The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951 film)



"Klaatu... barada... nikto."

Unmarked Spoilers Ahead - this movie's plot is so famous that It Was His Sled applies here.

The Day The Earth Stood Still is a 1951 black-and-white science fiction movie based on the short story Farewell to the Master. The Human Alien Klaatu lands in Washington DC (in a classic Flying Saucer) during the Cold War era. The paranoid military shoots him, prompting his robot Gort to go on a rampage. Klaatu stops Gort, then tells the President of a message for all the world's leaders (who can't agree on a meeting place). Klaatu later escapes to live among the people of Earth and learns of their penchant for war—but also of their message of peace and understanding.

As a demonstration of power, Klaatu freezes everything mechanical in the entire world (except for airplanes in flight and hospital electronics) for exactly half an hour. (This is the event referred to in the title, though nobody calls it such within the story.) The military takes this as a sign of hostile intent and responds by hunting Klaatu down and killing him. Shortly before they catch up with him, Klaatu gives one of his newfound human friends, Helen, a message to deliver to Gort in his own language: "Klaatu Barada Nikto." Gort re-activates upon Klaatu's death and begins destroying the city, but Helen's message diverts Gort into retrieving Klaatu's body. The robot temporarily revives Klaatu, who tells the people of Earth of Gort's true purpose: he, and other robots like him, were built to enforce peace in the galaxy—and if humans bring their warlike ways into space, they will be destroyed. Klaatu leaves Earth with a simple phrase to mull over: "The choice is yours."

This film's plot was copied in the extremely similar (yet hilarious) Plan 9 from Outer Space.

A 2008 remake starred Keanu Reeves in the role of Klaatu; you can see the plot of the remake as recapped by a Bum in this video on Bum Reviews.


 * Klaatu Barada Nikto


 * Aliens Steal Cable: Klaatu says that his people have been monitoring Earth's radio signals, and that this is the source of his knowledge of Earth culture and language; however, the common subtrope of aliens being unable to distinguish fiction from reality is avoided.
 * Benevolent Alien Invasion: Played mostly straight in the original. (Subverted in the remake.)
 * Crush! Kill! Destroy!: Averted; Gort is very much not a marauder.
 * Cyber Cyclops: Gort.
 * Disintegrator Ray: Gort's eye beam.
 * Earthshattering Kaboom: Klaatu warns that if humanity continues to be so violent, his society will have to do this.
 * Einstein Hair: Professor Barnhardt.
 * The End of the World as We Know It: Threatened, but doesn't actually happen during the story.
 * First Contact: In the first reel.
 * Flying Saucer: Klaatu's ship.
 * Future Music: The soundtrack loves its theremin.
 * Hanlon's Razor: For the most part, Klaatu blames human aggression and violence on irresponsibility, not malicious intent.
 * Holographic Terminal: The Ur Example. Being a movie from the 1950's, Klaatu of course does not have access to CGI hologram special effects, but he does wave at his computer to control it from a distance.
 * Hot Mom: Helen.
 * Human Aliens: Klaatu.
 * Humanity on Trial: Discussed - it's up to humanity, by its actions, how the trial will end.
 * Humans Are the Real Monsters
 * Humans Are Morons
 * Innocent Aliens
 * Interrupted Cooldown Hug
 * Jerkass: Tom, who rats Klaatu out to the Feds.
 * Killer Robot: Gort.
 * Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The item shot out of Klaatu's hand was a gift for the President that would have advanced science significantly.
 * No Celebrities Were Harmed: Professor Barnhardt is a clear stand-in for Albert Einstein.
 * Poor Communication Kills:
 * Almost. Klaatu refuses to deliver his message until he can deliver it to representatives of each nation in person, all at once. The 'kills' part comes from the threat of global destruction if everyone doesn't listen. He also never communicates this threat to the appropriate people.
 * He also assumes that walking right up to the military with a strange object that pops open unexpectedly couldn't be misconstrued at all.
 * Helen tells Tom not to tell the authorities about Klaatu, but doesn't say why it's such a bad idea - that Klaatu's people will destroy Earth.
 * Scare Chord: The Piano got some really bad abuse during the making of this film.
 * Screaming Woman: Helen, when Gort advances on her.
 * Shoot Him! He Has a Wallet!: Happens to Klaatu in the beginning.
 * Space Police: Klaatu.
 * Space Whale Aesop: Give up war or be destroyed by robots from outer space.
 * Two of Your Earth Minutes: When Klaatu is telling the President's representative how long and how far he's traveled to reach Earth.
 * We Come in Peace, Shoot to Kill: Of the first variety.
 * Partial aversion. Almost everyone is (reasonably) suspicious of Klaatu at first, but only one nervous soldier actually shoots him. It's not until Earth Stands Still (a harmless demonstration of power, meant to get Earth to recognize the seriousness of the situation), that everyone starts trying to kill him.
 * Worthless Yellow Rocks: Klaatu's diamonds.