The Day the Earth Stood Still (TDTESS) was released in 1951. It was based on a 1940 short story, “Farewell to the Master” by Harry Bates and adapted into a screenplay by former WWII Major, Edmund H. North. It is often cited as one of the best movies of the past century. The children of the current world, such as yourself, do not understand why it is so judged. It's not because of sentimentalism by those of us who saw it in the 1950s. It's because of its ability to be thought provoking and sincere about the fears of the time and the hope for the future. The children who view this film today have no concept of the fear felt by American citizens and citizens of the world during the 1950s or the time period from approximately 1935 – 1970. TDTESS was extraordinary as it captured the essence of a post-war world, the folly of the cold war era, and the hope for a world of peace and prosperity through technological advances.
Ironically, the children who view this film today are jaded by technological advances (SFX) that permeate current science fiction movies and movies in general. The children of today did not experience the fear that came with the atomic bombing of Japan and the subsequent nuclear arms race. They did not live with the extreme censorship, discrimination and bigotry of the 1900s. They have no clue what it was like to be drafted, why the voting age went from 21 to 18!! They do not appear to understand why TDTESS is not just an anti-war movie, but one with multiple messages that presaged many of the amendments to the U.S. Constitution before they were even conceptualized.
AND, The Day the Earth Stood Still is a great movie because it built suspense, developed charismatic characters, introduced new special effects, had great actors who are still known for their roles, a memorable plot and moral, and introduced vocabulary still used today. It helped create a genre in theaters and on TV. (TV: Science Fiction Theatre 1955-57, The Twilight Zone 1959-1964, The Outer Limits 1963-65, Star Trek (TOS) 1966-69.)
In my mind, the only other film similar to TDTESS at the time was the original Godzilla (1954 Japan) which warned against nuclear weapons. (That ending did not make it to the American release in 1956. In TDTESS the censors also required the words “reserved for the Almighty Spirit” be added when Klaatu explains his resurrection and how long he will live.) Indeed, some of the corniness that intrudes on the TDTESS script can be attributed to censors of the time.
So if you don't have "feelings" that is understandable because your parents may not have even been born at the time (1950s)and they could not pass on to you these feelings that The Day the Earth Stood Still invoked in most people from 1951 and onwards.
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