I really hate those films which don't look like films. Richard Schenkman's movie is one of them. They are usually look more like theater pieces or radio plays. Most of the cases they are stylistically bad combined with bad characters and their even worse acting. These features are still fit to The Man from Earth.BUT.
Even these films has a writer who is responsible for the story. And the success of the film starts at this point. I would call more this film Jerome Bixby's movie, who forces us into his genuine story and saves the whole project. He creates a claustrophobic context which just doesn't let you leave (during the first ten minutes it was very tempting to stop watching, if you give a chance, the film pays you off).
The basic situation is very simple. We encounter Professor John Oldman, who collects his colleagues to announce after ten years: he is leaving them. The reasons are mysteriously unclear, but cannot be hidden too long (the followings are not spoilers, and I tell you why: this statement is one from the credible ones...). John contends that he is at least 14.000 years old, and cannot die. Don't laugh:) I'm not joking. But does he make fun from his friends? That's the question in this Twilight Zone-like film.
He states that he is originally a cave man, a cro magnon-type mate. But how could you prove this craziness for your best friends? Especially if there are anthropologists, archeologists, psychologists, biologists, etc. among them? These are hard questions, but not as tricky how the friends test John. For example their and the film's questions are: "Living more than 14.000 years what time would mean for you? Would you feel our lifetime as a second? What would you think about somebody's loss? How could you feel any emotions after the thousands of 'hello'-s and 'good bye'-s? Would you be a genius after the chance to learn through thousands of years?" and so on. If you need answers for these questions, don't afraid, you will get them. But after a funny and practical questions come the real important ones like: "What do you think about the future of the mankind? Are you following any kind of religion?" And this is the point where the story start to choose a really (really) scary direction. And still makes this only with the power of the company's discussion...
I admit it is not the most revealing sci-fi (?) ever written, but if you like(d) the unique atmosphere of the mentioned Twilight Zone, or the episodes of the Tales of the Unexpected, then you found something treasure. Why? Because Richard Schenkman's, I mean Jerome Bixby's movie gives the most close answer for the meaning of life (after the '42' of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy...:). Or not.
6/10
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