klatu

Klatu barada nikto!

So this evening I went to a San Francisco Film Society's annual event, Film in the Fog. Basically it's a classic film they show outside for free. This is the first year I went and I really didn't know what to expect. I had only gotten wind of the event two days before from a postcard my sister had picked up. This year's film was "The Day the Earth Stood Still." I had only heard about the movie through friends who were fans of classic films. I had gotten the impression that this picture was kind of a cult film. I had that impression in mind when I walked into this performance and was pleasantly surprised. When I think of a cult film, I get the feeling of "so bad it was funny." I was totally expecting a cheesy scifi flick and in actuality watched a genuinely great science fiction picture.

Yes, there were moments of laughter in the film, but those were more due to the age of the film and the changed values of our society in relation to the time of the film's release. Like when Klatu said " ...and we hire policemen to enforce them," in regard to the rules of society. The laughter was more elicited by our present day cynicism that policemen break the rules instead of truly just enforcing them. The Day the Earth Stood Still was a great tale of morality in a time when the Cold War was at it's height and nobody trusted "red" Russia. It was trying to send out a message of peace and unity before our own distrust and petty squabbling might destroy the Earth. I walked into this picture hoping to be entertained by cheesy special effects and over-the-top acting. Instead, I came out with a good feeling that I had watched a great film with a universal message that was ahead of its time.