MovieChat Forums > The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1937) Discussion > I found this film so frustrating! *SPOLI...

I found this film so frustrating! SPOLIERS

posted 17 years ago by bones_weep_tedium
8 replies | jump to latest

He really squandered his power, which I find infuriating!

He didnt do anything at all really throughout the film, until the end when he went utterly spastic. And he did the most unrealsitic thing of all, he wished his power away. NO ONE WOULD DO THAT!!

It wasnt as though he had to deal through a tricky or capricious genie who always mis-interpretted his wishes in ironic and painful ways; he could have anything he wanted, if only he asked for it. The only trouble was he asked for stupid, rubbish things.

If I ever had powers to work miracles like in this film, you can be sure that I'd at least summon a chinese takeaway or two. He didnt get cool clothes, a cool car, summon his favourite celebrities, nothing. He did try to make the object of his obsession love him back, but then had to learn a 'lesson' that there were some places his miracles couldn't touch -- the human heart. RUBBISH. Just summon a bunch of flowers, a box of chocolates and make her think you look like Brad Pitt and she'll come to bed soon enough.

He just didnt think things through!

I cant bear to watch this movie (a shame because it's my partner's favourite film and she always wants to watch it) because I hate the lead character so much.

I suppose that makes it a true work of art, that it can provoke such a strong emotional response in me?

-------------------------------------No *beep* *beep* lady, do I sound like I'm ordering a pizza??

[–] fast_fierce_and_funny 17 years ago

And he did the most unrealsitic thing of all, he wished his power away. NO ONE WOULD DO THAT!!

No? Perhaps you're familiar with the short story The Monkey's Paw ?

Just in case you aren't:

http://gaslight.mtroyal.ab.ca/mnkyspaw.htm

People don't always react the way that you (or anyone else for that matter) think they will. That's part of what makes people so fascinating.

[–] bones_weep_tedium 17 years ago

And he did the most unrealsitic thing of all, he wished his power away. NO ONE WOULD DO THAT!!

No? Perhaps you're familiar with the short story The Monkey's Paw ?

Just in case you aren't:

http://gaslight.mtroyal.ab.ca/mnkyspaw.htm

People don't always react the way that you (or anyone else for that matter) think they will. That's part of what makes people so fascinating.

Thanks for the link; that was a wicked little story and very relevant as well. I hadn't read that story before, but recognised a few tried and tested tropes of the Three Wishes stories I;ve heard before.

I appreciate the fact that people don't always react the way that I think they will; indeed, this film is a testament to that fact. Whether that makes people fascinating or frsutrating is maybe a discussion for elsewhere? In any case though, I think that his complete inactivity combined with later recklessness made for a boring film.

Moral, but boring. :)

Thanks again for the link.

-------------------------------------No *beep* *beep* lady, do I sound like I'm ordering a pizza??

[–] jnatch 15 years ago

or go to a childrens hospital and save a few lives for goodness sake

[–] Enrique-8 15 years ago

I know what you mean, but then Fartheringay was written as a buffoon-type simpleton who has never opened his horizons beyond his four corners. It was intetionally done that way, there are many, many simple type people in the world...ordinary folks who are not educated nor ever thought a dream could come true.

Enrique Sanchez

[–] Balibari 13 years ago

The point seems to be that whilst we all think we'd know what to do to improve the world and make ourselves happy, in reality we don't. But that relies on us accepting Fotheringay as the average man... but he isn't, he's an idiot, frankly. I like the film but that does strike me as a flaw. It would have been more effective if he'd been a more believable everyman IMO. But then it's a pretty old film and audiences were different 70 years ago. It was made for them not us.

[–] Kammurabi 12 years ago

So you are saying the everyman is not an idiot? You are very generous.

I believe this film wasn't made simply for audiences of 1936. Wells isn't more perfect than any other human, but he was certainly a forward thinker and his work is rarely outdated beneath the surface.
More important, the people of 2012 would be equally ineffective in actually using the power to do "anything," in my opinion.
Your first sentence in your post was spot-on accurate. Accurate in 1936 and in 2012.

.

[–] rmcap965-982-388208 11 years ago

There are idiots today who don't even know who the vice president is let alone think about benefiting humankind...

[–] Whowasthat1 9 years ago

And looks it. Why do they keep addressing him as "young man"? I just find that odd.

I found this film so frustrating! *SPOLIERS*

I found this film so frustrating! SPOLIERS