The Day the Earth Stood Still is a Robert Wise. Science fiction movies were very popular in the fifties and sixties. But this one has a very special atmosphere.
Peace is the message, brought by someone from another planet. Well, it is more than a message, it's a warning. World leaders must stop violence and wars. Or else... American cinema is more fascinated by power and wars than peace and harmony. So, films like this have a stronger impact.
Global warming, consumerism, isolation, alienation, urban violence, he saw it coming. And I agree with him, science fiction is the literature of the 20th century. As a science fiction writer, his task was warning people. He didn't see himself as a pessimistic. His characters are in a quest and all of them accomplish something, whatever it may be.
I've always enjoyed to anticipate the future. I observe carefully what is going on, general tendencies, priorities, cultural clashes, and then I try to picture these changes in the near future. That's why I like science fiction movies. I'm not talking about time travel or close encounters with aliens. I'm talking about possible and probable events. Almost every science fiction movie shows violence, war and destruction. Some examples: The Postman (1997):
If we compare the movies of the nineties with those of the second decade of the new century we see a clear difference. Movies are becoming more pessimistic. The Postman gives us hope. There's room for survival. Children of Men shows us a world with no future, but still a miracle happens, a new child is born. In War, Inc. everything is marketable, nobody is safe, there's no trust or moral ground (trash culture).
