What can we do to protect ourselves? To neutralize this menace from another world?
There are a few Science Fiction movies that made the entire genre respectable. One of those is the classic “The Day the Earth Stood Still” from 1951. Everything from the beginning credits to the story line to the wonderful musical score by Bernard Herrmann. You are immediately thrown into a world that seems more science than fiction.
Every Classic Science Fiction lover has this movie in their collection. It is a tale of man’s hubris in the galaxy. We think we know everything. But the little knowledge we have we abuse. We think we can do everything. Our thirst for power only proves how small we really are. We are children that must be taken to task and if we do not learn from our wanton misuse of power we are doomed. We are petty. We are petulant. We are destructive. We are selfish. We are not the stewards of the planet that we think we are. In fact we are the ones who will bring about its destruction quicker than any natural force. It is as relevant today as it was in 1951 during the cold war. A war that in a sense still rages on. And we still haven’t learned a thing.
I found it interesting that when Klaatu was among the humans he found more wisdom in the words of a little boy than in any adult he talked to. He also enjoyed the child’s company more than any adult’s. Even the stupefied Professor Barnhardt. There’s tension, mystery and suspense but very little violence. There are no car chases or bombs or shoot outs. But what it does have is that wonderful robot.