The Man Who Finally Died (1963)

“I heard he died 20 years ago.” – Joe Newman

Number of Times Seen – 1 (25 Apr 2018)

Brief Synopsis – A man is summoned to meet his father in Germany after believing him to be dead for over two decades.

My Take on it – This is a film that I knew almost nothing about but was intrigued by the idea of a man discovering that his father didn’t die twenty years earlier.

They are able to keep things constantly evolving the whole way through and it allows the viewer to never completely be sure of what is truly going on.

The cast list is quite minimal yet Stanley Baker and Peter Cushing both stand out in exceptional performances.

I really loved the way that they are able to take such a simple idea and have it spiral into a complex and enjoyable plot that doesn’t let up at all and keeps surprising around every corner that it turns.

They also do a great job alluding to World War II, Nazis, and even the Cold War with sometimes just subtle references as the plot moves forward.

Loved how by the end, anything I thought about the plot at the story was turned around 180 degrees and makes one question so much about how films like this manage to work and how hard is is to get a film to be as intriguing as this one is.

This is a perfect example of a film that takes a very simplistic idea and manages to turn it into such a compelling and entertaining thriller because you never know what to truly expect.

Bottom Line – Excellent film because it is able to keep things constantly evolving and we never are completely sure of what is really going on. The cast is minimal but both Baker and Cushing stand out among them all. Loved the way that such a simple idea can spiral into such an enjoyable and complex plot that keeps surprising the entire way through.  Love the simple subtle references to WWII, The Cold War and Naziism. Sometimes the simplest seeming ideas can turn out to be among the very best. Highly Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Nigel Green had also acted in 1959 TV Serial The Man Who Finaly Died.  (From IMDB)

Rating – Oscar Worthy (9/10)

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