The Day The Earth Stood Still The Day The Earth Stood Still a film by Robert Wise. Is a great film about the xenophobia of the American people in the 50’s. It is also about the cold war, where there was a constant threat of nuclear annihilation/ mutually assured destruction. It was the Wises intent to get a message a crossed to the America public with this film. This is shown in how Wises presents the themes in the movies. Also in how he shoots the film/ how he uses new technology. The most prevalent theme that was displayed was the “atomic” theme. This is where Wises uses to talk through the characters, to tell the public that there should be peace on earth. As well as saying that really most of the world’s squabbles are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. This “atomic” theme stems from the Second World War. Were atomic weapons had just been developed and no one really knew how much power they had because they were this new fancy technology that could destroy the world which made people scared, or power the future. Wises aim with this theme in the film was to say that the world doesn’t need nuclear weapons, and that the world would be better off without them. Because …show more content…
Wise also points out the absurdity and pettiness of earth politics. He also shows how self-important the America people felt in the 50’s. When klaatu says he has an important message to deliver to the world. The first thing the person says is that they should speak to the president because it would be impossible to talk to all nations. Because of the fact that each nation could not decide where to even meet. They just kind of squabbled and didn’t work it out. This speaks to the pessimistic view Wise has about the world’s politics. If the world couldn’t decide on literally the smallest things for something as important as an alien wanting to speak to the world. How would the world ever make peace or even have a functioning
Americans during the 60s lived in constant fear of nuclear war, especially after the Cuban Missile Crisis. The film shows how easy it is for one person to destroy the world in a nuclear firestorm if governments are not careful enough. Ripper’s argument about fluoridated water also reflects the belief of some Americans that fluorine was actually a Cold War weapon by the Soviets to turn American communist. General Jack D. Ripper himself also served to present an American stereotype along with General Turgidson. They both seeked to destroy the Soviet Union without any care to logic or human life. Turgidson, in particular, reminds me of Patton, who wanted to invade the Soviet Union after WWII, and MacArthur, who wanted to invade China during the Korean War. Both of these generals epitomize how people thought of Americans as zealously anti communist and violently stupid. Additionally, Dr. Strangelove and his proposal for fallout shelters show how much the Cold War interfered with Americans’ lives with the constant duck and cover drills and shelters for nuclear war. Finally, the captain of the B-52, King Kong, also represents American stereotypes with his southern accent and his patriotic final act of sitting on top of the bomb while it is falling down towards the Soviet Union. When he found out about the orders, he did not question them and went down fighting. Many people regarded Americans as gun toting southerners who were just as patriotic as they were trigger
Suid, Lawrence. "The Pentagon and Hollywood: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)." American History/ American Film: Interpreting the Hollywood Image. Eds. John E. O'Connor and Martin A. Jackson. Boston: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1979.
The theme in a story is a message or lesson that the author wants the reader to take away when reading the story. These themes can teach the reader lessons, get points across or help them understand the book better. All Quiet On The Western Front displays the themes: the horrors and destruction of war and the effects on soldiers, sacrifice, loss of innocence, and friendship.
Stanley Kubrick is infamous for his witty films that satire governmental and societal actions though history. In this film, Dr. Strangelove, Or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), Kubrick is once again directing a film that is a biting, sardonic comedy that pokes fun at the nuclear fears of the 1950s. The screenplay for the movie was written by Stanley Kubrick and Terry Southern, and was based on the novel Red Alert written by Peter George. In this film, which is classified as a black comedy/fantasy, technology runs amok and takes over society and mankind. The irony of the situation, however, became apparent when shortly after the movie was produced, the nuclear fears became an actual world scenario among events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, The Bay of Pigs, and the assassination of President Kennedy. It was this last event that actually delayed the release of the movie from 1963 to 1964. In this film, Kubrick attempts to give his opinion about the situation the world was in through his mocking of certain societal values, his purposeful distortion of history, and his manipulation of the viewer's sentiments.
Book Critique of The Longest Day Cornelius Ryan, born in Dublin, Ireland in 1920, worked as a reporter covering the battles in Europe from 1941-1945 and then the final months of the Pacific Campaign. His articles were printed in both Reuters and the London Daily Telegraph. His first book was The Longest Day, published in 1959, selling over 4 million copies in 27 different editions. In 1962, a director named Darryl Zannuck made the book into a movie. Ryan's next book was The Last Battle, published in 1966.
