Pants

After watching this again on DVD it is more clear to me than ever how flawed this film's logic is. Klatu is a cruel ass. His message is live in peace or DIE!? What kind of message is that? That's not peacefull. This guy isn't a Jesus like benevolent messanger of good will, he's a dictator who uses threats to get the Earth to do what he says.

And, although it's impossible, lets TRY to keep current events out of this.

I think we should also discuss the other "Age Old debate about The Day the Earth Stood Still":

IS GORT GAY?

audrey

The question posed by The Day The Earth Stood Still strikes me as an extension of the seemingly contradictory notion that laws, which in some measure restrict freedom, in fact enable it by holding anarchy in check. As Locke said, “wherever law ends, tyranny begins.” Klaatu’s message, while harsh, embodies this philosophy.

I see the flick as uplifting and hopeful.


And no; Gort is not gay (not that there's anything wrong with that); he's a robot.

Pants

But Klatu's disarmament dictum doesn't just restrict freedom, it threatens complete and total anihilation of an entire planet and everyone on it.

Furthermore, Gort is an enforcement droid. Everyone in the galaxy has surendered their free will to a machine who holds ultimate power over them. That doesn't sound too pleasent. I think I'd rather live in fear of nuclear anihilation than in fear of Gort.

movielib

Pants, although I like the film, I pretty much agree with you.

Another thing that strikes me as odd is that when Klaatu first gets out of his ship he's all weird looking, says nothing and approaches the soldiers with what certainly could be construed as a weapon in his hand. So someone shoots him. What does he expect, making an entrance like that? It seems to be set up just so they can make humans look fearful, violent and warlike.

It's flaws like these that make me like Forbidden Planet more and think FB is the best of the 1950s sci-fi classics.

audrey

I disagree--by eliminating aggression we gain freedom; not lose it. Imagine the anarchy that would ensue if murder, rape, and theft carried no consequence. Your freedom of movement, of safety, and of peace of mind would be severely restricted. Recognizing this simple truth, every nation on earth has enacted laws and punishments. Right or wrong, in the US some states punish certain offences with death.

In the scenario established in TDTESS, the people of the galaxy have not surrendered their “free will,” rather they have entrusted law enforcement to machines that execute the law without prejudice. Each individual gives up the "right" of agression so that all may live in peace.

One has to assume the system works as intended. Of course there are many possible distopian wrinkles (and these are fun to think about)—but those are clearly outside the scope and intent of the film. The robots merely replace the police and court system.

Pants

True. But in TDTESS aggression hasn't been eliminated. Klatu and Gort fly around the Galaxy threatening everyone with total anihilation

audrey

I see it as a convenient plot device, rather than a flaw. Does the soldier’s actions make humans appear fearful, violent, and warlike? Absolutely. It’s the central theme of the movie. Ironically, Forbidden Planet


BTW: I too love Forbidden Planet.

audrey

I suppose that’s one way to look at it. Another is that the various races of the galaxy have learned to live in peace and that Gort merely protects that peace. Is the sight of a policeman on the street corner threatening or reassuring? My guess is that the answer depends on one’s POV.

Edited to add: something just struck me in your initial post that seems germane.

That essentially is the message of the Christian god—believe in me, love me, follow my laws, or spend eternity suffering in hell. How is Klaatu’s message fundamentally different?

movielib

But FB doesn't use convenient (read: lame) plot devices to get its point across.


As I said above, I like TDTESS. But I think that FP is superior to it in many ways.

gutwrencher

...and if it's a planet full of stoopid people who threaten the universe with ignorance....I say...wipe us out, please. just take me with you guys on the ship....then let me push the button.

Giantrobo

Mars Attacks was a much better movie and more accurately portrays Non-Earth Alien aggression.

Kudama

U’m?

Have you checked that religion (if you’re going to use that as an example)?

Jesus threatened the most unendurable (forever, in fact) horror if you didn’t comply with it’s way!

I’m down with Klaatu, myself.

darkflounder

Forbidden Planet is rapidly becoming one of my all time/old time favorite sci fi movies. Cool special effects, even by today's standards. A very good story. And general coolness.

Besides, who here doesn't get a stiffy when they see Altaira??

audrey

Not to stray too far OT, but both Forbidden Planet and TDTESS are excellent movies; I don't want to quibble over which one is better. I think it's a testament to their success that people can draw radically different conclusions and meaning from the films.

Since FP is loosely based on Shakespeare's The Tempest, I think it's fair to draw a measure of inference from the source material, which poses the question,

Back to TDTESS, what you see as lame I see as economical. While I agree the opening could have been handled with greater subtlety, the approach the writers chose establishes the basic theme and propels the plot in the minimum amount of time. I don't find the opening scene unrealistic; the newspapers are full of parallels. Remember the Diallo story---"It's a wallet, not a gun." IMO regardless of how the premise is set up, the result would have been the same.

In any event, I am thankful that the movie has finally been released on DVD, encouraged that sales are strong, and happy the movie continues to spark discussion. :-)

Panda Phil

My memory might be failing me, but wasn't the message closer to; "You can do whatever you want to each other, but try to spread your violent ways out into space and your asses are toast."

Seemed more like they were treating humanities tendencies like a disease and simply isolating us for it. If we somehow manage to survive our childhood, we'll be welcome to join the other mature races of the galaxy.

Jericho

Panda Phil is right. The message by Klaatu wasn't conform or die. Klaatu didn't really care if the people on Earth destoryed each other. I don't think he really understood it either, but his message was if they threatened any other species, they would be toast.

It was simply a warning. The fact that they gave them the warning, instead of blasting earth away at the first sign of interstellar violence is at least something.

The main point of the movie, in my opinion, was that the "aliens" had evolved beyond violence and everyone was the better for it. Robots like Gort were there to enforce the peace, and led to no corruption in the system. In a way he was trying to help Earth evolve to a better way of life.

DVD Smurf

If I am not mistaken Klatu says, "We are not perfect, but our methods work." or something like it. I thought Klatu was a sort of police that patrolled the universe in order to keep the balance in the universe, which humans were threatening with the atomic bomb and rocket science. This kind of sound familiar with what is going on right now, however, the aliens had evidence and they were all voting in favor of what was needed to keep the peace in universe. To keep current events out, is like to say, "do not learn from the film". Why do I say this? Well, stories are told to teach or help us how live better lives. Same thing with the story of Little Red Ridinghood, i.e., do not talk to strangers.

In addition, Klatu revealed the secret to how to stop Gort and his killing if Klatu were injured or killed. "Klatu Verata Nectu", or something like it (sigh again). This does not sound like someone who is cruel, but someone who cares.

Anyway, I am just using my first amenedment rights.

MrN

Aren't we?

paradicelost

Just to add something on top of what everyone else has been saying. Wasn't his whole purpose in coming to Earth was to protect the rest of the Universe from us. Its been awhile since i've seen it, but didn't he even add that he didn't care what we did to each other or to this planet, but the weapons that we were creating could harm the rest of the Universe, and that he did care about. I might be wrong, after seeing so many films they kinda run together.