Der Tag, an dem die Erde stillstand

Motto: KLAATU BARADA NIKTO. If you'd expect, even from the poster, that this is some kind of sci-fi B-movie in which a hostile alien walks around, butchers everything it comes across and kidnaps pretty girls, you'd be wrong. This, now a classic sci-fi flick, is exceptional. It is an exceptional story, with strongly political and anti-war overtones, which shows that it was written in the time of the raging Cold War and in the era of atomic weapons and the uncertainty of the days to come. This uncertainty is to be resolved by Klaatu, an emissary of an advanced alien civilization, who wants to convey a message to the representatives of all states that if they do not live in peace, Earth will be punished by Gort, a kind of "space cop", a guardian of peace on the planets and an invincible robot with the power to melt an entire tank artillery in a few seconds with its beams. The very attempt to make peace under the threat of violence is a clear indication of what the filmmaker thought about humanity's (in)ability to come to a peaceful agreement, and it is evident throughout the plot. The countries refuse to meet, Moscow argues with London, Washington with both, etc. Thanks to the screenplay, well-written dialogues and solid performances (especially by the charismatic Klaatu), one can forgive the fact that the special effects are few. Except for the opening ten minutes, in which an alien spaceship lands in Washington and Gort performs a few "macho" tricks, the entire film is conversational. Which doesn't detract from the film's impact......And as for the motto at the beginning of my comment, it's one of Gort's orders towards the end of the film. If it sounds familiar, you're not wrong, it was used humorously (or cheekily, as the case may be) a couple of decades later by Sam Raimi in his iconic Army of Darkness, and is mentioned on one of the zombie movie websites as one of the essential catchphrases of the horror genre. Quite a paradox, right? (15.04.2007)

Without the paper backdrops and rubber aliens, Robert Wise created an intriguing vision of alien visitation. Although it relies on typical 1950s tropes (archetypal supporting characters, anti-atomic agitprop), it still feels fresh and aware years later, even if it's all predictable to the point of being one of the sci-fi genre’s most famous catchphrases. I’m quite curious about the remake, the trailer looks a bit more spectacular. (20.07.2008)

Eine sehr angenehme und unauffällige Agitation für den Frieden, die Wise und Kameramann Leo Tover auch mit einer sehr schönen visuellen Ausführung und insbesondere dem großartigen Lichtdesign vom Raumschiffs befüllt haben. Ungeachtet dessen, wie sehr uns die geradeherausgesagte Botschaft des Films zum Schmunzeln bringen kann, kann Folgendes nicht geleugnet werden: a) der famose Michael Rennie in der Rolle des Weltraumpazifisten Klaatu b) ein sehr gutes und manchmal angenehm witziges Drehbuch c) eine gute und geschickt durchgeführte Absicht d) eine ausgezeichnete Atmosphäre, die alles andere als schlichtweg dank dem nostalgischen Flaire gegeben ist. Sofern es denn im Science-Fiction-Genre der 1950er Jahre ein gleichermaßen lächelnd naiver und zeitgleich intelligenten Film gibt, dann ist es genau Der Tag, an dem die Erde stillstand. So veraltet die Worte auch wirken mögen, ihre dringliche Aufrichtigkeit dauert an. Und dies tut auch der sehr gute Film. (14.12.2008)

Many of the images and scenes from this sci-fi classic may seem a bit ridiculous today, and viewers addicted to the films of Roland Emmerich may wonder why the aliens didn't pull out their lasers and blow up the White House, but most astute fans should still be thrilled. This is – even after all these years – a very intense genre flick that cleverly uses a popular alien phenomenon to convey the ever-relevant and global theme of deadly nuclear threat. And since the main motifs include unforgettable effects, the irrationality of the American army and an invincible robot, despite the serious subject matter, it’s also pleasant entertainment. 80% (13.04.2014)

Robert Wise and others knew, thanks to the war, that the world was heading towards destruction, and this was their response. A great film from which we have not learned anything after sixty years, respectively the situation has not changed much. Klaatu is still waiting for our response, but I don't think he will ever receive it. Could it be that destruction is inevitable? The recent remake cannot be compared to this, as its message has disappeared. B movies can also be made this way. (15.05.2014)