The 1950 and 60s were a time of the “red scare/communism”, anything which sounded like opposition to the government or frowned upon anything which basically sounded "out of the ordinary/ unusual" was branded communist and this was shown in this movie. One would think that film writers would not be under much scrutiny, but many were called communists for their portrayals of what was
Sagan brings forth a great point across in which although the Cold War implied that nuclear weapons helped prevent war and bring stability to the world, the collapse of a bipolar system could become more damaging. In supporting his point, I believe that although there may seem to be no signs of a catastrophic accident thus far, the spread of nuclear weapons, may serve as a ‘calm before the storm’ in which sooner or later all those who obtain nuclear weapons may finally come to using them. This gives reason to cease further spread of nuclear weapons. However, I found it interesting how Kenneth Waltz used structural realism to argue that nuclear weapons represent a type of balancer in inter-state relations. In a sense, I understood that Mr. Waltz was saying that deterrence operates by frightening a state out of attacking and that peace is achieved by having the ability to punish others with nuclear weapons but never intending to use them. Although Waltz points out how the idea of how massive destruction caused by nuclear weapons makes it less likely for states to rise up, he fails to see how having possession of nuclear weapons still brings about the possibilities of accidental. I also disagree with waltz and believe arms races are reduced by arms control agreements and trust between states rather than the power of obtaining nuclear weapons as a possible last resort. The way I see it, Waltz opinion explains the short-term effect of having nuclear weapons and that is
As these ongoing fears were going on during Dick’s time, he was able to predict a nuclear bomb would be dropped and would destroy most of the Earth. When the first atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, everyone was excited as this meant the end of WWII and to the end of all wars. In 1949, the Cold War began between two ideological sides – the United States of America (USA) which led capitalism and the Soviets leading communism. Most of society predicted a turn of events causing ongoing fear of another nuclear bomb to be dropped by either the Americans or the Russians. Those fears grew more when Cuba decided to join the soviets in 1964 which allowed the Russians to set up nuclear rockets and fire to different cities in the USA. This ongoing fear during the Cold War is related back to World War Terminus as Dick presents the effects that would take place if another nuclear bomb would drop. During Dick’s time in the 1960s, he wanted to predict what if another nuclear bomb was dropped during the Cold War and what would have been the consequence of this to happen and he does so in his novel, saying this nuclear bomb will destroy most of our
... More lives have been lost in the 21st century then in any century before; therefore foreshadowing that in the years to come we probably should not be so hopeful for real peace. Maybe those heart broken mothers an fathers should not expect to see their children’s deaths as useful. Maybe those orphaned babies should not be given false hope that one day they will be able to go to school without hearing gun shots as if birds were chirping.
Szilard employed ethos by stating “We, the undersigned scientists, have been working in the field of atomic power for a number of years.” (Szilard) This showed that these men had the authority to make the argument for they knew what the atomic bomb would do when deployed. The author used logos when stating to the President that they understood that the atomic was an effective means of ending the war, however, they presented an idea of presenting the Japanese with terms so that they could have the opportunity to surrender or we were going to use this weapon. These statements provided a logical way to end the argument and not have to use the bomb. Leo Szilard used the support of pathos to present the most emotional argument. “Thus a nation which sets the precedent of using these newly liberated forces of nature for purposes of destruction may have to bear the responsibility of opening the door to an era of devastation on an unimaginable scale.” (Szilard) He wanted to appeal to the President that if he used the bomb, other nations could come up with the same and return the attack on American soil and he wanted the President to feel how the American public would feel about
Popular science fiction films of the 1950s revealed some of the widespread fears of that era. During that time of fear and change it must be remembered that the struggle was not alien versus human. Rather it was man versus himself and man versus the environment.
When introducing the topic of Earth Day and its “diverse range of visual terms”, Dunaway stated it was composed of “cultural, political and visual practices”, however, cultural practices is not thoroughly defined or analyzed (Dunaway, 2008, p.67). The visual images Earth Day helped produce led to public culture, however, Dunaway failed to accurately examine the effects they had on the people and their potential details. Compared to other works such as The Seventies: The Great Shift in American Culture, Society, and Politics, Dunaway’s article does not sufficiently discuss visual cultural practices that affected the general public during the 1970’s or their impact in
...the predominant theme of disorientation and lack of understanding throughout the film. The audience is never clear of if the scene happening is authentic or if there is a false reality.
All three methods of persuasion ethos, pathos, and logos were used in this essay which helped the author truly create a piece that made the reader think completely about the issue at hand. One of the ways it did this was how it could not only effect Japan by sheer casualties and devastation, but also the domino effect it could cause the world in regards to weapon building. Ethos were used by highlighting the fact that scientists with experience were the authors of the essay, Pathos were just to ignite fear and question the destruction that it could cause as well as the long term unknown effects, and finally logos were used by suggesting the alternatives available such as surrender. Although the essay and petition did not stop the President from using the atomic bomb, it did provide an educated perspective from an outside
The timing of this film was a significant factor in the story line. In the middle of the Great Depression unemployment and poverty were a major