The Day The Earth Stood Really Really Still, So Still It Was Pretty Boring

The last of the crowd admitted in the present group hurried in, exclaiming at the great pure green curves of the mysterious time-space traveler, then completely forgetting the ship at sight of the awesome figure and great head of the giant Gnut. Hinged robots of crude manlike appearance were familiar enough, but never had Earthling eyes lain on one like this. For Gnut had almost exactly the shape of a man — a giant, but a man — with greenish metal for man's covering flesh, and greenish metal for man's bulging muscles. Except for a loin cloth, he was nude. He stood like the powerful god of the machine of some undreamt–of scientific civilization, on his face a look of sullen, brooding thought. Those who looked at him did not make jests or idle remarks, and those nearest him usually did not speak at all. His strange, internally illuminated red eyes were so set that every observer felt they were fixed on himself alone, and he engendered a feeling that he might at any moment step forward in anger and perform unimaginable deeds.

So was described the robot of the story Farewell to the Master, a 1940 science fiction story upon which The Day the Earth Stood Still is (theoretically) based.

Notice there's a little change. (Well, lots of little changes.) First, he's not Gort, he's Gnut. Second, he's almost completely human in appearance, except that he's made of green metal. Weird, I know.

I have to say, I don't really care for The Day the Earth Stood Still. It's a slow film, which in and of itself isn't much of a problem. However, I just couldn't get into it. First, I read Farewell to the Master years before I saw the film (which I only saw after its relatively recent DVD release). TDtESS unleashes heavy-handed moralizing upon us, and quite frankly I find it rather questionable moralizing. Here's the way one can interpret the film in rapid soundbite fashion:

Klaatu: Hey I've got this scary thing that will tell you how great we all are. (gets shot)
Gort: Zappity! Zappity!
Klaatu: Darn, my flimsy gift was broken instantly! Now I will hide within your society and spy on the lot of you!
Scientist: Oh my, you are smart!
Klaatu: You will do as I say or I will destroy your world!
Scientist: Oh my... you are smart!
Klaatu: Mwahahaha- (gets shot)
Gort: Zappity! Zappity!
Lady: Klaatu barada nikto.
Gort: Zappity?
Lady: No! No zappity! Klaatu barada nikto!
Gort: Daw. (resurrects Klaatu)
Klaatu: I only have a short time to live, so I will tell you-DISARM OR DIE!!

Now, I suppose its message of human potential for self-destructiveness is relevant, although in entirely different ways today than then. But Klaatu's motivations strike me as more than a little suspicious.

I won't ever criticize its anti-war sentiment as being a bad thing, but I just don't think it's realistic. If presented with this, most world leaders would dismiss it as an elaborate hoax. I sure wouldn't buy into it.

But it's this kind of philosophy which drives nuclear disarmament (not too bad an idea, although those big bombs would be useful for things other than massacres, such as attempting to deflect large masses on collision course with Earth) and sentiment against nuclear power. While I understand fully that people are uneasy about nuclear power, the only real accident with nuclear power in the United States turned out to not be that bad. (And don't bother telling me about how awful Chernobyl was-yes, it was, but Chernobyl was the worst-designed nuclear power plant ever built. They had freaking graphite-i.e., carbon, practically one step away from coal-as the moderator! Most nuclear reactors are actually designed in a way that they can't explode.)

But I digress. What strikes me as suspicious is this whole idea of telling people "Disarm or die!"

Threats are not really the big stick of peaceful intent. I'll admit, the US has what looks like a pretty bad track record here, but how often we threaten to actually exterminate an entire planet (or in more realistic context, a country or race)? That's what Klaatu was doing, you know.

Back to Farewell to the Master. Farewell poses an interesting idea, insights on ethnocentrism, and a warning of sorts. Just what is the central idea to this? Well, if you'd like to read the story, go back up to that link and read it. If not, keep reading here.

SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T READ FAREWELL TO THE MASTER FOLLOWS (in white text so you can't see it if you don't want to)

Gnut the robot obtains the microfilm that contains the recording pattern he needs to replicate Klaatu. (It's a long story.) Cliff Sutherland, the reporter who aided him in his quest, asks Gnut to, when the robot is about to leave with the film in his hand, tell his master (Klaatu) that the shooting of Klaatu was an accident. Gnut replies "You misunderstand." There is a momentary digression as the narration indicates that Sutherland was greatly shocked by what follows, to the point where he doesn't relate it until the day of his death. Gnut finishes with what I personally find to still be one of the most iconic lines in science fiction: "I am the master."

SPOILER OVER I GUESS

Erm, maybe the spoilers aren't completely over, but whatever. Anyway, there are two or three things to be taken from this ending.

1. We make too many assumptions when we see things. Even today, most people would assume incorrectly the nature of the relationship between Gnut and Klaatu.
2. Can humanity really control technology?
3. Gnut is a cooler name than Gort.

Okay, that last one might be personal preference.

But this is a subtler and more interesting story, and it has a lot more mystery and about the same amount of action as The Day the Earth Stood Still. I think it's still a more interesting story than its so-called adaptation, and even probably more interesting than a special effects and Keanu Reeves driven modern remake of the doggoned film.