THE MOVIE-                        3 1/2 stars out of 5

 

The Day The Earth Stood Still on this release is the film from 1951 which just happens to be one of the best, if not the best, of the 1950’s Sci-Fi films, along with the classic Forbidden Planet. The film is a story about an alien being in human form who arrives in Washington, D.C. in a flying saucer to warn the world about its flirtations with nuclear power and nuclear weapons in general. It also has a subplot about our inclination towards distrusting those different from us and our habit of shooting first and asking questions later. The film therefore works as social commentary on several different levels which is where sci-fi is at its best. The film stars Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe and Sam Jaffe. As was the case with films of the era (and great films at that-think of any of the great Hitchcock films), the film is much more slower paced than modern films and builds to a conclusion, generating suspense allowing you to think along with the filmmaker about the significance of the what is transpiring on screen, trying to anticipate what was about to happen. The film is very cerebral and instead of relying on special effects, relies on a good screen play and good acting to tell its story. I have always really enjoyed this film and it is great to see such a classic appear on Blu-Ray. Recommended.

 

THE VIDEO-                 4 stars out of 5

 

The Day the Earth Stood Still is presented in its original black and white at its initial aspect ratio of 1:33:1. Yes, the image has black bars or curtains on the side of the image.  I can say without hesitation that the film has never looked better in the home environment than it looks on this release. The print used for the transfer seems to be in excellent shape as I was not able to detect any dirt, scratches or other imperfections in the film itself. The image has good detail and preserved film grain  although it is far from the best looking black and white film of this and an even older vintage in HD, namely Casablanca, which has better blacks and whites than this rendition on Blu-Ray and better detail. Nevertheless, this is an excellent looking transfer that will thrill fans of the film.  

 

THE AUDIO-                3 stars out of 5

 

The Day the Earth Stood Still is presented in a 5.1 mix via DTS HD Master Audio and a mono mix. I viewed the film in the 5.1 channel mix. The film sounded just about what you would expect it to sound like, even in the 5.1 channel mix and it doesn’t even come close to the quality of a more more modern film, sounding thin and flat in comparison. The 5.1 mix is totally front heavy in terms dialogue and action with little if any activation of the surround speakers, with the exception of the Bernard Herrmann score, which  takes full advantage of the 5.1 channel set up and is easily the best sounding element of the film, with a smoother, richer sound that was a bit of a surprise. With the exception of the music, the 5.1 mix might as just as well been in mono. However, given the age of the film, I really didn’t expect anything different and therefore, was not disappointed.

 

EXTRAS

 

The release has some great extras, most of which are in HD, including an extended trailer for the new The Day the Earth Stood Still film starring Keanu Reeves and my personal favorite, a Brief History of Flying Saucers. Also included is the interactive Theremin: Create Your Own Score and Gort Command, Commentary by DIrector Robert Wise and Nicholas Meyer, all new commentaries by film historians, an isolated score track, and several featurettes about the making of the film and the historical significance of the film. There is quite a bit here that will keep fans of the film and the history of film in general quite busy.

 

IN CONCLUSION

 

The Day the Earth Stood Still is a sci-fi classic and has never looked better at home than it does on this Blu-Ray release. Recommended.