The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Sure, when you think about it, what Klaatu is saying is more or less what actually happened in 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy', so it's kind of like HHG is the sequel to DESS. The calm and humility displayed by Klaatu, and the depth of his knowledge and later understanding of humanity is something we should all take to heart.This movie is profound. Watch it!

The script gives more emphasis to the story and the characters than the action. The robot's abilities are underplayed and yet remarks hint at great power. Direction is understated in general. I saw very effective acting skills by several in the cast. Billy Gray is most effective and understated. He provides the "glue" to move along communication. You must, absolutely, follow the speech by each person, as the spoken word is vital to understanding the plot. I compare this film very favorably against the present films that appear shallow by comparison. The director, and script author perhaps, exploit first reaction by extras and then emphasizes reactions through more extras. This adds depth to the thoughts and emotions. The plot is multidimensional, hardly shallow. They used the technology of that time effectively.

Unfortunatelly l wait too long to see this magnificent Masterpiece on TV,just in 1995,how l love sci-fi movies this one suprise me about your nature of anti-war aproach,totally unique.a brand new idea made this picture a instant classic,the stunning music score in opening credits is beyond this world,put aside all this the new face Michael Rennie works too much as stranger proven a right choice...but who really shines is Gort the robot,the main character...simple but remarkable,became a legend!! l have a Cinema Reserve double DVD with a lot of bonus,now waiting for Blu-ray format to see in high definition!!Resume:First watch: 1995 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-Cable TV-DVD / Rating: 10

Just saw this recently at Netflix. I thought it was funny that Klaatu, an alien, looked exactly like humans. That aside, the story and message were really good, and in some ways relevant to today: We need to stop being so violent and warlike before we destroy ourselves and/or other planets and possible other lifeforms that may be out there as we continue to make further advances into space. Also the idea of being afraid of the unknown. Klaatu was polite, non-violent, and direct in his quest reach a message to all nations. But the military saw him as a threat and did not want to listen. They wanted to control him and then kill him. A lot of this made me think of how some people today are xenophobic and are afraid of other cultures. Instead of getting to know one another, it's easier to be paranoid and violent.Some miscellaneous stuff: I wonder if Gort was an influence for Cylons in the Battlestar Galactica 1970's version? Ha. If you watch you'll see what I mean. The idea we've seen in Star Trek about there being an organized Alien presence with rules, laws, and a system, etc. is also in this movie. I love the way the ship seemed seamless when it closed.Anyway, it sort of seemed like a satire using science fiction to get a message across. Good job.