Science

Science fiction films of the 1950's explored the destructive and beneficial uses of technology, though the destructive forces inspired fear and attracted audiences. Post World War II America experienced anxiety over nuclear weapons, after witnessing its effects on the Japanese. The Cold War rivalry with the Soviet Union fueled threats to national security. The debate concerning the development of a hydrogen bomb raged in the 1950's. There were two camps of scientists. J. Robert Oppenheimer, who led the development of the atomic bomb, formed an opposition group to the hydrogen bomb. Earlier in 1946, the Federation of American Scientists published One World or None, a collection of essays concerning the atomic bomb. Contributors to this publication included such eminent scientists as Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr. The book dealt with the dangers of atomic weapons and possible solutions to the threat. The scientists advocated a world government that would keep world powers in check and prevent nuclear annihilation. The other group of scientists, headed by Edward Teller, supported the development of the hydrogen bomb for the advancement of science. Enrico Fermi joined the team because "he believed that once the President had made a political decision, it was not the job of scientists to stand in the way" (Halberstam 92).

The Mad Scientist

How do these details relate to science fiction films? The characters and themes of science fiction films reflect the public discourse concerning atomic weapons. Thus, films depicted science and scientists in various ways. Many films depict the mad scientist as the villain. In such films, the mad scientist is willing to sacrifice anything (including their own lives) for the advancement of science. Such characters include Dr. Carrington from The Thing from Another World (1951) and Dr. Morbius of Forbidden Planet (1956). In The Thing from Another World, Dr. Carrington wants learn about the space alien that landed in the Arctic, though the alien poses as a threat to other people. In Forbidden Planet, Dr. Morbius identifies with the Krell, a lost civilization of aliens, more than with human beings. Dr. Morbius refuses to give up the technology used by the Krell, even though human beings were in danger of it.

The Rational Scientist

At the other end of the spectrum, scientists were revered as rational people in science fiction films. The most extreme case is The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), where Klaatu, an alien emissary sent to save Earth from its destructive ways, is the voice of reason. In order to convey his warning to Earth, Klaatu demands to speak with a group of scientists, instead of one government. In this case, a world government envisioned in One World or None is the only hope for Earth's survival. In This Island Earth, American scientists are the heroes that save the Earth. Though they can master science and technology, these heroic scientists know moral boundaries. In It Came from Outer Space (1953), the protagonist is John, an astronomer who knows how to save the town while the fearful town, led by the sheriff, engages in self-destructive practices. Though the fictional scientists determined the fate of mankind in films, scientists discovered that the government overshadowed their voices. Ultimately, the government and military leaders determined the use of nuclear weapons. Sakharov, a contributing scientist to the bomb, remarked in his later years: "We, the inventors, scientists, engineers and craftsmen . . . had created a terrible weapon, the most terrible weapon in human history; but its use would lie entirely outside our control. The people at the top of the Party and military hierarchy would make the decisions. Of course, I knew this already - I was not that naïve. But understanding something in an abstract way is different from feeling it with your whole being, like the reality of life and death . . ." (Halberstam 100)