This remake of the 1951 classic of the same name reminds you of Abraham pleading with God to save the city of Sodom in Genesis 18. Just as in that dark episode of humanity’s history, this movie encapsulates a pleading with the powers that be for mercy on the people of the earth.

When a human by the name of Klaatu (played by Keanu Reeves) who had been taken by aliens 80 years beforehand reappears to warn humanity of our impending destruction for the way we have been living, it is up to Dr. Helen Benson (played by Jennifer Connelly) to plead with him to save us. Originally misunderstood as being here to ‘save the earth’ it becomes evident that he is here for just that – to save the earth from humanity. The only way to do this is by extinguishing the cause of the earth’s destruction – humanity itself.

This movie would have been deeply relevant when it was first released in the early 1950s, with the utter destruction and chaos of the Second World War still sharp in people’s memories. It is equally relevant today, with the havoc that humankind is wreaking on the planet in terms of changes to the earth’s climate. David Suzuki, the Canadian environmentalist, has described how, if all of humanity disappeared off the face of the earth, the rest of life would benefit enormously. The forests would gradually grow back, and relative stability would return to the ecosystems that control global temperature and the atmosphere. The fish in the oceans would recover and most endangered species would slowly come back. On the other hand, if all species of ants disappeared, the results would be close to catastrophic. There would be major extinctions of other species and probably partial collapse of some ecosystems. It seems that us humans are the crux of the problem after all.

In a story with such strong biblical parallels, we would be wise to see how this relates to our way of living in the 21st century West. Klaatu says that humanity has been given time to change and has not done so, and therefore has exhausted its last chance for survival. However Dr. Benson’s grandfather (played by John Cleese) reminds her daughter to plead with Klaatu on the basis of the fact that this is not all that humanity is. Though the movie does not expressly state it in these terms, the implication is given that the image of God remains in flawed humanity, and Klaatu needs to see this. Eventually he does, and he tries his best to convince his superiors to have mercy on the human race. But he asserts that it will come at a price. The price in the end is one that many of us in the West would find harsh, maybe too harsh. But it is surely one we must pay, especially if it means the survival of our race.

While this movie will not win any Academy Awards – the story is a bit lame in parts – its message is timely and prophetic. Indeed it is a message that humanity will need to take heed of if we are to avoid the destruction we are raining down on ourselves due to our reckless and wanton destruction of the beautiful environment that God has given us to be stewards over.

by Nils von Kalm

Website: http://soulthoughts.com

Blog: http://soulthoughts.wordpress.com