The Man from Earth is based on a screenplay conceived by Jerome Bixby and completed shortly before his passing. About a decade later, the film went into production. This movie is for anyone who loves sci-fi, or just thought-provoking texts in general.
This sci-fi fantasy is one of my favorite films, but is really more of a conversation than a film. It explores various topics and ideas, and will keep you engaged and interested. As a film however (from a production standpoint), it's far from perfect.
The cinematography and direction are fine. The video and audio quality are just OK. The acting is a little shaky, sometimes distractingly. The music is serviceable, though isn't necessarily anything special. Overall, it's not very impressive from a technical angle. Considering the layers of inquiry central to the film, there's a lot more that could have been done from a directorial standpoint. To the director's credit though, the film holds up well considering the low budget and the fact that it takes place almost entirely in a single room. To most people that would seem pretty boring, but The Man from Earth manages to be both interesting and engaging, with no small amount of help from the screenplay. It's the writing that I love it for (in fact, it's actually been adapted into a play, which seems more fitting).
The Man from Earth was written by Jerome Bixby, who worked as a writer on both Star Trek and The Twilight Zone (two of the most influential sci-fi works in history), and what made those shows compelling is just as present in The Man from Earth. This film explores multiple ideas, but this time through a single conversation: what if a man could survive from the prehistoric era to modern day?
At first, that seems like kind of a silly question. It's actually where the "fantasy" in "sci- fi fantasy" comes in, but they take this concept a long way. This conversation is an introspective reflection on history—an exploration of perception itself. As we listen to the main character speak, we get a sense of how the time and space around him not only affect what he perceives, but how he perceives it. It's basically saying that our circumstances are not only what we perceive, but our circumstances shape how we perceive it. It's very cyclical, and endlessly fascinating—not unlike principles of language. It's the exploration of these subjects that help The Man from Earth classify not only sci-fi, but propel it to among the best the genre has to offer.
There are also some rather fascinating deconstructions on religion. This includes new how religions borrow from past religions, and successive denial of borrowing at all. It also explores how someone's view of religion would be shaped after seeing so many religions come and go. Between the themes of living (essentially) forever and coping with death, the thoughts over religion fit right in.
There's a subplot or two that feels unnecessary, but overall it's a very interesting movie, with a handful of quotable lines even. The Man from Earth: Holocene is coming up very soon, and though I'm VERY skeptical that this sequel is necessary (or could even be good), I'll give it a chance. (Also it's got Michael Dorn so whoooo!) I recommend this film to anyone who is a science-fiction fan, or just likes movies that make you think.
Score: 9/10
This sci-fi fantasy is one of my favorite films, but is really more of a conversation than a film. It explores various topics and ideas, and will keep you engaged and interested. As a film however (from a production standpoint), it's far from perfect.
The cinematography and direction are fine. The video and audio quality are just OK. The acting is a little shaky, sometimes distractingly. The music is serviceable, though isn't necessarily anything special. Overall, it's not very impressive from a technical angle. Considering the layers of inquiry central to the film, there's a lot more that could have been done from a directorial standpoint. To the director's credit though, the film holds up well considering the low budget and the fact that it takes place almost entirely in a single room. To most people that would seem pretty boring, but The Man from Earth manages to be both interesting and engaging, with no small amount of help from the screenplay. It's the writing that I love it for (in fact, it's actually been adapted into a play, which seems more fitting).
The Man from Earth was written by Jerome Bixby, who worked as a writer on both Star Trek and The Twilight Zone (two of the most influential sci-fi works in history), and what made those shows compelling is just as present in The Man from Earth. This film explores multiple ideas, but this time through a single conversation: what if a man could survive from the prehistoric era to modern day?
At first, that seems like kind of a silly question. It's actually where the "fantasy" in "sci- fi fantasy" comes in, but they take this concept a long way. This conversation is an introspective reflection on history—an exploration of perception itself. As we listen to the main character speak, we get a sense of how the time and space around him not only affect what he perceives, but how he perceives it. It's basically saying that our circumstances are not only what we perceive, but our circumstances shape how we perceive it. It's very cyclical, and endlessly fascinating—not unlike principles of language. It's the exploration of these subjects that help The Man from Earth classify not only sci-fi, but propel it to among the best the genre has to offer.
There are also some rather fascinating deconstructions on religion. This includes new how religions borrow from past religions, and successive denial of borrowing at all. It also explores how someone's view of religion would be shaped after seeing so many religions come and go. Between the themes of living (essentially) forever and coping with death, the thoughts over religion fit right in.
There's a subplot or two that feels unnecessary, but overall it's a very interesting movie, with a handful of quotable lines even. The Man from Earth: Holocene is coming up very soon, and though I'm VERY skeptical that this sequel is necessary (or could even be good), I'll give it a chance. (Also it's got Michael Dorn so whoooo!) I recommend this film to anyone who is a science-fiction fan, or just likes movies that make you think.
Score: 9/10