The Day the Earth Stood Still

The Day the Earth Stood Still is a science-fiction classic on which the years have left their mark.

An alien spaceship lands on Earth. The alien Klaatu, who is accompanied by an advanced robot, is met by a large military presence and is wounded by a young, panic-stricken soldier, even though he comes in peace. Klaatu's task is to warn all the peoples of the Earth that an alliance of the populations of a number of planets will soon no longer tolerate humanity's constant warfare. For the people of Earth are capable not only of endangering themselves, but also life on the other planets.

To get his message out, the alien Klaatu finds himself forced to escape the American government's very thorough protection. He settles in a boarding house, where he wins the heart of the boy Bobby - and perhaps also that of his mother. She, the single mother Helen Benson, comes to play a crucial part in the alien's mission, and Klaatu discovers that the vast majority of earthlings are peaceful.

Klaatu demonstrates his power and attracts attention by cutting off all electricity for an hour, so that everything stands still. He then gathers a representative from each of the world's nations to tell them of his intentions, before he can return with his mission accomplished.

The film may seem a little dated, but its humanist message of peace is timeless, and the phrase "Klaatu barada nikto" has been immortalised. Unlike so many other American science-fiction films, The Day the Earth Stood Still is not a chauvinistic film with an indirect warning against communism, but a warning to all parties in the Cold War against nuclear war.