MovieChat Forums > The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) Discussion > The size of the flying saucer

The size of the flying saucer

posted 11 years ago by Unintended_Consequence
9 replies | jump to latest

When it lands it's shown to be huge, but when it's on the ground and actors are near it, it's several times smaller. Why couldn't they have built a set that represented a much larger ship, and we're just seeing less of it in the shot?

Scroll down about halfway to see the large version:
http://io9.com/5980921/the-best-aliens-land-on-earth-scenes-ever-filme d

Click on the image under "Watch Trailer" for the small version:
http://www.moviemail.com/film/56610/The-Day-The-Earth-Stood-Still-(Wis e,-1951)/

They aren't even close, and that suggested that they didn't even try to reconcile the two.

BIG GOVERNMENT = small citizen
Power is a zero sum game

[–] strntz 11 years ago

CGI -does not exist- in this dojo!!! Does it?

No Sensei!!

It is bad to drink Jobu's rum. Very bad.

[–] Unintended_Consequence 11 years ago

Gort's kind of clumsy. I think I could sweep his leg.

BIG GOVERNMENT = small citizen
No, that does not mean I am an anarchist

[–] strntz 11 years ago

Gort's kind of clumsy. I think I could sweep his leg.

LOL!!

It is bad to drink Jobu's rum. Very bad.

[–] SpiltPersonality 10 years ago

Yeah, but if you did that you'd get thrown out of the interstellar war!

SpiltPersonality

[–] Unintended_Consequence 10 years ago

But Sensei said...

BIG GOVERNMENT = small citizen
No, that does not mean I am an anarchist

[–] srklondie 8 years ago

In the 15 or 20 times I've watched the film I never noticed that. I just enjoyed the film, without searching for something to criticize. Obviously, that's something you find difficult to do.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] srklondie 8 years ago

No complaints from me, either. Wise was a fine director. It's one of the few films I rate a 9 out of 10. Great message behind it, too.

[–] liscarkat (16530) 6 years ago

The size of the ship might be inconsistent from shot to shot, but when it's on the ground it's a great-looking ship, both exterior and interior. The size discrepancy isn't because they didn't have modern effects. In "Star Trek the Motion Picture", when they come through the hatch in the Enterprise's main saucer and walk around on top, it looks ridiculously too small.