In 1951, Twentieth Century Fox released the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still, which was based on the Harry Bates' 1940 short story "Farewell to the Master". The science fiction movie featured Michael Rennie as Klaatu, Patricia Neal, Sam Jaffe, and Hugh Marlowe, and Lock Martin as the giant alien robot Gort, called Gnut in the Bates' short story. The movie was directed by Robert Wise and produced by Julian Blaustein. Screenwriter Edmund H. North adapted Bates' short story for the screen. The movie is rated consistently by critics as one of the greatest science fiction movies ever made.
In 2008, The Day the Earth Stood Still was remade by director Scott Derrickson. The movie starred Keanu Reeves as the alien Klaatu and Jennifer Connelly as Dr. Helen Benson. David Scarpa wrote the screenplay based on the Edmund H. North 1951 screenplay.
The critical and commercial success of the 1951 movie relied on the novel themes introduced by Bates in his short story. Ever since The War of the Worlds (1898) by H.G. Wells, aliens were often described as menacing, aggressive and murderous, with a degraded moral and ethical sense. In Bates' story, aliens are the opposite, possessing a good moral character. The alien Klatuu's face "radiated kindness, wisdom, the purest nobility. In his delicately tinted robe he looked like a benign god." The giant alien robot, Gnut in the short story, Gort in the film, is immensely powerful, but can exhibit sadness and gentleness. The surprise ending, where Gnut tells the journalist, who is relating the story, "You misunderstand, ... I am the master," prompts some interesting speculation about relationships between mankind and technology of the future.
While The Day the Earth Stood Still is inspired by Bates' short story, in the 1951 context of the Cold War the film changes the story's themes somewhat. In the movie Klaatu seeks to promote peace and to warn mankind of the dangers of science and technology when they are exploited and corrupted. The alien explains that Gort is a member of a race of all-powerful robots who were created to eliminate any civilizations which promoted warfare in space.
During 1983, The Day the Earth Stood Still was inducted into the Science Fiction Film Hall of Fame as part of the Balrog Awards, which were given from 1979-1985.
The 2008 version of The Day the Earth Stood Still, represents a major issue of its own day: the alien's concern is the destruction of the environment by mankind's activities. Earth is believed by alien civilizations to be of a very few precious planets that are capable of supporting intelligent life, and should therefore be protected from mankind's predations.
Read more about this topic: Harry Bates (author)
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