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Monday, May 18, 2009

Maybe if they say it 62 times instead of just 59...

The DVD for The Day the Earth Stood Still is out (not a lot of people saw it during its brief blip at the theaters). Another classic 1950s "aliens coming to save us from ourselves" tale, this one has had an update from an allegory about the expanding Cold War between the U.S. and Soviets to a more explicit environmental commentary. "If the earth dies, you die," says the alien, Klaatu (played by Keanu Reeves, whose wooden acting style finally has been perfectly matched to his role) to Jennifer Connelly. "If you die, the earth survives." The aliens would like to see Earth survive. Humans, not so much.

And so, a plan is put into effect to erase (literally, with bugs that turn everything to dust) humans and their destructive civilization. But Keanu and Jennifer have a bond, so when she asks him to give humankind a break if they promise to behave better, you can guess what happens.

Earlier in the story, though, Klaatu meets with another, older one, a scout sent 70 years earlier to infiltrate the enemy (i.e. human) camp and learn the enemy's ways, who confesses to Klaatu that after all these years, he has come to love human beings. If they're to be destroyed, then the old scout will stay and be destroyed with them.

"The tragedy," he adds, "is that they knew exactly what would happen to them, but they did nothing to prevent it."

It's a green-themed remix of the mid-20th century Cold War alien warning: "You are the only species to wage war upon yourselves. Change now, while you still can." And then the soldiers put down their weapons and the lions lay down with lambs and the world is a far, far better place.

But as an environmental message, this remake has it right. No such shiny happy music-swelling stuff is gonna happen here. Regardless of any promises to change and improve, humankind will revert to purposeful ignorance as soon as the aliens fly away.

Leaving a bunch of Hollywood execs to say, "The tragedy is that we told them exactly what would happen to them. But they did nothing to prevent it."

And a Nobel Prize-winning former Vice President of the United States to say, "Yeah, tell me about it."

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

78 RPM, In response to your post "Day the earth stood still" / Environmental Destruction :

Industrial Society Destroys Mind and Environment.

Industrial Society is destroying necessary things [Animals, Trees, Air, Water and Land] for making unnecessary things [consumer goods].

"Growth Rate" - "Economy Rate" - "GDP"

These are figures of "Ecocide".
These are figures of "crimes against Nature".
These are figures of "destruction of Ecosystems".
These are figures of "Insanity, Abnormality and Criminality".


The link between Mind and Social / Environmental-Issues.

The fast-paced, consumerist lifestyle of Industrial Society is causing exponential rise in psychological problems besides destroying the environment. All issues are interlinked. Our Minds cannot be peaceful when attention-spans are down to nanoseconds, microseconds and milliseconds. Our Minds cannot be peaceful if we destroy Nature [Animals, Trees, Air, Water and Land].

Chief Seattle of the Indian Tribe had warned the destroyers of ecosystems way back in 1854 :

Only after the last tree has been cut down,
Only after the last river has been poisoned,
Only after the last fish has been caught,
Only then will you realize that you cannot eat money.


To read the complete article please follow any of these links.

Industrial Society Destroys Mind and Environment

Industrial Society Destroys Mind and Environment

Industrial Society Destroys Mind and Environment

Industrial Society Destroys Mind and Environment

sushil_yadav
Delhi, India