The Man from Earth

'The man from Earth' is science fiction fantasy in concept, not in presentation. It is consciously, inescapably low-key - subdued, restrained, laid-back. The narrative consists wholly of dialogue - recounting history, personal and global; philosophizing, hypothesizing amidst friends and colleagues. There are no active flashbacks, no action scenes, not even a change of scenery beyond the interior or exterior of the abode where the characters are gathered.

And it's both endearing and engrossing.

The production is staggering in its simplicity, yet weirdly impressive in its craft. Just look at the cast: Richard Riehle, Tony Todd, John Billingsley. Uncomplicated and direct as the performances are, all involved here are great. I'm personally less familiar with Ellen Crawford, William Katt, but the same goes for them.

Writer Jerome Bixby, having died several long years before 'The man from Earth' was made, had some very notable credits to his name, and still this screenplay may well be his very greatest achievement. The same goes for director Richard Schenkman, whose list of past works rather seems to culminate with this. His camerawork here is plain and unremarkable, but he pointedly fixes his eye on each actor as the screenplay demands. As much as the film consciously eschews any sense of dynamics, the final emotional beat of the story is told as well with the pen as it is conveyed by the camera, and is a superb capstone.

The end result is a bewitching exploration of an idea, presented as realistically and as plausibly as I think is possible: What if an individual, by genetic quirk, did not age? What if a man living in contemporary times were, in fact, thousands of years old?

Tantalizing and excellent as the film is, 'The man from Earth' is not perfect. I personally feel that Mark Hinton Stewart's score, fine as it may be, is altogether unnecessary in its use as background musical accompaniment. Between Schenkman's direction and Neil Grieve's editing, the film is paced much too quickly for my preferences. Ideally this should have been a fair bit longer than 90 minutes: A more patient vision would have allowed more time for crucial story beats, lines of dialogue, and character interactions to manifest, breathe, and digest. As it is, the conversation moves along so quickly that I found myself doubling back multiple times to catch something I missed the first time around. In a feature where the dialogue is paramount, that's inexcusable.

Even with these flaws in its realization, though, the screenplay is a treasure, and the greatest contributor to the movie's success. It would be so easy for a tale like this to be needlessly inflated with fiery bombast - an active investigation by police or reporters, chases, suspense, throwing of objects and emotional outbursts. That 'The man from Earth' deliberately dispenses with all such notions is a further credit to Bixby's legacy. The substance of the film is in the discussion and analysis, and anything beyond would have been superfluous.

There's not much more to say. This is a film appropriate for all audiences, though of course anyone who's not receptive to a picture centered exclusively on dialogue may be put out. Yet for as straightforward as it is, 'The man from Earth' is a fascinating feature, and quietly rewarding. I'm so pleased I had a chance to watch this, and recommend it for all.

It is a work that has a wonderful and thought-provoking conversation in the spaces within the scope of a room. Having fun with the permeables that they put together in long conversations with a topic that can be lived in a conversation in a way that is fun.

If not the "best" science-fiction film ever made, Jerome Bixby's Man From Earth is certainly one of the most thoughtful. This movie reminds me of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Not with spaceships and effects, but with intelligent characters and exceptional dialogue, and that it left me with a sense of true wonder and joy, long after the credits ended. If the movie had been two hours longer I still would not have been bored, even though most of the film takes place in one small room. It's like watching a ninety minute Twilight Zone, with a perfect surprise ending. John Billingsly stands out, as does David Lee Smith, who may or may not be a caveman. The rest of the cast is good, but the script is the true star. And to anyone claiming this film is boring because we never leave the one room; Some of the very best Twilight Zones were just that. Good actors, good scripts, one or two locations. To anyone who's fed up with spaceships and explosions and Jar-Jar Binks, see this movie as a reminder of what science fiction has always been about.

Jerome Bixby's "The Man from Earth" stands proudly among the best science fiction films ever made. However, unlike "2001", "CE3K" and "Blade Runner," this little movie relies not on outstanding set design and mind-blowing visual effects, but rather on ideas; the very foundation of science fiction.

I've been a fan of Mr. Bixby's ever since "Star Trek", and I must say this equals if not surpasses "Mirror, "Mirror". I agree that some of the acting was stilted, and the music partially drowned out dialogue in one scene, but my family and I were mesmerized throughout. As to my personal beliefs regarding God and faith; "Man from Earth" in no way offended me, but rather challenged me. Challenged me with historical facts (several of which I've since checked online, and thus far, all of which appear 100% accurate.) This is a chess game of a film, forcing the viewer not only to listen and to think, but to understand.

I highly recommend "Man from Earth" to any and all who love intelligent science fiction. A friend downloaded the film, illegally no doubt. I've watched it three times thus far, and I'll be the first in line to buy the DVD (legally =) this coming Tuesday.

...every so often you will see a film or hear a story that will take your breath away and leave you wondering...this is one of those stories.

That said it is probably not for everyone. If you don't want your believes challenged you should probably stay away from this one. The film is all about the characters and their dialog, it is what makes or breaks the film, and I must say they did an excellent job, it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, wanting to hear more. All this topped with great acting makes this a film really worth seeing.

It goes to show that you can make great films these days without explosions and killings...so simple yet so effective. Great movie!