The Day the Earth Stood Still

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The Day the Earth Stood Still, directed by Robert Wise was released during a time where the United States was fearful of a communist invasion. Robert Wise used the film’s story line to criticize the fear of a nuclear war that was sure to be the end of the world. Wise used the film’s scenes to express the themes of a fear of communism and religion. The Day the Earth Stood Still opens with an alien named Klatu as he steps from his space ship which landed in the U.S capitol. He is met with U.S soldiers and as he pulls out a gift, and he is then shot. This is strikingly similar to an expected outcome of U.S imperialism and a Cold War frenzy which sees threats in any and everything. In the scene where Klatu and his dorm mates are sitting around the table, the camera pans around the table but singles out Klatu on numerous occasions. Also, one person says "If you want my opinion he comes from right here on earth. You know what I mean". Both parts of this scene express the fear that the communists were living among them. The theme of religion is expressed through many scenes. The first being he opening scene where Klatu lands on earth; he is wounded while trying to save the planet. This is similar to the way Christ was persecuted as he was trying to save mankind from their sins. Another scene that expresses the theme of religion is towards the end when Klatu dies and comes back to life and ascends into the sky. This mimics the resurrection of Christ and his rise into
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