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A ministry of the ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP Ministry) A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Christian Ministry. www.capalert.com/ Entertainment Media Analysis Report A service to His little ones through you in His name by His Word MAR29009  (1951), G [Hard G*] (1hr 32min) With Comparative to the 2008 Remake The #1 Christian entertainment media analysis service on the Internet. We give you OBJECTIVE tools NO ONE ELSE CAN to help YOU make an informed decision for yourself whether a film is fit for your family. Over 1200 analyses for parents, grandparents, pastors, youth leaders and more. |
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(While the Scriptural references are certainly not subjective, my commentary may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)
 Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database Production (US): Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation Distribution (US): Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Director(s): Robert Wise Producer(s): Julian Blaustein Screenplay: Edmund H. North Story: Harry Bates Cinematography/Camera: Leo Tover Music: Bernard Herrmann Film Editing: William Reynolds Production Management: Darryl F. Zanuck (executive in charge of production) Art Direction: Addison Hehr, Lyle R. Wheeler Viewed on Fox Home Entertainment DVD  This analysis report is sponsored by E&HP. On a bright early morning in Washington DC a saucer-shaped space ship bigger than a baseball field lands on the Mall. Hours later from it emerges Klaatu (Michael Rennie), a man with a mission and a message. The message could not be delivered to any one man, not even the President. The message of global urgency must be delivered simultaneously to representatives of every nation on the Earth. Upon landing the world fell into panic. Rumors fed hysteria. Even after assurances by radio broadcasters the world is fearful of what is to happen next. But as the world shivers the spacecraft lies motionless and silent until ... A ramp emerges from the side of the circular craft and a port opens above the ramp. From the port emerges a spaceman, Klaatu with words of peace and goodwill. As Klaatu slowly descends the ramp the soldiers ready their weapons. All weapons are trained on this tall, slender being from outer space. Once on the grass of the Mall while walking toward the hordes of military personnel, Klaatu reaches into his vest for an object he extends to the soldiers before him. Every soldier with a weapon cocks the firing mechanism of it and draws a bead on the alien. Like a switchblade knife several spokes snap out of the object into a dish-shaped array. At that moment a trigger-happy soldier drops Klaatu with a single well-placed bullet. Wounded but alive, Klaatu now lies on the grass. As the soldiers approach Klaatu to get a closer inspection of this man from space, a giant robot, Gort (Lock Martin), appears. Gort stood menacingly for a few moments on the side of the spacecraft then slowly but methodically descended the ramp. Once Gort was on the grass the ramp retracted and Gort armed his weaponry, raising a visor to reveal a cyclopean "eye" weapon glowing brightly, ready to fire. With it Gort melted the rifles and artillery into ethereal existence. In the middle of the sweeping defensive attack by Gort, which clearly appeared to eventually include the soldiers, Klaatu partially rose to tell Gort "Gort! Deklato prosko." This is one of the differences between the 1951 version and The Day the Earth Stood Still of 2008. In the 2008 version, when GORT (which the 2008 version uses an acronym, Genetically Organized Robotic Technology) arrives to defend the injured Klaatu, Klaatu instructs GORT "Klaatu barada nikto!" The now famous "Klaatu barada nikto!" expression is used in this 1951 version but not until much later in the story when the Army is chasing after Klaatu to capture him dead or alive. Klaatu then instructs his Earthly companion, Helen Benson (Patricia Neal) to tell Gort "Klaatu barada nikto!" if anything happens to him. Once Klaatu is healed by some super scientific balm he escapes hospital confinement and roams among the people he is there to destroy unless they comply with the warning to keep their "petty squabbles" on the Earth. In his roaming as Mr. Carpenter, Klaatu meets Helen Benson and her son Bobby (Billy Gray). Bobby escorts Klaatu through the D.C. area. One of the places they visit is of Dr. Jacob Barnhardt (Sam Jaffe) who is considered the greatest scientist in the world. Klaatu coyly reveals himself to Dr. Barnhardt and together they hatch a plan to shock the world into humbling themselves to the reality of what might happen if they keep refusing to hear him out: that the Earth might be reduced to a burned out cinder. Later the Army chases dwon Klaatu and shoots him in the back. Benson remembered the words of Klaatu and the warning to be delievered to Gort should anything happen to Klaatu. Hurrying off to the Mall Benson finds Gort gearing up to wipe the human race off the planet but pauses to chase Benson through a sea of folding chairs. When Gort peers down at Benson now trapped between the toppled chiars and a steel panel fence, she utters the famous words "Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!" and Gort powers down. Gort then took Benson into the ship and left to fetch Klaatu, leaving Benson inside the ship. Gort melted the jail cell wall and carried the dead Klaatu back to the ship and used a machine to revive Klaatu. Klaatu finally delivered his Earth-saving message to the hordes of scientists then gathered. It is easily noted that the writers of this version of the film are indeed more observant of moral standards. Still, there are a number of concerns the parent and youth leader might have about the content of this half-century old film. