THE BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET
US, 1984,108 minutes, Colour.
Joe Morton, Rosanna Carter.
Directed by John Sayles.
The Brother From Another Planet is an engaging blend of a close encounter with social observation of America in the 80s. It is the work of writer-director, John Sayles. Sayles wrote a number of genre movies such as Alligator, Battle Beyond the Stars, Clan of the Cave Bear. He also wrote and directed several serious films about America and its lifestyle: The Return of the Secaucus Seven, Lianna, Baby It's Vou.
The film uses minimal special effects. There is an initial joke as the brother crash lands at Ellis Island (like the immigrants of the past). The brother is black and makes his way throughout New York encountering many people who use him as a sounding board. The film is both serious and comic, sentimental and humorous. It uses the popularity of the extraterrestrial genre in the '80s for social comment.
1. A pleasing drama? Delightful social observation and comedy? Fable of America in the '80s?
2. The picture of New York? squalor, ugliness, humanity? Ordinary? yet different because perceived through the extraterrestrial's eyes? The style of New York? The importance of the musical score and the wide rangesongs and their lyrics for comment?
3. The film as a fable: a variation on the extraterrestrial story, a variation on American domestic story, the variation on New York life? Looking at these through new eyes? Points made?
4. The brother and his arrival, the spaceship, Ellis Island and his hearing the voices from the past? His being black, the visit to Harlem? The war, the regulars, his ability to communicate with them, his seemingly magic ability to fix video games? The encounter with Sam, his social work background, his getting the brother jobs in fixing games? Meeting Randy Sue and Earl? At home with them? Sharing their life? The bond with both, with Earl, the visit to the museum? His settling into New York life?
5. The bounty hunter theme? The presence of the bounty hunters including Sayles himself as one of them)? Their pursuit of the brother, ability to track him down, the questioning of Randy Sue, questioning of Hector, of Sam? The methods of fighting? The brother eluding them?
The brothers joining to help the brother and the auto-destruction of the bounty hunters?
6. The brother and his experience of New York: the rush, the mugging, the drug overdose, the Rastifarian and the drug night, the hallucinations, the two Mid-Westerners? going to O'Dell's bar?
7. Randy Sue, her coping with life, love for Earl, the husband and his absence, the visit to the exhibition, themes? Identity? The bounty hunters and their questioning of Randy Sue?
8. The brother and his encounter with Malverne, the nightclub, her singing, his falling in love with her, the night with her?
9. The encounter with drugs, tracking down the drug pusher, his detachable eye, the office, Mr. Vance and the drugs, his killing him?
10. The range of people that the brother met, Fly, Smoky, Walter, Rector? Randy Sue? Sam? The brother being a sounding board to relate to, to express themselves to, to discover themselves with? The brother and his relating, learning, his becoming more human, accepting humanity and staying?
11. Insights into the United States? American history and its meaning? A satisfying blend of genres?
