This 1951 film is so relevant to the goings on in the world these days.
I had not seen it in ages but happend to rent it this week and was amazed by how modern the issues they deal with in the movie are. I'm sure many of you on this board have seen it.
The major themes I saw were the resource wars and the agression and hositility towards the unkown.
When Klatuu uses a power to zap all of the electricity on earth for 30 minutes the people go into such a panic. Power down will be gradual when it comes but just imagine how much worse it will be in real life.
People in 1950s were not that "spoiled" when in came to daily life mundane details. These people were fresh from the then recent war rationing and knew what it meant to sacrifice luxuries. Besides, people in those days did not spend $5 on a cup of coffee just because it was in vogue.
Modern people are much more of a "cry baby generation" in the aggregate. There are exceptions like my neighbor who wears old clothes, uses only firewood to heat his house, and drives an old car when he can afford a new one.
In the film no major "event" occurs which harms people. I think they made mention that power at hospitals stayed on and planes that were in flight were not affected. Still, the people went nuts and wanted to run away but did not know where to run to.
This movie is in no way like a post destruction of civilization movie like the Omega Man but I was just amazed by how true it is to these times we all live in now. A must see.



