth of the atomic age, and before the Cold War really kicked off. Much of the science fiction at the time reflected real-world fears – Hollywood was obsessed with alien invasions and the "threat" of communism; the Japanese, still reeling from the atom bomb attacks that ended WWII, threw their fears on the screen in the form of mutated monsters, such as Godzilla. Most of the films were low-budget and as cheesy as hell, but The Day The Earth Stood Still stood out for being much smarter and more sombre than the rest.
Tall, gaunt Rennie, a realitive cinema unknown at the time, beautifully brings to life Klaatu, an alien visitor to Earth who has come with a message from the stars – the universal version of the UN sees us as primitive and dangerous, and we must change our arrogant, violent ways or risk a terrible fate. This truly is a sci-fi classic, a thought-provoking and intelligent film as relevant today as it was almost 60 years ago. It really is so much better than the rather lame 2008 remake – particularly for the wonderful Bernard Herrmann score. It was the first sci-fi film for director Wise – he went on to make classics such as West Side Story, The Sand Pebbles, The Sound of Music and Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
EXTRAS **** The Blu-ray features a beautifully-restored picture that is crisp and sharp, and the soundtrack has also been nicely cleaned up. And speaking of sound, there are two audio commentaries – the first is with director Wise and Nicholas Meyer, who directed Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; the second is with film and music historians John Morgan, Steven Smith, William Stromberg and Nick Redman. Plus you get seven pretty decent featurettes: a making-of; Decoding Klaatu Barada Nikto – Science Fiction as Metaphor; A Brief History of Flying Saucers; The Astounding Harry Bates (who wrote the story); Edmund North: The Man Who Made the Earth Stand Still (he wrote the screenplay); The World of the Theremin; and The Mysterious, Melodious Theremin. There is also an interactive Theremin to play with and a game called Gort Command. Oh, and there's a trailer for the 2008 remake, but that is best ignored.
• Enter our competition for a chance to win The Day The Earth Stood Still on Blu-ray