Really wanted to include some science fiction. This story of an alien spaceship come down to earth to warn us to change our violent ways is a classic.
Specs:
An hour and a half, black and white.
Our family's average rating:
6.83
More about the film and our reaction to it:
This is a classic film and still a favorite among modern sci-fi fans. It is not a "B-movie"; it certainly had high end production values for its time as well as top notch talent. We are not huge fans of the sci-fi genre, but found a great deal to appreciate in this otherworldly tale.
It is an impressive film. And what makes it so is not the story, or even its technical feats, but its ability to use film as a storytelling medium. I guess that's an awkward complement, but I just mean that the film feels complete. The story unfolds at the right pace and in the right way. The music underscores the experience; as does the lighting and interesting shot compositions. The acting is excellent -- especially Patricia Neal as the concerned earthling mom and Michael Rennie as the lead alien. They manage to convey relevance and importance in the story, even though the overall affect will seem cheesy to modern folk.
Obviously, you have to suspend your more critical, scientific judgments in order to get the most out of an alien film from the 1950s. This one is steeped in the fears of its time and makes for interesting conversation on the cold war, the UN, and the atomic bomb.
Unfortunately, we watched the film while travelling and ended up seeing it in bits and pieces on three different evenings. This probably lead to it feeling more choppy and less impressive than it might otherwise have.
Iconic shot:
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