Forbidden Planet (1956)
Directed by Fred M. Wilcox

Film Review

One of the most important films in the science-fiction genre, Forbidden Planet still continues to enthral audiences with its combination of groundbreaking special effects, sophisticated storyline and sheer visual power.  This was the Star Wars of its day, arguably the finest sci-fi film of the 1950s and a film that would exert an enormous influence over sci-fi, both in cinema and on television, for over two decades.  One of the first films to take science-fiction seriously, Forbidden Planet set a high benchmark for subsequent films in the genre and it still remains one of the best-loved, most highly regarded films of its kind.

It was the phenomenal success of Universal's sci-fi films in the early 1950s that motivated MGM, a company renowned for blockbuster visual extravaganzas (usually in the musical field), to make a genre-defining spectacular which no other studio could match.  The studio succeeded, far beyond its wildest dreams.  Most of the lavish million dollar plus budget went on large-scale sets and extraordinarily detailed props, which really did offer a convincing vision of an alien civilisation on a far distant world.   The pièce de résistance was Robby the Robot, now one of the most recognisable icons of the sci-fi genre and an obvious forerunner of cinema's other mechanical marvels, notably the droids in Star Wars.   So popular was Robby that he/it immediately reappeared in the film The Invisible Boy (1957) and then in countless American TV shows, including The Thin Man, The Twilight Zone, Lost In Space, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Mork & Mindy.  A marvel of design, Robby is the star of this film (not that there is much competition); the only member of the cast who is not out-classed and out-staged by him/it is Walter Pidgeon, who makes a subtly menacing villain, a far cry from the manic mad scientist of the early sci-fi films.

The sophistication of the film's visual design is matched by that of its screenplay which includes plot concepts which surpass almost anything seen in sci-fi cinema up until this point.  Forbidden Planet is primarily an ingenuous retelling of Shakespeare's The Tempest, with magician Prospero upgraded to über-scientist Morbius, Miranda to Altaira, Ariel to Robby, and so forth.  Indeed, so faithful is the film to Shakespeare's original play that you can't helping feeling the Bard merits an on-screen credit.  The same might also be said of Sigmund Freud, whose radical theory of the human psyche (the division into the ego, super-ego and id) not only underpins the plot but also gives us one of cinema's most original sci-fi monsters. 

The intelligently written screenplay brings a rare level of realism and depth to the characters - rare that is for a sci-fi film of this period.  The performances are not terrific but nonetheless we believe in the characters and their predicament.  The sequence in which the Id Monster makes its first appearance (or semi-appearance) is the film's terrifying high point; the revolutionary electronic score provided by Louis and Bebe Barron helps to make this one of the most frightening sequences of any sci-fi movie.  No matter how many times you watch this part of the film, it never fails to send a chill down the spine.

The influence of Forbidden Planet on the sci-fi genre cannot be exaggerated.  Producer Gene Roddenberry was inspired to create a television series based on this film - that series became Star Trek, arguably the most successful series of the genre.  Irwin Allen's Lost In Space was also heavily influenced by the film, borrowing the design of the spaceship, the robot, and even the sets.  Star Wars includes several obvious nods to the film (note the similarity of the Krell City to the interior of the Death Star).  In fact, it is quite hard to find a sci-fi film that has not, in some way, been influenced by it.  Forbidden Planet is a masterpiece of its genre, a rare example of a sci-film that is crafted with flair and intelligence, and with a budget to make it work.  Miraculously, the film has barely dated since the day it first captivated cinema audiences and transported them - to an amazing brave new world of the imagination.

Film Synopsis

In the year 2200, a United Planets expedition led by Commander Adams arrives on Altair-4 to investigate the unexplained disappearance of an Earth colony.  Before he lands, Adams is contacted by Dr Morbius, the last surviving colonist, and told to stay away.  Adams ignores the warning and begins his reconnaissance of the planet with his officers Farman and Ostrow.   Morbius explains that the other colonists were all killed by a strange alien force which spared only him and his wife.  Since his wife died, from natural causes, his only companions have been his daughter, Altaira, and Robby, a robot that he built to undertake manual tasks and synthesise food.   For the past twenty years, Morbius has been absorbed in his study of the Krell, the original inhabitants of Altair-4.  From the scientific and technological marvels they left behind, it is apparent that the Krell had an immensely advanced civilisation, and yet they died out overnight, many thousands of years ago.   When he sees Adams and his crew taking an unwelcome interest in his daughter, Morbius becomes intolerant and warns them that they must leave Altair-4 at once, otherwise they will be attacked and destroyed by the same force that killed the colonists...