Rent The Man from Earth on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Jerome Bixby
Directed by: Richard Schenkman
Starring: David Lee Smith, Tony Todd, John Billingsley
Rated: NR [PG]
Watch the trailer
Plot
An impromptu goodbye party for Professor John Oldman becomes a mysterious interrogation after the retiring scholar reveals to his colleagues he has a longer and stranger past than they can imagine.
Verdict
Few movies are so thought provoking. I saw this long ago, and I still think about it on occasion. We know the quote that history is written by the winners, and this explores this concept as friends chat one night. History is only understood in retrospect as John explains his past and current perspective. This is so grounded in the questions asked and the reactions received. Could this story be true? The concept jumps off the screen as I consider how it can apply to reality. History can only be understood after it's already passed, been studied, and named. The more time that passes, the fewer people that can challenge the record. Without talking to someone at the event, how can we trust any account developed after the fact completely?
Watch It.
Review
This is Bixby's last work, completed on his death bed. He's famous for writing four original Star Trek episodes as well as several short stories.
Professor John Oldman (David Lee Smith) packs up, leaving his position at the college. Fellow professors arrive to send him off, curious what he's doing and why he's leaving. John's reticent to provide and substantial answers. If you don't know the premise, John has several odd or ancient objects in his home that he dismisses when his guests inquire.
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| John Billingsley, Ellen Crawford, David Lee Smith, Tony Todd, Annika Peterson play Harry, Edith, John Oldman, Dan, Sandy |
This starts with a question. John asks his fellow professors to imagine a paleolithic man that's survived until present day. It's the perfect group for the question, they've studied history, biology, religion, and anthropology. They conclude he wouldn't still be paleolithic. He would have evolved as society progressed, but the big question is how would someone live for fourteen-thousand years? If a body had perfect detox, it's theoretically possible to live indefinitely.
During a lull in the conversation John offhandedly remarks that he could have sailed with Columbus. The guests are intrigued. His answers are quick and the guests are game to play the what if. They can't find fault in his answers, but they question whether it's a game, a story he's developing, or something else. He has an answer for every question.
John states that history is only history in retrospect. At the time he was unaware of what, where, and the significance. It's by reading history books that he pieced together his past. It didn't have a name until he read about it. In the moment it was just life, not some monumental event. You can't know more than what's known and the time periods in which he lived didn't have a name until later. The guests keep coming back to proof, but he makes no excuse. They ask him about mementos, but as he points out no one keeps mundane artifacts from the past. You use objects and throw them away. He can't state where he was exactly in 1292 just like no one would know where they were a year ago.
This only takes place in one room, but it's so engaging as we consider the same questions. Could it be possible? His arguments are convincing. His safety in telling them now is that he's about to leave, no one would believe it, and it can't be proven.
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| John Billingsley, David Lee Smith play Harry, John Oldman |
His guests at first are intrigued but then become incredulous. No one can live that long. Is John making a joke, if so what is the punchline? He's approaching this as sharing something of interest with friends, he's not bragging, just genuinely curious. Eventually the conversation turns towards religion as a reason for the how. Did he know anyone in religious history? He sure did.
Overall, it's an interesting perspective on history. We've heard the quote history is written by winners. What's important is only decided after the fact. In the moment, who knows what is crucial. Stories get exaggerated and history gets distorted. John walked through key events in history, and he's now offering a new perspective. It makes one wonder about history. What's been distorted? What if a historian leaves out a crucial detail they don't like or adds something to make the story better. Over time, fewer people can challenge the record.
As the guests grow upset, feeling they might be the joke, he admits it was all a story. He claims they gave him ideas and he prolonged the game. We know he's just trying to keep the peace and placate their fears. This upends what they've studied and understand. It's probably not the first time he's shared his history, but his story isn't done. He stays in one place for ten years and then moves on to avoid questions.
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