Nina Boggan

10/09/15
Green Group

The Day the Earth Stood Still Plot Summary

The theme of The Day the Earth Stood Still, directed by Robert Wise is
that as the world evolves, peace is often times not considered an option in
times where it is needed. This film is centered around the popular scenario in
which a UFO lands on Earth, containing aliens with a message to humans.
The Day the Earth Stood Still begins with a strange saucer shaped
space ship being detected by the United States military. Word spreads to the
rest of the war-stricken world, and the residents of Washington, D.C,
protected by tanks and soldiers gather to gawk at the strange object. A
humanoid alien named Klaatu descends from the ship, followed by his robot
called Gort. A nervous soldier then shoots Klaatu, and he is sent to the
hospital where he tells a presidents advisor that he wishes to meet with the
worlds leaders to discuss his reason for coming to Earth. After his request in
denied, Klaatu escapes the army guarding the hospital and sets out to
assimilate himself into the human world, by the name of Mr. Carpenter. He
then befriends a boy and his mother at a boarding house, and takes the boy
to visit the smartest man in the world, a man named Professor Barnhardt.
He tells the professor to gather the worlds greatest minds in a meeting so

he may tell them something important. Klaatu then attempts to escape the
police and teams of soldiers to get to this meeting, but he is killed in the
process. He is brought back to life by his robot, Gort and delivers the
message to Earth that the world must learn to live without the violence that
he has experienced during his visit, or they will be annihilated by the rest of
the universe. He and Gort leave with words, this Earth of yours will be
reduced to a burned-out cinder. [...] We shall be waiting for your answer.
The military chase at the end of the film supports the theme. The
government was unsure of Klaatus intentions, but they automatically resort
to a violent approach instead of simply gathering the worlds greatest minds
like he suggested. The lesson to be learned is that whether or not the human
race is not inherently peaceful, it is important to consider peace as an option
in every circumstance.

The Day the Earth Stood Still Historical Setting

The Day the Earth Stood Still is set in 1951 just after World War 11, and
during the Korean War. The film, although it was shot using the culture of the
1950s, would obviously not be considered to be historically accurate. The
main reason is the fact that aliens landed on Earth, but there are others, like
the fact that many of the government leaders were not those that were
present at the time.
Michael Booth from the Denver post says that, The Day the Earth
Stood Still may at first look like goofy, outdated science fiction This was
an accurate description of many older movies. Movies were used as a way to
get away from life, or to tell an interesting story. People hadnt transitioned
into the age where the goal was to be relatable or realistic. The special
effects also lacked the same quality that exists today in modern films, but
that is simply due to the fact that technology hadnt yet advanced to the
level of newer projects.
The film circulates around the violence that exists in the world post
World War II. This aspect of the plot is accurate. Many people in the US were

recovering from lost loved ones as well as PTSD, so they were prone to resort
to violence when interacted with the nations that caused their situations. It
was hard for even the United Nations to meet because of tensions from the
war.
Another inaccuracy, although it is common for that time, was the
dialogue and speaking voices used by the actors. They would often
manipulate their voices to sound less like an actual person and more like a
character. Actors would overdo their emotion and gestures in order to
enhance the plot.
Although The Day the Earth Stood Still may not be described as
historically accurate, the setting of the film is similar to that of D.C in 1951. It
uses this familiar setting to surprise viewers when they see a UFO land in
Washington, D.C.

Works Cited
"American History: Life in the US After World War Two." VOA. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2016.

Denver Post, Michael Booth. "The Day the Earth Stood Still 1951." Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes,
5 Oct. 2007. Web. 6 Mar. 2016.

The Day the Earth Stood Still Cinematographic Techniques

Many cinematographic techniques are used to help the viewer further

understand the film and relations to the theme. The director may choose
certain visual effects in order to make an aspect of the storyline more
obvious.
A technique that was used frequently throughout the film was that
when someone is harmed or there is something strange happening, the
camera will only show peoples faces reacting to this event, or a wall
blocking it. For example, when Gort knocks out two soldiers, the camera
pans to a small boys horrified expression and then back to the soldiers, who
are now lying on the ground. Another technique that is used is when there is
a strange object or action, it is often portrayed in harsh, bright light.
These techniques are sometimes described as cheesy or overdramatic
in todays film industry, but in the 50s, they were used to intensify the plot
and add a more exciting effect to the overall mood.