Being Human Movie Review

Being Human (1994)

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Written by: Bill Forsyth
Directed by: Bill Forsyth
Starring: Robin Williams, John Turturro, Bill Nighy, Vincent D'Onofrio, Robert Carlyle, Theresa Russell, Ewan McGregor 
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
In five distinct yet interlocked roles, Hector is a cave dweller, a Roman slave, a medieval wayfarer, a shipwrecked nobleman, and a modern Manhattanite.

Verdict
This is a contemplative movie, examining the human condition across time periods. Hector faces similar problems across generations as he's separated from his children largely due to his own choices. The present day Hector is the only one to resolve those problems, indicating this may be a commentary on reincarnation and how it takes multiple lives to reconcile mistakes and get things right. The view may also be that despite the time period, similar problems persist. It's a movie that's more fun to discuss than it is to watch.
It depends.

Review
Forsyth also wrote and directed Local Hero.  Both movies seem very similar.

Robin Williams plays Hector

This begins with a lot of narration, depicting a modern day father, Hector (Robin Williams), at the beach fumbling to make a fire. Then the movie cuts back to a primitive time with the same man living in a cave with his family. Raiders land and capture his family. He's afraid and hides while the raiders prepare to take the family away. Even when he confronts them, the raiders realize he's not a threat. He watches as his family is rowed away.

In Hector's second incarnation he's a slave in Rome, separated from his family. His master owes a lot of money and must kill himself to satisfy the debts. The master wants Hector to join him, but obviously Hector doesn't like that. The master ends up dead, and Hector declares himself a free man as he leaves in his master's clothes. His destination isn't his family as he's in love with another slave.

Robin Williams plays Hector

In the third story Hector is a crusader that finds his soulmate. They don't speak the same language, but they find a way to communicate anyway. 

It's a contemplative movie. We see this soul incarnated across time, though the movie never explicitly states that. In each iteration his connections and plight are similar. Is Hector forced to face his deficiencies until he conquers them, or is he doomed to relive the same moments across time as punishment? In the fourth iteration, he's still separated from his wife.

Robin Williams plays Hector

The modern day timeline is a culmination of the past; the children he's been distanced from over the course of his lives and his past mistakes. It's interesting that so many of the segments reference shoes. I assume it's a reference to the different lives Hector has led, walking in another man's shoes. It could also represent the wear and tear as a metaphor for his life. Hector walks the same path regardless of the time period.

Human problems repeat regardless of the time period. In the present day, Hector is estranged from his wife, but he's making an effort to see his kids. His daughter tells him this might be the best moment of his life. What she doesn't realize is the cosmic size of that statement. It could be the best moment in all of his lifetimes. This life is a culmination of his struggles and mistakes, finally making things right.