The Man from Earth

From Netflix: “Renowned sci-fi writer Jerome Bixby penned the script for this thought-provoking film starring David Lee Smith as John Oldman, a college professor who reveals to his colleagues that he’s actually a centuries-old caveman. And so begins a captivating philosophical meditation on immortality, the last work from screenwriter Bixby, who earned career accolades for his contributions to such genre-defining shows as “Star Trek” and “The Twilight Zone.””

This film was recommended to me based on my interest in the writer’s previous work. In regards to production value, though, the movie is a bit too much like the television shows the writer was famous for – very low. From the very start, the movie is dialogue heavy with little action. In fact, almost the entire movie takes place with the group of characters sitting around and talking. The majority of the film is set with the characters sitting in front of the fireplace of a cabin, with a bunch of boxes in the background.

The premise of the movie (directed by Richard Schenkman) is based on a game of logic – trying to prove or disprove a point that can neither be proven nor disproven. If a man lived for 14,000 years, how could he possibly prove it? At the same time, if someone claimed to live for 14,000 years, how could someone possibly prove him wrong? Much of the early dialogue of the film is spent exploring this, to only come to the conclusion that one must either accept or reject the premise regardless of the proof. This idea, the necessity of proof, leads to the most interesting discussion of the movie.

It turns out, you see, that John Oldman was, in fact, Jesus. He claims that he actually came preaching the same essential ideas as Buddhism, but that his words were misinterpreted and that it was humanity who deified him into the Jesus despite his protests. This idea is reminiscent of Daniel Quinn’s “Ismael,” in which it is posited that much of the Bible is an interpretation of the natural social development of humanity. Anyway…

Ultimately, Oldman tells everyone that he’s not really 14,000 years old, and that it was just a cruel joke. Of course, we all know that he is merely appeasing them because he is just about to move on to begin a new life before people realize that he is not aging. There's also a "deus ex machina" moment right near the end in which one of the characters realizes that Oldman is actually his father, which did not seem to fit in with the rest of the film. The end of the movie occurs very suddenly, and really settles nothing.

What has been surprising to me is how well this movie was (generally) received by the critics. It didn't get wild reviews, but I was surprised at how many people were generally impressed by it. I was simply underwhelmed. It is based on a very intriguing concept, but the concept itself was not explored beyond the surface level. There are no flashbacks or scenes that take place away from Oldman's cabin. I've seen student-produced plays that have better staging and blocking.

So, despite the intrigue of the premise and the charm of the low budget, the movie was unsatisfying.

Zeitoun

Over spring break, I decided to forgo the usual "light" reading and hit something a little more serious. But, at the same time, I needed something with a bit of literary flare. Dave Eggers's 2009 book "Zeitoun" was the cure for what ailed my reading needs. The book traces the story of how Hurricane Katrina affected Abdulrahman Zeitoun and his family (specifically, his wife).

Before the storm, Zeitoun owns a flourishing painting company as well as rents out some properties. As the city is evacuated, he refuses to leave with his family - claiming that he needs to look after his property and business. Although he survives the initial flooding, he repeatedly refuses to abandon his city despite his wife's fears of the widespread violence. He keeps in touch with his family for several days as they make their way to safety.

Then, he disappears. He stops calling his family. No one can reach him. Even his brother in Spain and his family in Syria are contacting agencies in an effort to locate him, with no luck. As days pass, his wife braces for the worst and begins planning a life without her husband. Then, she gets an anonymous phone call telling her that her husband is alive, but in prison.

Turns out that he had been arrested by a pseudo-military group for looting, but had gotten stuck in a broken judicial / prison system which required no trials or due-process - and had no official record of his arrest. Eventually, though a little perseverance (and some emotional arm-twisting), the husband and wife are reunited and live happily-ever-after (almost).

In the tradition of Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood," Eggers wrote "Zeitoun" from the angle of fiction. This allowed him to use literary devices - suspense, rising action, flashbacks - to tell what was already a fantastic story. The beauty of the prose was effectively able to disguise the massive amount of research that went into writing the book. Eggers was able to balance writing the story from two perspectives - Zeitoun and his wife Kathy - while also including the opinions and views of others involved in the events. Eggers also interwove flashbacks to Zeitoun and Kathy's pasts

Hidden underneath the narrative of the story is an expose of the complete breakdown of the political and judicial system in the wake of the catastrophe. Zeitoun, because of his Syrian hertiage, was treated like a terrorist, was convicted of a crime without being told of his charges, and was not even allowed a phone call to tell his family he was alive. When, after some legal pressure he was given a bail hearing, his location was still considered "classified information" - so although there was a bail amount, his wife had no way of setting him free.

At the heart of such a powerful story, though, are two simple themes - a struggle with faith and the strength of love to overcome obstacles. After the storm, as Zeitoun is able to bring aid to his stranded neighbors, he begins to feel that his presence was part of a divine plan, but after his arrest he begins to question how his predicament was allowed to happen if he had been doing the work of God. Of course, his wife's love for him compels her to keep searching for her husband, even in the face of overwhelming evidence of his death. When Zeitoun is finally released, the police refuse to give back his ID and the usually docile Kathy literally accosts the District Attorney until his wallet is given back (although mysteriously missing the money and credit cards).

As usual with items published by McSweeneys - I recommend this book!