Forbidden Planet

Your mind refuses to face the conclusion.

Forbidden Planet is directed by Fred M. Wilcox and stars Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, and Leslie Nielsen. Screenplay is written by Cyril Hume from an original story by Irving Block & Allen Adler (original title being Fatal Planet). It is a CinemaScope production out of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and is shot in Eastman Color (not Metrocolor as suggested on some sources) by cinematographer George J. Folsey. The piece features a novel musical score (credited as "electronic tonalities") by Louis & Bebe Barron.

Loosely based around William Shakespeare's play "The Tempest", the story sees Nielsen and the crew of the C-57D spaceship sent to the remote planet of Altair IV. Where once was a colony of Earthlings, now the only inhabitants are Dr Morbius (Pidgeon), his daughter Altaira (Francis) and Robby, a highly sophisticated Robot that Morbius has built. It transpires from Morbius that all civilisations on Altair IV were wiped out by an unseen force, but not before he himself was able to use some of the knowledge gained from the Krell race to build Robby and the Plastic Educator. However, it's not before long something starts stalking and killing the men of the C-57D. They must get to the bottom of the mystery or they too will be wiped out.

The 50s was of course the decade of the "B" movie. A decade where science fiction schlockers and creaky creature features ruled the drive in theatres. As paranoia of potential nuclear war and technology spiralling out of control gripped America, film studios grasped the opportunity to make a cash killing whilst providing an entertainment stress release courtesy of science fiction based movies. Be it giant insects, creatures or alien invaders, there were some fun - some bad - and some rather smart movies that hit the silver screen. Falling into the latter category is "Forbidden Planet", an intelligent and excellently produced movie that is one of the few that genuinely holds up well over 60 years since it was first released. To delve further would be unfair to potential newcomers to the film, but in short the piece carries interesting motifs such as sexual awakening, the power of the sub-conscious, or more appropriately the perils of a repressed conscious. Basically it's a Freudian twister, and then some.

Also lifting Forbidden Planet a long way above those men in rubber suit movies of the decade is the production value of the piece. True, the budget was considerably larger than what was normally afforded the genre (almost $5 million), but every penny is up there on the screen. The CinemaScope really brings to the front the sets and visual effects, while the Eastman Color fully enhances the animations and matte paintings on offer. The whole look and feel of the movie points to it being later than 1956, so it's no surprise to see musing on the home format extras such luminaries like Spielberg, Lucas, Cameron & Scott, since Forbidden Planet has influenced as much as it has enthralled.

With one of the cleverest stories in the genre, one of its best ever robots (Robby would become a star all on his own) and certainly the best spaceship landing ever, "Forbidden Planet" is a genre high point and essential viewing for those interested in said genre pieces. 9/10

The 50's prototype Sci-Fi film and... Anne Francis

I didn't see "Forbidden Planet" (1956) until a full four decades after it's debut. I've seen it a few more times since then and here's what strikes me:

For one, although Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry is undeniably great, practically every primary aspect of Trek is present in "Forbidden Planet," which was released almost a decade before the first Star Trek pilot episode was produced (!). You name it: warp drive, Captain/First Officer/Doctor triumvirate, alluring space females, beam down/up (in a visual sense, at least), etc., it's all here in "Forbidden Planet."

The flick combines Shakespeare's The Tempest with psychological concepts. The invisible id monster is horrifying when finally viewed. It looks like a serious rendition of the Tasmanian Devil. The concept of the monster is a fascinating revelation and I wasn't expecting such mature commentary in a 50's sci-fi flick.

Furthermore, Dr. Morbius' elaboration on the former inhabitants of his planet, the Krell, is awe-inspiring to this day and the archaic special effects hold up well. This was the first major film to be set wholly in space and one of the first to feature an entirely electronic score (perhaps better described as a soundtrack).

One thing that really blows me away every time I catch this flick is, of course, Anne Francis, who plays Altaira (or Alta for short), in her cute space outfits.

I've heard some people complain about the scene where we are led to believe that Alta (Francis) is skinny-dipping, only to plainly observe that she's wearing a loose skin-colored bathing suit. Is this a cop-out on the filmmakers' part because it was 1956? Not at all because the bathing suit is clearly visible once she steps out of the water. Despite her sheltered innocent nature, let's give Alta some credit -- she was obviously playing a little coquettish joke on the Captain, to shock him and stir his mounting desire (which obviously worked).

Please remember that "Forbidden Planet" is from 1956 and so understandably has dated aspects, like the sound effects, small portions of goofy dialogue, the Captain's communicator, etc. Regardless, it must be HAILED as the honored blueprint for numerous sci-fi films and TV series to come.

The film runs 1 hour, 38 minutes, and was shot entirely in the studio in Culver City, SoCal.

GRADE: A

A sci-fi landmark that, however, is quite dated and has aged poorly.

I confess that I expected more from this film. Its impact at the time is undeniable, and it is a renowned classic of sci-fi cinema. In fact, we can almost say that it is part of the “pantheon” of founding films of this genre of cinema, as it was one of the first big-budget sci-fi films with a great public impact.

The best thing this film has to give us is its almost inexhaustible creativity. It is quite evident that the team of creators had time to create and develop ideas and the studio decided to allow its specialists wide margin of maneuver. When this is combined with an appropriate budget and a serious investment in high quality special, visual and sound effects, we have what it takes for a film that is visually impactful and capable of seducing us.

I can only imagine how the public at the time reacted to this film: my reaction is different. In fact, our perspective has to be different: more than sixty years have passed since the premiere and the technical and technological advances in cinema, as we know, have accustomed us to other types of visuals and effects, and thus, this film does not manages to surprise and delight in the same way it enchanted the public when it was made. This is not a defect of the film, it is almost a “defect” of the audience, which in this specific case is me.

The cast has some well-known names. It was interesting to see Leslie Nielsen much younger and playing a radically different type of role than the ones I'm more used to seeing. Walter Pidgeon also does a very good job and, despite not liking the character, I recognize Anne Francis' effort and talent. And despite being a character and not an actor, Robbie is delightfully likeable.

The biggest problem with this film turns out to be its age: it is a dated film that has aged quite poorly, and may have difficulty finding new audiences capable of enjoying it nowadays. But it wasn't because of the visual issues and effects that I found it so dated. It was due to the intrinsic machismo in the plot, in the conception of the characters and in the idiotic romance that is included in the film. The film is a mirror of a mentality that, for us, is unacceptable and regressive, in which women are obedient and submissive to any and all male desires. I can foresee some of my friends screaming with the force of their indignation if they had to see this film. Since I am not even remotely close to feminist causes, this is not a problem for me, but it is still a sign of how dated this film is.