The Brother from Another Planet | | Cast : | Joe Morton, Daryl Edwards | | Director : | John Sayles | | Studio : | Uav Corporation | | Format : | Color | | Released Date : | September 07, 1984 | | DVD Released Date : | September 25, 2001 | | Language : | English (Dubbed) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | March 23, 2005 | | Summary | Two words-SEE IT! | Content
 | This is a very well done story whose low budget does NOT get in the way (in fact, it adds to the charm). The story about a Black extraterrestrial who winds up in Harlem and then...well, you'll find out. For non-sci-fi fans and those used to the typical action films or crude ghetto comedies featuring black casts, this film may take some getting used to, as it is sparse on dialogue. After viewing it once, I recommend watching it again and with John Sayles' excellent commentary.
Overall, once you get it, it's great. It speaks to anyone who has ever felt like a "fish out of water" and longed to be understood and become a part of a community (in this case, Harlem, one of the world's most famous communities, becomes a metaphor). Of course there is more to the film's message that that, but see the film, find out, and enjoy. |
| Rating | | | Date | September 03, 2004 | | Summary | Science Fiction On The Real Side. | Content
| Imagine the result if someone were wise enough to adapt one
of the works of SF grandmaster Octavia E. Butler. Better yet,
imagine if there had been a grand convergence of Butler's
speculations on world development and African American
perspective, with the poetry, folklore and commentary of
Langston Hughes.
With THE BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET, filmmaker John
Sayles, cinematographer Ernest R. Dickerson, and the
character acting master Joe Morton as the silent lead
all achieve this major feat of storytelling excellence.
Rarely have motion pictures captured the heart of the
Black Diaspora, let alone delve to the narrative core
of actual Science Fiction as deeply as this film does
so magnificently.
Its probing style and cutting edge satire hits with
stone irony; its humor dry to the bone, yet inviting
to the touch, and delightfully devastating to the
unprepared. 20 years later, THE BROTHER still resonates
with sharp genius. Its winding tale and participants
bring home a discerning warmth which delivers the wit
and pathos of Black perspective with breathtaking
fullness.
From the hands of a White man, THE BROTHER is a
marked study of how to do one's homework well, and
more. Certainly, Sayles' pioneering independent
filmwork here proved far more astute in addressing
-and depicting- the Black aesthetic than the lackwit
Tommery, thug-happy Jim Crow jumping, and Stephen
Fechit gesturings far too in vogue -for far too
long- as "Black Entertainment".
Of course, it's how the film utilizes African
American ambiance to deliver one of the great
works of Science Fiction film which has
bewildered both critics and moviegoers alike
for 20 years. Consider how few "big" films are
based solidly in Black culture, let alone SF
films which find us discomfortingly absent,
too often, to this day, and you begin to see
the general confusion about a serious SF film
which is a serious film about an African
American community as well.
Further, since most people regard the SF film
field as technological playgrounds for "comicky
popcorn epics" (let alone the snob-ridden dribble
of "sci-fi"), films which can utilize technology
to help properly tell a great cinematic story has
traditionally bewildered American audiences.
BLADE RUNNER taking decades to be recognized
as an epic, along with the misconceptions
regarding more recent epics such as Spielberg's
MINORITY REPORT and the recent Simon Wells/John
Logan take on THE TIME MACHINE, bear this
out.
For every thematic, dramatic and technical
triumph achieved by the likes of THE LORD OF
THE RINGS, major befuddlement at such daring
work from a principally Speculative source
(witness the tailing-off of interest towards
THE MATRIX trilogy, or the utter disdain
towards Lucas' current STAR WARS films)
all demonstrates just how far audience
attention & audience appreciation has
yet to go.
THE BROTHER eschews super-technology altogether,
throwing FX-seekers way off-line! Sayles and
friends opt for minimal opticals and some
old-fashioned staging to make the point
of THE BROTHER's alienation, as much a
product of the enslavement he's rejecting
as it is a reaction to the literal new
world to which he's come.
Thrown into the hectic thoroughfare of Harlem,
brought face-to-face with the pratfalls of
everything from Social Services to drink
minimums at night clubs, THE BROTHER has
a very short time to learn a whole lot about
the human race, and how he means to fit into
it.
All manner of folk, from a gregarious
White single mother to as rich a collection
of barhoppers as you will find anywhere,
imbue the hapless extraterrestrial with an
array of pessimisms, joys, and reflections,
giving him ample space to contemplate upon
what it is to be human.
Even the proverbial gag of White rubes lost
in Harlem bears much thought to treasure,
poking wry wit at the ongoing perplexities
of "Race".
While the film is a cornucopia of great Black
talent seen in all manner of entertainment over
the past 20 years, it's the lead performer's
standout portrayal which makes this film so
particularly special. A mute wanderer with a
healing touch for man, woman, child and
machine poses a telling metaphor all his own,
one which Joe Morton executes with a skill
of pantomime worthy of Chaplin himself.
Silent, Morton's performance here communicates
volumes of emotional impact, and great dramatic
strength. From confusion over hard drugs and
death, to the pangs of romance, on to the
desperation of his chase for Freedom, Morton
delivers a bravura presentation which will bring
you enthusiastically to your feet by film's
end.
A key longtime player in Sayles' repertory,
and a supporting player frequently seen in
a variety of roles for both film and
television, it's astonishing that this
acting marvel has not been casted in more
lead roles. Underrated, Morton is easily
among this generation's most accomplished
dramatic masters.
Undaunted, Morton carries the vision on,
even as THE BROTHER stands as his signature
showcase.
Best of all, THE BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET
demonstrates how the littlest things bear
the greatest significance. From the quick
social wisdom of a subway ride, to turning
a bureaucracy inside out, the film is a
wonderful excursion into the nature of
Struggle, getting by, and learning to do
more than just survive.
Even the value of keeping an eye on things
takes on a whole new meaning for inner
city dwellers and upwardly mobile bank
executives alike.
When all is said and done, it comes to this:
Be thoughtful.
Be entertained.
Give THE BROTHER some.
|
| Rating | | | Date | February 26, 2004 | | Summary | Don't be fooled--widescreen is the way to go | Content
| A certain reviewer on this page tells us that the fullscreen version of this film is superior to the widescreen. Having seen both, I can testify that the mental competency of this reviewer is very much in doubt. The fullscreen is one of the worst stateside dvd transfers in existence. Many night scenes seem to be taking place in a storm of dust. The day scenes aren't much better; each one looks like it was filmed after sundown. The glorious color cinematography of Earnest Dickerson is ruined, both by the muted color and by the 4:3 remframing. Though not nearly as vibrant as Dickerson's later work on Do the Right Thing, this is still a suprisingly compelling movie from a visual standpoint. If you get the fullscreen, you'll never know. And at last, you can see every nuance of Joe Morton's face! His great performance as the brother, which has not one single spoken word, is finally visible in all its complexity. So are the faces of the residents of Harlem, both good and bad, that we encounter throughout the film. As many have noted, the sci-fi effects are totally laughable (the removable eye, especially), but that's not what this film is about. It's about a new way to look at the experiece of race and community, and it succeeds brilliantly. A final note on the pro-fullscreen reviewer: if you look up his reviews, you will note that he hates Taxi Driver and loves both Ishtar and Howard the Duck. I rest my case. |
| Rating | | | Date | November 02, 2003 | | Summary | Buy the other version | Content
| this one is so called "widescreen." There is another DVD which has the number B000055XLV also available here on Amazon, which is fullscreen so you can really watch and enjoy this wonderful movie. Buy that version instead, and the price is much cheaper to boot! |
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