One of the best and original movie’s I have seen in my 28 years of life. What I can say is this…since my childhood days, and now to date of 2009, 28 years of age. I have seen literally hundreds of thousands of movies, and from all different genres...
So after seeing that many movies for so many years, there have been a few that stand on it’s own, and have it’s own merit of distinctiveness… and I find ’The Man From Earth’ as one of them that comes to mind from those hundreds of thousands of movies I’ve seen... so I have to say something about this movie, which holds that sort of worthiness after all the movies I have seen...
While yes, there have been numerous movies over the years that have touched the origin of man or religious views... I must say there has not been one that had covered all aspects like this movie did... And to think we live in a day and age of special effects and big budget movies. This movie managed to capture my whole attention and then some, on such a small budget and simple location. As much of the movie spends it’s time in just one house or room. So for one movie to command such attention with such a simple budget and location, it has to be special and outstanding.
This movie does get you to think out of the square, and out of what we are usually used to believe in culture, religion or about life, and the story line even included these sort of people that we come along in life, and consider experts on the fields of subjects, we will se such characters in this movie, and while it is only a movie, it does prove, no matter how wise or educated we are, how little we do know and that is something to think about and pull us back to reality and make us firmly grounded.
I have always been drawn to films filled with conversations on strange ideas, most especially if the films pose a threat to the social construct or to what the general public assumes as acceptable and irrevocable. I find it amazing how a trifle such as a movie can change how one sees the world. This film is definitely one of these films: a simple story to be reckoned with.
PLOT
History professor John Oldman, at his farewell dinner asked a ridiculous question to his colleagues: is it possible for a Cro-Magnon (cave man) to still exist in the world today? Being intellectuals, of course, they disagreed while keeping an open mind that nothing is really impossible. But when he mentioned that what if he were to tell them that he had been rubbing elbows with Christopher Columbus, Van Gogh, and even the Buddha himself and that he had stopped aging when he was 35 and that he had been in this world for 14, 000 years, every single one of them embarked on an philosophical/ psychological/ religious/ intellectual journey that shook the very foundations of everything they had believed in.
CREDITS
Written by one of the best writers of "Twilight Zone" and "Star Trek, " Jerome Bixby’s script of The Man from Earth could not have fallen into better hands than independent or non- Hollywood filmmakers. This sci-fi movie does not have any special effects, audio or visual, no computer-generated animations, but it does nurture the very core of a brilliant science fiction: a resounding and masterly constructed what-if story. The story moves through the discussions among these so-called experts in different areas of study as they question or try to refute the possibility of a self-confessed caveman who has survived hundreds of years. Evoking their reactions, from utter disgust to awe and wonder to emotional outburst, Professor John Oldman’s character tells his story with a brick face, casually expressing his past and his thoughts and reflections on history. He tells them truths that rocked the very core of their lives.
The movie triumphs in its witty dialogue and very impressive cross-cultural concurrence of various moments of history and religion. Anyone who loves intellectual conversations will definitely be drawn to the arguments presented in the film. At the same time, it is probably inevitable that many will also be offended, particularly those who have rigid and firm religious beliefs and those who take everything too seriously and literally.
RATING
One of the most gripping movies I have seen. The idea, the treatment and presentation are so different from conventional commercial cinema that its amazing and unbelievable that something can be put up so simply and still be so thrilling. The movie is not sensationalised like Da-Vinci Code or even promoted like it and that’s a pity as avid movie goers would find it more than entertaining, may be even food for thought. It must be one of the best Sci-Fi’s (if u considers it that) and the makers have proved that no CGI or elaborate settings can ever take place of a great idea. I guess saying anything more would be giving away too much.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who wants to watch a movie about something as serious as life and science as we know it, and has the rest of his evening left to wonder about what he just saw, trying to grasp it.
Gets 4.25 out of 5 from me. Guys just don’t rent it…buy it!!!!