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) earned a final score of 87 which places it at the bottom of the range of scores earned by G-rated films (100 to 87 out of 100) in the comparative baseline database. A description of that score might well be "hardcore G" but "G" nonetheless. The individual investigation area discussions below provide a brief accounting of the content found in each investigation area. For a complete listing of the content please be sure to visit the Findings/Scoring section of this report. The Findings/Scoring section is the heart of the CAP Analysis Model and is insulated from this Summary/Commentary section. But before I get into the individual investigation area discussions let me present a scoring distribution comparative of the two films.  Little can be said that is not obvious in the above comparative. Everything but Drugs/Alcohol is morally more severe in the 2008 version than the 1951 version, which is typical of original/remake pairs. The reason for the more severe content in Drugs/Alcohol in the 1951 version than in the 2008 version is the smoking in the 1951 version not present in the 2008 version. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 57 out of 100 The largest scoring loss for this film was found by this investigation area. Examples include gunfire to kill, massive military armament, breaking and entering and death by gunfire (no gore). While some may feel such violence is "good, clean" violence, it is still violence and bears the same risk of desensitizing the young viewer to the gravity of using violence. [Prov. 16:29] Impudence/Hate (I) - 86 out of 100 Not once was any of the three/four letter words noted in the entire 92 minutes of this film. However, the adolescent rudeness, an adolescent suggesting "Don't tell mom", a lie and placing a child in an unbelievable situation causing dissonance with the parent. [Luke 11:17] Sexual Immorality (S) - 100 out of 100 There was nothing found that approached sexually immoral behavior. Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 78 out of 100 Smoking and an instance of a man speaking of getting drunk as desirable were the only matters found applicable to this investigation area. [1 Cor. 6:19 - 20] Offense to God (O) - 100 out of 100 There were no instances of the use of God's name in vain with or without the four letter expletive found. No instances of Satanism, cultism/occultism or any other unholy worship noted. Indeed, when Klaatu's machines temporarily revived him after being killed by a soldier's bullet, Klaatu gave credit to God for giving life. Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 The killing of Klaatu was not considered murder since the killing was by Army maneuvers who were instructed to do so. This item was incorporated into the Wanton Violence/Crime investigation area. SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S) If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ] or bold. If you wish to have full context available, the Blue Letter Bible is a convenient source. If you use the Blue Letter Bible, a new window will open. Close it to return here or use "Window" in your browser's menu bar to alternate between the CAP page and the Blue Letter Bible page. CHAPTER/VERSE ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry*** As always, it is best to refer to the Findings/Scoring section -- the heart of the CAP analysis model -- for the most complete assessment possible of this movie. |
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 Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 57 out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - 86 out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - 100 out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 78 out of 100 Offense to God (O) - 100 out of 100 Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 |
| There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both accounts." And "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." I applaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. Read the rest of the story. From our years of study, I contend that other aberrant behaviors, attitudes, and expressions can be inserted in place of "violence" in that statement. Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist concurs. For example, "Viewing arrogance against fair authority may lead to your kids defying you in real life." Or "Viewing sex may lead to sex in real life." Likewise and especially with impudence, hate and foul language. I further contend that any positive behavior can be inserted in place of "violence" with the same chance or likelihood of being a behavior template for the observer; of being incorporated into the behavior mechanics and/or coping skills of the observer. In choosing your entertainment, please consider carefully the "rest of the story" and our findings. |
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