With apologies to Darth Vader, "Luke, I am your father" is not the greatest sci-fi film quote. (It's not even actually the quote; in The Empire Strikes Back, he says "No, I am your father.") The most iconic sci-fi line was first uttered 75 years ago, in a movie that came out more than a quarter-century before the first Star Wars. It's only three words long, but those three words decide the fate of the world: "Klaatu barada nikto."
The quote comes from the classic 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still, one of the most beloved — and most intelligent — sci-fi movies of all time. Directed by Robert Wise, The Day the Earth Stood Still looks like an alien invasion movie at first glance, but it's something much more than that. Klaatu, an alien visitor played by Michael Rennie who lands his flying saucer on the National Mall, really does come in peace. Or at least, that's his intention. When he's injured by a nervous soldier upon exiting his spacecraft, his hulking robot companion Gort threatens to retaliate until Klaatu calls him off. As Klaatu recovers and befriends Helen Benson, a widow played by Patricia Neal, he explains the nature of his mission. Now that mankind has gained the power to destroy itself by inventing atomic weapons, it is a threat to the other civilized planets who live peacefully together. Should mankind continue down the course that has already sparked a Cold War, our planet could face destruction. (It's a clear, powerful metaphor.)
